Coronavirus Update

By Kevin Montgomery in News on 17 March 2020

Sent on Tuesday 17th March 2020.

To the St Columba’s Church Family,

These are difficult times indeed, but we should see them as an opportunity and not as a threat. The virus may attack our body but, as I shared on Sunday, our hope of heaven is a gift from God that cannot be taken away from us. 

I also shared on Sunday how important it is that we follow all the advice given to us and that now includes that we do not meet together for worship. The Archbishops’ letter (for full text please click here) explains that “our usual pattern of Sunday services and other mid-week gatherings must be put on hold”. This means that there will be NO more services at church until further notice, including the Wednesday morning service tomorrow that I had indicated to some people earlier today would still be happening.

However this does not mean that church is going away, we just have to do church differently. I am looking at different ways in which people can engage in some form of worship with people from our church family, these include holding Morning Prayer by Skype, posting a “Thought for the Day” on our website and hopefully recording a sermon that you will be able to watch at home, bringing a familiar face into your living room alongside the many other voices at this time.

We will also, and most importantly, be introducing some phone support, which will involve someone from church calling you to bring news of our church family, to make sure you are well and to ask if there is anything that you need, or indeed that you can offer. Messages will be sent back to me to be shared round the church family, we would hope to be able to call most of the church family to prayer if someone was seriously ill for example. We also hope that if you need anything you will ask, people have offered to help so please don’t struggle or be in need. 

In accordance with the Archbishops’ letter I hope the church will be open each day for private prayer at a time to be decided. While we cannot meet to worship the Food Bank will still operate for the time being. It may be that extra helpers will be required, if that is the case we will share the news and how you can help. Donations of food can be left at the back of church as usual if you have a key or brought to the Vicarage if not.

Please do stay in touch with the Lord in prayer, and with us through the phone (my number is 01536 400225 – please do use it) and in any other way you can.

May the Lord God almighty watch over you and all those you love at this time,

Ian

Ian Pullinger (Revd)
VICAR
ST Columba’s, Corby