Church Life Update 2

Following the first video of encouragement for Lent Week 1, we present the next video for Lent Week 2 (12 minutes).

Here are some highlights:

Nkechi shared her involvement in the St George’s chapter of Mothers’ Union, which before COVID-19 had been meeting once a month for Bible reflections and prayers, fundraising through sales of baked goods and lavender bags after church, and visiting people in their homes or in hospital. Obviously, such activities have had to be curtailed over the past year, but the group remains connected and always welcomes new members for fellowship and mutual support.

As part of this ministry, Nkechi is collecting clothes for African and other immigrants in her area. If you have any clothes to pass on, especially for children, please drop them at church for Nkechi.

Ed (leader of the Theological Conversation Group) reflected on life under lockdown. While he has been able to continue his metal working with fewer restrictions, life for teachers like his wife, Anna, has become immensely complicated. Shifting everything online may be understandable given the circumstances, but Ed worries about the long-term effects on the human race of so much insulation.

“My concern is that online activity is going to become the new norm, and without so much human interaction, will we be able to convey Jesus? Will we be able to come back and socialize again, interact again and challenge each other again like we used to?”

If the St George’s Book Club is any indication, the answer seems to be yes. Despite not being able to meet in each other’s homes like they used to, Cathy explains how they moved to Zoom for their monthly book discussions. “We unanimously really look forward to the companionship that these sessions offer, and it has been quite a nice surprise for us all how well Zoom has actually worked. It has also meant that one of our members who recently moved away has found it much easier to stay being part of the group, which is really positive.”

The youth leader, Jennie, also highlighted the positives: “Nobody will deny that games in person are much more fun than anything that you can do over Zoom. However, the accessibility of Zoom has meant that we have been able to see each other a lot more than we did before.”

The youth have been discussing CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity and doing a series on ‘big questions’ – “which in light of the pandemic has helped us to ask questions like, ‘Where is God in the midst of this?’ We’ve even invited different speakers to share their testimonies to inspire and strengthen our faith.”

Jennie adds: “I must say how proud I am of the young people. It has been a really difficult time for them – having more work than ever at school, often cooped up at home, not having the social interaction that they need – yet they keep going. I really look forward to the day when we can meet in person. But until then, I entrust this group to God, knowing that He works every situation for good.”

Revd Deborah closed with prayer: “Holy spirit, bless us as we bless each other. Lead us to new places. Expand the horizons of our imaginations. Awaken in us dreams of a new tomorrow. Rekindle in our hearts the fire of prophetic enthusiasm, so that each one of our groups may continue to be sacred places where God and His people meet.”

Amen.

View the full video on St George’s YouTube Channel.