Hello Everyone
The Leadership Team at Emmanuel met virtually again this week to encourage each other and discuss how we can support everyone in our church family. Please find below some of the things that have happened this week or that you might want to be involved in:-
· Please find attached letters from Cameron and Ben - “Emmanuel Corona 2020 Week 3 letter” an Emmanuel Church Update; and “Emmanuel Corona Worship Week 3”.
Please join us again this Sunday at 10am in our Emmanuel Family group where we will be sharing together in a time of worship live. This will be like the last few weeks, post after post in real time to follow a full service that takes around an hour. You can join us live or enjoy it later in the day – the choice is yours. We’ll be singing, praying, reflecting and enjoying a time to listen to the message from Jeff Sawyer. There’ll be activities too! Why not join us? Any problems finding the group email us and we will happily help.
· “Emmanuel Corona Week 3 Vine at Home 5 April 2020” – this is a short order of service for this coming Sunday, for the Palm Sunday.
A week today is Good Friday – the day of the cross. We want to invite people to take a photo of a cross you have created and post it on our FB page. Why not use something that you have to do in a day to use as a basis for your cross? Or why not get creative and make a work of art based around a cross? You could use things from nature, household items, art materials, personal belongings anything....Let’s get creative and bless one another with the cross that stands with us at the heart and in the midst of our daily lives in lockdown.
For those who haven’t joined Emmanuel Methodist Church Facebook page please “Like” the page, and for those that want to join our Emmanuel Family Facebook – there are now 92 members in our Family - please join us (it is by invitation or request). There has been a lot going on again this week that includes Reflections for the Day, songs, prayers, pictures, Challenges (from the Emmanuel Youth Facebook page) to crafts. We encourage you to join, if you haven’t already, and add some positive comments or posts to let us know what you are doing so we can encourage everyone throughout the week.
· Does any have a birthday, an anniversary or any good news you want to share with the Emmanuel Family – why not post it on the above Facebook pages (please remember the Emmanuel Methodist Church Facebook is a public page so only share what you want to share, and the Emmanuel Family Facebook page is more private and only viewed by our members.
· Why not make a Palm Cross? See the attached pdf file “Emmanuel Corona Week 312b Palm Cross” – don’t forget to post pictures on the Facebook pages to show people what you have done.
· Barnsley Council have launched a new emergency contact centre – see attached “Emmanuel Corona Week3 COVID19 EMERG CONTACT AND COMMUNITY RESPONDERS POSTCARD” pdf file
· Why not do some or all of the activities in the attached “Emmanuel Corona Holy Week Kids Activity Book” pdf?
· Messy Church Ideas – please click on the link below for Easter craft ideas you can do at home. Don’t forget to share them with the rest of the Emmanuel Family Facebook page
· Barnabas in Schools – why not do the Palm Sunday word search and read the Bible reading?
· For all the men out there why click on the link https://www.codelife.org/ for the courses and Podcast from Christian Vision for Men
This week we had our 1st virtual prayer meeting on Zoom – the next one will be on Thursday 23rd April at 7.30pm. Please watch out later in the week, on the Emmanuel Methodist Church Facebook and Emmanuel Family Facebook pages, for the invite to join.
· Foodbank at Tesco’s – please remember the Foodbank as Emmanuel Church have teamed up with the Tesco’s (just down from church) to help support the local Foodbank. If you shop at this Tesco (or anywhere where they are collecting) please put something in the trolley for people who rely on this service and put in what you can.
Please feel free to forward this email (and any of our future emails) so we can all support and help each other at this stressful and anxious time.
To end this newsletter I thought I would share this prayer that was posted on the Emmanuel Methodist Church website this week.
Lord, we pray today that you lay your healing hands on those who are sick. We know so many who are weak and struggling. Many are lonely and feel abandoned. Please take away their illness and pain. Help and continue to preserve all those leading and on the frontline in this challenging time. It is in your holy name we pray. Amen
Many thanks
The Leadership Team