Updated Information for Church and User Groups around the Coronavirus

The advice from the government on Monday evening has radically changed what we are now able to do as a church family, this has been reiterated by new advice from the Baptist Union and all other major denominations. Some of what I outline below is very difficult, and there will be significant challenges ahead, however there are also going to be unexpected opportunities to share the love and grace of Jesus and ways of connecting with our local community that even a few days ago would have been unimaginable. The current advice from the Baptist Union:

The advice is now that people should avoid meeting together wherever possible and this will have an impact on meeting on Sunday and at other times during the week. Sunday services should not now take place and move to online meetings.

Until we are advised otherwise we will not be hosting any led meetings in our church building from Wednesday 18th March, this applies to both LBC and user groups. We will however not be stopping caring for or supporting one another as Christians. Below are just some of the things we will either start doing or continue to do, more details will follow in all these areas:

  • Streamed worship on Sunday morning. Join us online starting this Sunday morning at 10.30am for a short-streamed service (30-40mins) including Bible readings, message, prayer, songs and testimony. This will continue until we are able to resume regular services.
  • Youth and Children’s ministries will be providing their own dedicated content in due course.
  • From a week on Sunday we will continue our sermon series through Hebrews as a separate audio recording which will be available on the website on our ‘Listen Again’ page, iTunes & Spotify and on CD (available at request).
  • Information regarding the application of this advice to small groups and their leaders will be sent around separately, if you are a small group leader please check your email.
  • Pastoral care – our pastoral care plan is currently being developed and we will be in touch later this week with further details.
  • Keeping church open for quiet prayer and reflection. Whilst we are not able to lead events which may lead to significant numbers in the building, we are currently able to keep the main church open for individuals to drop in and spend some time in quiet prayer and reflection, chairs will be placed a distance apart for everyone’s safety. Times of opening to follow.

Please do pray and care for one another, and do keep in touch, keep ringing people known to you who may be vulnerable.

God bless,

Jonathan (on behalf of LBC leadership team)

Ephesians 3: 16-19
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

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