Carry on caring and worshipping

Background

In light of the UK Government requirements to stem the spread of Covid-19 public worship services are suspended and the church building is closed until further notice. Funerals are still permitted at the crematorium or graveside only with no more than 5 people in attendance.  Weddings and Baptisms cannot currently be held.  Full details of the latest advice as it affects churches can be found at http://www.churchofengland.org/coronavirus.

The purpose of this webpage is to set out in one place Christ Church's plans to engage in caring for one another and to continue worship and pray.

Caring for each other

If you find yourself isolated and in need please call or text Mark on 07873 406558.  We have people who can help and are very happy to chat on the phone if you should be worried.  In any event do spend time calling people you know.  We might all be socially isolating but we can still keep in touch.

Prayer

As a result of the restrictions now imposed the church building is now closed and it is not therefore possible to pray within it.  However, the church building is of course not the only place we can pray.  Can we encourage everyone to pray at home and may be even pray over the phone/FaceTime/WhatsApp/Skype with someone else!

“Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Weekly messages

A weekly video message from the bible will be recorded each week by Rev. Mark Williams whilst services remain suspended.  These messages can be found on the Christ Church Sandown YouTube channel.  This is the link to the latest message:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB1_dEgJtik

Please see the worship at home page to view this message in the context of a worship service.  It is hoped to be able to circulate a weekly news sheet via email. .If you would like to be kept in contact in this way please ask to be put on our mail list which Mark Williams is maintaining (click here to contact Mark for this purpose).

Worship

A weekly service is to be broadcast on Sundays by the Archbishop of Canterbury on local radio including Radio Solent and BBC R4 at 8am which will be available on-line from 9am on the Church of England website) and also the BBC will be broadcasting its usual Songs of Praise.  Please check a newspaper or TV guide for the times the latter will be broadcast.  Locally St Paul's Barton live stream a service on Face book at 10am on Sunday's and the Bishop of Portsmouth also broadcasts from his home.

Additional resources will be provided as and when we can.  In the meantime, you may wish to sing along to some of the latest songs we have been introducing in church which are available on YouTube for example: Song of Solomon, If faith can move the mountains, What a beautiful name it is, Who breaks the power, Thank you for the cross Lord, The moon and the stars they wept, Praise unbroken, Hear our cry O King of Heaven.