| Do | Don’t |
| Do pre book each week by phoning Jacqui on 07484 627242 on a Thursday between 1pm. and 8pm. | Don’t just turn up. You may be turned away at the door. |
| Report any covid symptoms you or anyone you’ve been in contact with have experienced in the preceding 7 days, while booking your place. This will mean you cannot attend for at least 2 weeks. If the symptoms occur after you have attended a service please let us know so that we can all self isolate. | Even when you have a booked place, don’t come to church if you or anyone you have been in contact with have experienced symptoms in the last 7 days. |
| Follow all instructions to practice social distancing. Disinfect hands, use tissues and place in the bins provided. Follow cleaning rules if you need to use the toilets. Bring and wear a face mask | Don’t complain to the stewards, they have to follow the rules too. Don’t shake hands, hug or kiss anyone. Don’t touch anything or anyone unnecessarily. Don’t worry we will all get used to it. |
| If there is a queue outside church wait in your car. | Do not get closer than 2metres to others not in your group |
| Do bring your own Bible if you want to use it during the service but please take it home with you each week. The words of readings will be on the screen. | Don’t bring hymn books as there will be no singing for the foreseeable future. Don’t sing along to any music. |
| Do continue to make your offerings to the Church. If you bring your envelope with either cash or a cheque made payable to Stocksfield Methodist Church and place in the offering bowl as you enter the church. If you would rather avoid cash or cheques you can make a standing order or bank transfer quoting your envelop number as reference directly to Sort code: 090151 Acc number 53468300 | |
| Do wait in your seat at the end of the service until you are directed to leave. | Don’t hang around outside to chat as it may stop the flow of people exiting the building. |
| Do arrange to have a coffee time with your friends over the phone. | Do not expect communion, coffee or other fellowship. We will get there when things become easier. |
| Do wear warm clothes as the doors of the church will be open to aid the flow of fresh air through the building. | |
| Do tell a steward if you feel unwell during a service. There is a first aid procedure in place. You will be shown to a toilet area. Please sit there until we can sort out your needs. | Don’t go into the kitchen area. In your eagerness to help someone who feels unwell don’t get within 2 metres of them. |
Returning to the Building for Worship Starts Sunday 6th September
We are now able to gather together with the Lord, to hear God’s word, worship and pray together, and be refreshed and equipped to serve as his disciples in the world.
Please note that the current rule of only six people being allowed to gather together does not apply to church services so these can go ahead with the number specified for the church building.
To make the return as safe as possible a thorough risk assessment has been completed and risk-mitigation measures put in place. We are sure we will benefit from worshipping together. However, in some ways it will not be what we are used to; we ask you to be patient and gracious with those things that aren’t as you (or we) would like them to be. Re-opening our building has meant a lot of hard work for a few people, and doing what needs to be done for our services involves our property stewards and others in even more work than it used to, so please be kind to everyone!
We will need to set up a new thorough cleaning rota so that we are all kept as free from Covid as possible. If you feel you could be part of that service please let Marian know. (01661 834318)
As of now there are no plans to start up any week day fellowships. As things alter we will keep you informed. Remember there will still be a phone in worship and a live streamed service from Hexham Trinity each week. The Stocksfield Phone in numbers are available for groups to use mid week so if any group want to try that see Jacqui. (07484 627242).
To avoid turning people away at the door we are operating a pre-booking system (see over). At that time, the usual covid checks will be asked as well as your contact details. These will be kept. These will make entering the Church smoother. When you enter the building, while you are sanitizing your hands you will be asked for your name. The steward on duty may be from a different church so please don’t take offense at not being recognized.
Please read the Do’s and Don’ts carefully so that you can prepare for worship too.
See “Worship” page for dates, times and preachers.
On-line Service from Hexham Trinity Methodist Church
Hexham Trinity Methodist Church is holding live Zoom services every Sunday. You can join these services live on Zoom at 10.15 am (service starts at 10.30 am). To join the service on Sunday 25th October click on the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89827232427?pwd=VFBxc2NNdXNiN3VHVE9EWE9xNWtkQT09
You can also join the service live at 10.30 am, and view it later, on Facebook. The link every week is:
http://www.facebook.com/hexhamtrinity
Welcome!
Stocksfield Methodist Church is a small community offering a huge welcome. We are committed through worship, fellowship and service to growing as disciples of Jesus and building a vibrant Christian community.
A Letter From Jenny
Dear all,
I wanted to think about 1 Corinthians 13 for a few moments this week.
1 Corinthians 13 is a passage that we often find quite challenging. We read Paul’s description of love and we think about all the relationships in our life, work, family, neighbours, church members , people who keep us hanging on the phone in call centres, the guy who pinches your parking space at Tesco, we think of all these relationships and we read ‘Love is patient, kind, keeps no record of wrongs etc and we think ‘how can I live up to that?’ Now I’m sure that in these times of lockdown, you are thinking, Jenny I am trying to function in the midst of a global pandemic, I have more than enough on my plate without you guilt tripping me about 1 Corinthians 13.
But actually it’s a hugely comforting passage when we come at it from a different angle, Years ago when I was a secondary teacher
there were trials going on to see if children with dyslexia could read more clearly when a coloured transparent sheet was placed over the white page they were reading so that the children could literally see the page in a different light. When we read this passage we need metaphorically speaking to do the same thing. We need to see the challenge but we need to remember that Paul is calling them to love in this way precisely because that is how God loves you….. and that is the encouragement I want to give you this week.
So please take a moment, read this passage through and each time is says ‘love is ’ insert the phrase God’s love for me’ instead. Be encouraged, be aware of God’s love for you and have a blessed week.
Rev Jenny Porterpryde.
1Corinthians 13:9
4
Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonour others,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
God’s love for you ……..keeps no record of wrongs.
6 God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 God always protects,
always has confidence in you,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
8 God’s Love for you never fails…..
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is GOD’s love FOR YOU.
This Week’s Quiz!
Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. Czech Republic 2. Orchid 3. Radish 4. Evian 5. Bordeaux 6. Eight 7. Oysters 8. Goulash 9. Lamb or mutton 10. McDonalds (First opened in 1940, first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise open in 1952)
And this week’s quiz on the theme of art and literature:
1. What was the real name of George Eliot?
2. ‘Celeste’ is a shade of which primary colour?
3. Which American relationship counsellor wrote the hugely successful book ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’?
4. In which century was the Florentine painter known as Sandro Botticelli born?
5. What are the names of the three ‘Darling’ children in J.M. Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’?
6. Which is the last book of the Old Testament?
7. Which French post-impressionist painter produced a series of paintings entitled ‘The Card Players’?
8. Which was the first James Bond novel to be published by Ian Fleming?
9. What is defined by Collins Dictionary as “a speech in a play in which a character speaks to himself or herself and to the audience, rather than to another actor”?
10. Who wrote ‘Don Quixote’?
Answers will be given next week.
Tynedale Methodist Circuit Resources
The Tynedale Methodist Circuit website as several resources and links to help you with your devotions and spiritual growth during these difficult times.
Visit the site at:
https://www.tynedalemethcircuit.org/
Links to Acts of Worship with the Methodist Church
The Methodist Church is providing services for you to join at home during the current crisis. Click on the following link to access these services and much more:
https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/singing-the-faith-plus/seasons-and-themes/worship-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
Live Your Faith + children’s activities to enjoy at home
“Live Your Faith” is a weekly reflection based on lectionary readings. It includes prayers and readings and is produced by Roots for Churches Ltd. You can find out more by visiting http://www.rootsontheweb.com.
Click on the links below to open the PDF files
Visit the following links for children and family pages
https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21037/25-oct-2020-childrens-sheet.pdf
https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21047/25-oct-2020-colouring-sheet.pdf
https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21033/18-oct-2020-childrens-sheet.pdf
https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21045/18-oct-2020-colouring-sheet.pdf
Visit the following links for the adult Living the Faith pages
https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21426/liveyourfaith_109_25_oct.pdf
https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21424/liveyourfaith_109_18_oct.pdf
God is in Control
Trust Him.
Trust the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit,
with those things that you don’t understand, or
that are out of your control.
When you are worried
about tomorrow,
God is not worried!
He knows what will happen –
if you trust in Him,
if you will let The Son, Jesus Christ,
be in control of your life!
For Jesus guides and protects those
who belong to Him,
who choose to believe His promises.
Have faith in God,
His promises are sure.
His love never fails.
He is not worried about tomorrow.
A moving video of churches around the UK singing “The Blessing”
Here is the link to a recording of “The Blessing” made by churches across the UK:
https://youtu.be/PUtll3mNj5U
A Prayer:
Lord bless our homes.
Bless our communities,
Bless our NHS and all key workers
and bless our World with healing health and peace.
Amen.
