UPDATES AND USEFUL
INFORMATION (22nd July 2020)
Dear All
Blessings as we continue
through this time so impacted by Coronavirus.
As mentioned last week,
this week’s briefly is initially only available on the blog (which additionally contains
all past weekly briefings and other relevant information.) It is to be found at
- https://urceasternsynod.blogspot.com/
Owing
to staff leave, it will not be posted on the Synod website until the beginning
of next week, but it will be there then.
Looking
through what we have shared and communicated, I realise that next week’s will
be the twentieth of these weekly briefings, a reminder of just how long this situation
has been with us.
Things
are changing, but we still have a considerable way to go. However, as August introduces a different
pace, we will make next week’s the last for the moment and will suspend sending
out/posting these briefings for that month.
However, we will be back at the beginning of September, and prepare a
weekly briefing, at least, through September, and very likely quite a bit
longer. We will review that in the first
half of September.
As
well as passing on relevant information, that will allow us to continue distributing
relevant worship materials.
Meantime,
have a good (rest of the) summer. I hope
it brings some relaxation and refreshment.
Best
wishes, PAUL
FACEMASKS AND FACE-COVERINGS
As mentioned last week, face masks/coverings
are not currently mandatory in church, but would seem advisable. Please see the URC guidance on this matter
which we have posted on the blog - https://urceasternsynod.blogspot.com/2020/07/guidance-around-face-coverings.html
LOCKDOWN PHOTOS
What some have been saying about themselves
and the gospel –
………………. all from Epping URC:
 |
| Children making rainbow cards for every member of the congregation |
 |
| Seeds sent to every member in advance of the Sunday service (Matthew 13) |
 |
| Big Hugs made by our children during a Zoom service on God's outrageous love as in Luke 15:11-32 (the prodigal son) |
 |
| Easter eggs in our church door window during Easter season: what was in your egg this Easter? |
ALL-AGE RESOURCES FOR THIS SUNDAY
Families
at Home - Snapshots of the Kingdom
Story Time for the under-five’s – The Fishermen –
Singing together
Faith as small as a mustard seed
Watching reading and listening together
Snapshots of the kingdom with Nicola
Snapshots of the Kingdom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SLVfh3gHmk
Matthew 13.31-33,44-52
Encourage the children to crouch down as you begin each parable, and
then to grow and reach up high.
Jesus told a story:
‘Here is a tiny seed. It may be very small but if it is planted in a
field, amazing things will happen. The seed will grow and grow into a huge tree
– so big that birds will come and make their home in the branches.’
Here is a tiny piece of yeast. It is put into the bread mix and kneaded
into the dough. When it is left in the warm it will grow and grow and the dough
will rise. Then the dough will be ready to be baked into bread.
God’s kingdom is like the seed and God’s kingdom is like the yeast. It
will grow and grow and grow.’
Praying together
Dear God, help us to seek and find your kingdom:
which is like a tiny mustard seed,
which is as powerful as yeast,
which is as valuable as a whole treasure chest,
which needs us to give away things so we can receive the preciousness,
which is like a fishing net that is open to all.
which is like a tiny mustard seed,
which is as powerful as yeast,
which is as valuable as a whole treasure chest,
which needs us to give away things so we can receive the preciousness,
which is like a fishing net that is open to all.
Dear God, help us to seek and find your kingdom.
Amen.
Amen.
Smarties Rainbow prayers
Choose a different colour smartie for different types of prayer
For example
Yellow - Dear God Please
bless…
Red - Dear God I am sorry
for…
Green - Dear God thank you
for…
Blue - Dear God please
help…
Amen
Put the smarties around the edge of a plate and when you have all added
your prayers pour on some hot water into the middle of the plate until it
reaches all the smarties. Sit quietly
and watch as the prayers combine with the colours. When the colours all join up say amen
together.
Creating together
Bread making
Make bread dough together look at the difference between the dough before
it rises and talk about the action the yeast has. It is the yeast that has made
the dough grow.
Shape proven dough into bread rolls to bake and then eat together.
A Mustard seed pop up card
Fold a square of card in half and cut on the fold and cut 1cm in about
2cm apart and fold the other way (see picture).
Make a tree to fit inside the card and glue to the fold out in the
card. Decorate your tree with birds and
write the bible verse on the card. When
you open the card the tree will pop up reminding you the that the kingdom of
God is like the smallest mustard seed that grows into a tall tree where the
birds can come to make their home
Playing together
Challenge each other make the biggest ‘trees’ towers you can, out of
building blocks.
LAY
PREACHERS
Sunday
mornings have felt very different in recent months for our large network of Lay
Preachers. Some will have been as busy as usual, helping with the
preparation of ‘worship-at-home’ materials or contributing to online services,
as well as expanding their pastoral care. For others, many pastorates
have found that they have been able to see or hear from their minister every
week, in contrast with normal circumstances when a minister will be visiting
churches in turn, and so local Lay Preachers have been less in demand.
Next week Lindsey (Synod’s Mission and Training Officer) and Liz Bird, the Lay
Preachers’ advocate, will be hosting an online space to give our Lay Preachers
a chance to get together and talk over some of the changes, benefits and challenges
of working in this new way. We hope that this will give you the
opportunity to share experiences and ideas, as well as to compare notes.
Lay Preachers will receive an invitation by email this week, for a first
meeting on Wednesday July 29th at 7pm, and a follow-up meeting on
September 9th also at 7pm. If for any reason you don’t get an
email please let Lindsey know, training@urceastern.org.uk.
TRANSITION
WORSHIP
Although
the majority of our church buildings are still shut for Sunday worship,
conversations about what reopening will look like has begun for most. We
do know that for some time we will need a transition period during which, while
being able to offer a service back in the building, we also need to be mindful
of and provide access to those who will remain protecting themselves at home
(as well as to those who have joined us online but may never physically attend
our churches). Lindsey is part of a group of Training and Development
Officers currently working with churches on how to manage this transition, and
she would be very interested in hearing from churches who are grappling with
this at the moment, and also from those who have found solutions, to add to the
stories being gathered. It is hoped that a training resource will be
available by the beginning of September.
SHARING
OUR FAITH
How
do we share our faith with others? As a denomination we tend to lack confidence
in what is known as evangelism, witness, testimony, sharing our story… and yet
we know through data gathered by HOPE that 68% non-Christians have a close
family member or friend who is a practising Christian, and out of those who
have heard something of our faith one in five wants to know more… that’s a lot
of opportunities we may be missing out on. There are lots of courses that
can help us with exploring these issues in depth, including LICC’s Faithfulness
on the Frontline and Talking Jesus, which many of our churches have
tackled. In the current circumstances, however, while courses are harder
for churches to run, we know that the wider community is more interested than
ever in how our faith helps us. Lindsey is putting together a
resource to help us to feel more confident about sharing our faith with others.
She is currently gathering examples: if you are able to record a short video of
yourself – no more than 60 seconds long – answering one of the following
questions then please send it to Lindsey at training@urceastern.org.uk.
If you aren’t able to send a video then a written response would be great, too.
·
Was
there a moment or person that had a significant impact on you becoming a
Christian?
·
What
does being a Christian mean to you in your daily life?
·
How
does prayer help you in your life?
·
Why
is belonging to a church an important part of your Christian life?
·
What
does being a Christian mean for how you see the rest of society / the world?
RURAL
CHURCHES
The
Arthur Rank Centre is delighted to be working with the University of Exeter, in
order to understand the impact of Covid-19 on church organisations providing
rural isolation support. It would help them hugely if you felt able to
complete the survey found here , https://exeter.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/arthur-rank-centre-survey-covid-19-well-being-and-the-c-5
Feel free to forward it to others who may have useful input. Even if you
aren’t specifically involved in rural isolation work, the general information
you can give will be very useful. If you are not in a rural area still
please fill it in and pass it on to some people that are in rural communities,
thanks.
With
prayers and best wishes for your ministry
from
Elizabeth Clark, Rural Ministries Officer.
ISRAEL
AND THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
This
week the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Team held their second webinar on
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as part of talks offered by
General Assembly. Their guest was Rev Dr Munther Isaac, an academic dean
at Bethlehem Bible College and assistant pastor at a Lutheran Church in
Bethlehem. Munther is a Palestinian Christian, born in Palestine.
He spoke powerfully – from Bethlehem - on the Palestinian experience in
the region, and as part of the Q&A listed practical ways in which we can
all stand in solidarity. These included referring us to www.CryForHope.org, a site calling for
action and including many suggestions; encouraging us to engage in theological
discussion around the issues; urging us to be a moral compass in our
communities in conversation on this topic; following and supporting grassroot,
interfaith, Palestinian and Jewish movements working on the ground; keeping
informed; coming to see: visiting the region, using travel companies such as
ATG (the Alternative Travel Group) or the Amos Trust, to get a real sense of
the region and its issues.
Reminder: last week we asked your
church to consider writing to your MP urgently to support the early day motion
opposing further annexation of the West Bank. Further information for
your church and an example of a letter were attached to last week’s
Update. If you have not done this yet do, please, consider it at your
next meeting.
URC ADVICE
Just
a reminder that the coronavirus advice page on the URC website is being updated
with resources and advice on a daily basis:
Finally,
just a reminder from Lindsey, Nicola and myself that we are still there for you
and, if there is anything you think we might offer, or you just want a chat, then
do contact us:
Our prayers and our best
wishes,
A PRAYER FROM AUSTRALIA
O loving God, we pray that you will give us
courage and wisdom
as we face the hard realities which confront
us
in life around the world today.
May those with gifts for human help and hope
discover ways which help us
to end the threatening infections of
coronavirus
and restore our lives to a new day.
Give to us, we pray, a profound sense of
creative community,
as we care for each other,
especially those who are most vulnerable.
Hold us in your arms, like a loving parent
would,
as we journey into the future.
Call us towards deeper faith, O Christ,
believing that you are with us.
And lift our hearts, O Holy Spirit,
as we face each moment. Amen.
Revd. Dorothy McRae-McMahon, South Sydney
Uniting Church
STAY SAFE AND KEEP WELL! GOD BLESS! PAUL
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