Bulletin for Sunday 6^th September 2009

Family Service

A warm welcome to everyone who worships with us today.

Our Morning Worship at 11.00am  will be led by Rev Luke Smith and our 6.30pm Evening Praise will be led by Ms Jacky Goaten.

11.00am Worship at Selby Street will be led by Deacon Peter Ogle.

Morning Worship

Welcome and Notices

Song    If I were a butterfly

Prayers

Reading James 2v1-10, 14-17

Song    Our God is a great big God

Talk

Song    Be Bold be strong

Talk

Hymn 758 In Christ there is no east or west

Offering

Prayers

Hymn 31 Come let us all unite and Sing

Blessing

Thanks to our Accompanists am, David Stones, pm Inga Williams

The flowers have been given by Carol Wallwork in memory of her Mum Barbara and Step –mum Brenda Wallwork.

 Dear friends

Recently the Methodist Church offered additional guidance for those affected by Swine Flu. An extract is printed below.

Luke

Housebound Christians encouraged to worship online.

New swine flu guidance from the Methodist Church encourages those who are housebound with the virus to worship online or share in a service broadcast on the radio.

The online guidance (www.methodist.org.uk/swineflu), also offers practical advice for Holy Communion and sharing the Peace, as well as a checklist for Church facilities.

Paul Morrison, a virologist and Public Issues Policy Advisor for the Church said; “Each church is encouraged to think about how they can sensibly reduce the risk of spreading swine flu during services and the other activities that go on as part of Church life. A number of areas of concern, such as Holy Communion, have been specifically addressed. Once these risks have been thought out and minimised we hope that churches will carry on serving their communities as before.”  

“Swine flu is nothing to panic about but it has increased the level of need within our communities. It is important that our churches are able to continue to reach out to sick and vulnerable people using both new technologies like email and internet as well as more traditional methods such as20home visits and phone calls”.

The guidance stresses that where people are housebound with swine flu, it may not be appropriate for them to receive pastoral visits and could be supported in other ways such as by phone or email. Those wishing to take part in corporate worship, but unable to do so because of the virus may wish to attend an online worship service at St Pixels, the Church of the Internet (www.stpixels.com), or share in worship broadcast on the radio, such as the Daily Service on Radio 4 long wave, each weekday at 9.45am (www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wzfs).

“Meeting together to learn and worship is the spiritual life-blood of the Church and we don’t want people to stop doing this,” added Paul. “But for those who can’t attend corporate worship for whatever reason, there are a variety of resources to offer them spiritual support until they can return to church.”

People are being encouraged to pray for the health services and all those suffering with the virus, as well as send in their own stories of good practice in helping to prevent and manage the disease. The stories can be emailed to swineflu@methodistchurch.org.uk.

Bible Study

Bible study at Ron and Sylvia’s will not now restart until 17^th September.

News of Members and Friends

Congratulations to Debbie Taylor and Peter Ogle on passing their First Aid courses!

Thank you for a Job well done, to Peter Ogle, John and Gordon and all who helped in the decoration of the Bank.

MHA

 To our loyal Methodist Homes supporters my grateful thanks for your donation.

£205 was raised. The Autumn brochure is now available. Once again many, many thanks           Doris