News and Coming Up

There will be a zoom service on Sunday (28th) at 10:45, with P, J.. The code is 82072685897.

No mention of churches reopening was made in the roadmap set out by the Prime Minister a few days ago. But that is because, under the current lockdown restrictions, there is no bar on churches being open. We are closed because the Circuit decided, in common with most churches, we should follow the 1st rule of lockdown ‘stay at home’. Neither Methodist HQ or the Circuit have yet commented on when we might reopen.

Although we cannot be in Church, it was felt that the church should still be laid out for Lent. Consequently, the wooden cross we always have in church at this time of year is in place. Also in place, on the Communion table, are the various Lent Symbols.

If we were able to be in church today (Sunday) we would see that the Lent symbols for today are the basin and towel. Read John 13:1-14 then sing to yourself:

   When I survey the wondrous cross,

   On which the Prince of Glory died,

   My richest gain I count but loss,

  And pour contempt on all my pride

Pray: Lord, grant us simplicity of faith and a generosity of service that gives without counting cost. A life overflowing with Grace poured out from the One who gave everything that we might show the power of love to a broken world. Let us share the truth from a living word. Lord, grant us simplicity of faith and a yearning to share it. Amen

The New Room is hoping to reopen on Monday 17th May.

The Marie Curie charity is organising a National Day of Reflection for COVID on 23rd March, the first anniversary of the first UK lockdown. The charity is inviting everyone to take a minute to reflect and a moment to connect. Join the minute's silence at 12 noon to show your support for the millions of people who've been bereaved and take a moment to reach out to someone you know who's grieving. Have a chat, send a card, a message or spring flowers.

We are in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight. This year Fairtrade are highlighting the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers in the communities they work with. Millions of people across the globe who provide us with our food and fashion are on the front line of the climate emergency. They’re trapped in an unfair trading system that will only drive us further into crisis. For more information visit www.fairtrade.org,uk

A Methodist Way of Life.  Service – help people in our communities and beyond, care for creation and all God’s gifts, challenge injustice. Consider: how are you seeking to serve others in your community and beyond? What has helped or hindered you in your service of others? How are you caring for God’s creation? How are you using God’s gifts? What issues of injustice are you currently concerned about? Are you able to do anything about them?

Lectionary for 28th February to 6th March. Genesis 17.1-7,15-16; Psalm 22.23-31; Romans 4.13-25; Mark 8.31-38. Rocky relationships. Jesus is telling his disciples a difficult truth about what will happen to him in his death and resurrection, but Peter finds it hard to take, and argues with Jesus. Jesus sets out that God’s ways are different from human nature: we must forget about our earthly desires and follow Jesus. Sometimes it can be hard to accept a difficult truth. We might wonder if there have been times when we have had to receive a difficult truth. How did we react? How might we have responded if we had been in Peter’s shoes?

The Reverend Richard Sharples is running a Zoom Bible Study Course for 9 weeks beginning on Thursday 8th April, from 7:30 to 9pm. It will be a journey through the whole of the Acts of the Apostles. For more details contact Richard: richard.sharples@methodist.org.uk or 0117 962 9679.

A reminder. Fund raising. Do you shop on line? Do you book travel on line? If so, if you do it via the web site easyfundraising,org.uk/panel you can raise funds for the church at no cost whatsoever to yourself. The retailer you purchase from – and there are something like 3,700 of them - will make a donation to the church.

The Church AGM will be held at 10am on Saturday 12th June. It will be combined with the June Church Council. Whether it will take place by people attending the church or via zoom will be decided nearer the time.

Later this year P. J. will be taking a sabbatical. She will be adding annual leave at the start and finish of it meaning that she will be not be available during the period 26th July to 30th November.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have urged people to take a moment each day to pause and remember the more than 100,000 people across the UK who have died after contracting Covid-19. In an open letter to the nation, the Most Rev Justin Welby and the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell invited people to "reflect on the enormity of this pandemic" following the reaching of the "terrible milestone". They wrote: "One hundred thousand isn't just an abstract figure. Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us. "We also believe that each of these people was known to God and cherished by God." Mr Welby and Mr Cottrell called on people, regardless of whether they have faith or not, to join in a "prayer for the nation" at 6pm every day from 1st February.

 

Wednesday Worship. Each Wednesday during lockdown, the Reverend David Alderman will prepare an act of worship at 2pm on the Circuit Youtube channel. Bristol & South Glos Methodist Circuit - YouTube. This will be available to  watch at other times.

Morning Prayers. 10am, Monday to Friday, from Wesley’s Chapel in London: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA

Every Friday the New Room share a reflection – details can be found here: Latest News Archives - The New Room Bristol, John Wesley’s Chapel

There is a live service from Methodist Central Hall Westminster each Sunday at 11am - https://mchw.live. And also from Wesley's Chapel London at 11am www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA  a present 

DailyHope, is a free national telephone line which offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of the phone. The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind; to provide comfort and spiritual nourishment to the most isolated in our society.

If you would still like to make your offertory during lockdown, there are a number of ways of doing this. One way is to send Peter a cheque, made payable to Kingswood Methodist Church (the bank will not accept just KMC). Another way is to set up a monthly direct debit, Peter can provide the details. A 3rd way is to ask Peter to call on you and collect your envelopes – he can then also deliver your new ones.

 

The purpose of Kingswood Methodist Church is to respond to God's Love in Christ and to live out that love in God's world.