The Methodist Church The Square

  • The Methodist Church
  • The Square
  • Dunstable
  • Beds
  • LU6 3SN


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Coronavirus

This page collects together all of the news resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

From now on, you can find the letter from our minister under 'Headlines' on our Welcome page.

Are you panicking? Frustrated? Try our page of Shared Thoughts - they may help you.


Live Sunday Services restarting

Church Council have agreed to reopening the church for worship on the 2nd and 4th Sundays in June (13th and 27th). We look forward to welcoming at least some of you back!

Because we know that others of you may not as yet feel confident about returning, at least one of these services will be live streamed; the other is likely to have a prerecorded version available. Both of these will be accessed from YouTube as we have been doing.

Details for the services are yet to be decided and will be announced nearer the time, e.g. whether it will be necessary to book a place. If you have any queries or questions, please contact the stewards team.

You may also like to read this document from Ivor Mitchelmore, on his experience of joining in a live (though very limited) service.


Church Family Blessing

See this video of some of our church members, sending you a message.
(35MB MP4 file that will download to your device).
Or see it on the Square Facebook page.


Free Dial-a-Prayer

The dial a prayer and news service has been a real blessing to some of our more isolated people as they are able to phone and listen, and the addition of a weekly message from Richard and I will hopefully be an added blessing to many.

I would encourage you to print off information about these phone lines, and post them to anyone you know who may be feeling lonely and cut off so that they can receive words of support and spiritual sustenance in these challenging days.

Carolyn Lawrence, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference

Prayer: 0808 281 2514 Message: 0808 281 2695 News: 0808 281 2478


Click images to enlarge...

CoronaVirus 1 +
Stay Open +And when all this is over +


General Advice


For current information about the virus, and about restrictions on activities, please visit the GOV.UK website


General Guidance and Resources are available on the National Methodist Church Website

23 March 2020: The National Methodist Website also has a page entitled Coronavirus: Taking care of yourself and those around you

3 April 2020: Churches Together in England has prepared a candle poster for those who would like to place a permanent symbol in their front windows of Christ’s light shining in the darkness. Visit www.cte.org.uk/prayersofhope for your copy. This poster has been made available due to our awareness of the potential fire risk posed by lighting live candles, particularly on windowsills. We are keen to avoid adding any pressure to our emergency service personnel, particularly at this difficult time.

‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.' John 1:5

1 May 2020: A Little Help if Needed
During these strange times when we have to stay at home, it is proving difficult for even the most robust of us. Staying at home, not seeing loved ones, not being able to socialise as we would normally do, not being able to celebrate, commiserate or just enjoy company can prove challenging. Should it be needed here are some details of organisations to contact (pdf).

8 May 2020: Some further places to look for help if you need it (pdf).

Worship

We are cautiously re-opening the church for Sunday Worship some weeks. Services held in church will, where possible, be live-streamed over YouTube, so that those who wish to remain at home may join in with us. Other weeks, there will be a pre-recorded service, also available through YouTube. To find out what's happening this week, check our Worship This Week page, where you can also find links to other resources to support your worship at home.

Find it from the menus at the top of this page: click on Worship, then Worship This Week.

Also see resources to help support children and young people


Groups, Events and Activities

All other Group meetings, Events and Activities at the church complex are cancelled until further notice.

MINISTER'S MESSAGES

The messages from our minister that were previously listed here can now be found in our archive.