Here is your start-of-the-week newsletter. It should have all you need to know about what’s happening amongst us. And a quick look should mean you are updated each week.
Coming Up
Our Sunday Gatherings
We want to invite you to pray together before the service. From 11am there will be chance to gather together in the small room at the front of the church. It would be great if you could be there.
If you can’t be with us onsite 11.30am at St James, you can also join us online at live.salfordelimchurch.org, including a live chat so that you can be part of our service and interact with us live.
After each service there will be chance to be prayed with personally in the side chapel. If you have been part of the prayer team, or would like to pray with people, let Neil know.
What will be happening on Sundays in July
Sunday 1 August: Communion – while we are adjusting to the new Covid-situation, can we bring our own bread and wine to this service again. Thanks
Sunday 8 August: Chance to reflect on the sermon together
Sunday 15 August: Interview
Sunday 22 August: Prayer and Ministry time
Sunday 29 August: More time to worship together
Sunday 5 September: We will be praying for kids and teachers (and the rest of us) as life gets back to normal after the summer. After the service there will be that picnic in the park that we had to postpone from earlier in the summer. Bring your own lunch, but there might be cake provided!
Masks and Distance: While we are getting used to the present situation
Everyone knows that while the law has changed, the Covid situation is still a concern to us all. So we are trying to take steps together that allow for flexibility, personal responsibility and awareness of one another.
So this is our plan for August:
- We will no longer be taking your names and contact details as you arrive.
- Because we know that some people will still be very cautious, we ask that while moving around the church we all continue to wear masks.
- If you want to continue to wear masks during the service and be with people who sing with masks on that you sit on the left hand side of the church as you come in.
If you want to sit with people who take masks off, that you sit on the right hand side of the church. - That we all stay sensitive to giving people space and distance.
- We will continue with children’s and young people’s work
- We will review this at the end of August.
A Men’s weekend away
On Friday-Sunday 17-19 September Neil is leading a men’s weekend for Fulwood Free Methodist Church, Preston. That’s Jay’s home church. The weekend will be in Bassenthwaite and if you would like to join Neil you would be very welcome! Contact Neil and he’ll give you more details.
Would you be willing?
We need someone who will lead up a team of cleaners. There are quite a few folks who are willing go into the church once a month and clean the buildings, but we need someone who will organise that. Is that you?
If you would be willing to do this – even just for a time to get the team up and running, will you talk to Neil please? Don’t worry that you feel you might not have been part of us for long enough – we need everyone!
Thanks
A New Phase of Life for The Vine
The Vine is going to have a new lease of life!
We are moving from Bolton Road to Cholmondley Road (the old SAYF building, or if you have been around longer the old ‘Blockbuster’ store).
It will give us:
- Three times more space than the present Vine has.
- A potential space for the children’s work on Sundays (with outside space)
- A shared space with Citywall (a local Christian organisation offering alternative educational provision) in a way that would meet their needs and allow us to do our work at the same time safely.
We are hoping that this will begin in September. The national leaders of Elim have agreed to us taking on this lease and we have contacted the landlord to ask him to draw up a lease as soon as he is able. We are hoping and praying that we will be able to go in during August – so that we can set things up for a grand September launch. We will let you know the dates of all that when we are sure ourselves!
We are doing it because if we are going to develop all the plans we have to bless and minister to the area we need a bigger space. In the same way as we moved from Holy Angels because we need space to grow, so we are moving The Vine operations because we need space to grow. These are exciting days!
If you have questions or ideas, then please don’t hesitate to contact Ian.
An Offer of Counselling Support
One of the ministries we have as a church is the Community Counselling Service. During this Covid crisis we have continued to offer Counselling remotely via zoom or telephone. And of course, now we can do that in person.
If you feel you would benefit from this please don’t hesitate to contact Judith Thompson, Neil, or Ian or fill in the form on the church website.
Looking for Help
Yvonne and Martin run a food-poverty programme, Salford Food Parcels. They would be grateful if there are any of you available to deliver parcels to people who are unable to get to their offices on Langworthy Road. Please contact them if you are able to help.
Midweek Gatherings
1. This Thursday at 7.30pm: House Groups
This is the final housegroup evening before we break for August. We will send out notes to all those who have signed up as usual.
Looking ahead there will be no Thursday night prayer meetings or housegroups during August. Things will start again by an In-person Praise and Prophecy evening on Thursday 2 September. More details to follow.
2. Prayer Meeting: Friday at 10.30-12.00 on WhatsApp
Contact Corinne Baines or Gill Oldham and they’ll make sure you are able to connect.
3. The LifeCentre
The LifeCentre, run by Langworthy Community Church, is overseeing the delivery of 15 centres offering holiday clubs Monday-Thursday 9.30-3.30, from 26 July for 4 weeks.
They have paid employees working on this project but are looking for 2 or 3 volunteers who would be willing to give some regular time (from one day a week upwards) to sit with quieter kids, do some 1-1 work, read with kids, or be involved in the sports and other activities. If you could give some time, could you contact Sam.lifecentreonline@gmail.com
Just to let you know:
1. Neil and Maggie will be away on holiday Saturday 24 July – Saturday 31 July. Pray for sunshine! Fast if necessary!
2. We won’t be posting out a regular newsletter during August. We will contact you if and when there is anything specific we need to tell you, otherwise we will make announcements during the services, across our social media pages, and on the church’s Facebook group, Beyond Sunday. If you haven’t joined it yet, just apply to join it.
