St. George’s United Reformed Church Little Sutton

3rd & 10th July 2020 Welcome to Virtual St George’s News Sheet

Thankfulness The dwarf sunflowers planted at St. George’s are just starting to open. At a time when there is still much that worries us all, it may help to pause and “count our blessings”, and enjoy what we can. A simple way to start is to read through Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd ...”, or the hymn “Now thank we all our God ...” Two weeks The editors are having a brief rest to catch up with other stuff, so this news sheet covers two weeks. The next edition should appear on 17th July.

Local Church Leader News Revd Jacky Embrey will be moving on later this year from serving as Moderator of the Mersey Synod of the URC – Jacky will be joining a church partnership in the Greater Manchester area. Thank you, Jacky, and best wishes for the future. The will be welcoming a new of Chester later this year. Revd , who started ministry as a in Upton, Wirral, will be moving from his current role as -upon-Tweed. Plans for St George’s From 13th June, places of worship were allowed to open for private prayer with strict precautions. From 4th July, communal worship will again be permitted, but further precautions would be needed. Some local churches have opened for private prayer on a limited basis; some will be opening soon for a different form of public worship. St George’s would find it very difficult to comply with the requirements, and we had earlier agreed to close with a service of celebration at the end of May. Therefore we do not plan to re-open for weekly worship, but at the moment we cannot arrange the celebration. For now, we must stay patient. Quiz time The following word-search uses the names of roads near St George’s, but without the “Road”, “Lane” or “Street” part. Mersey Synod Day of Prayer We are invited to take part in a day of prayer and fasting across the Mersey Synod, thinking and praying about the COVID-19 pandemic and all its effects and implications. Saturday 4th July coincides with the relaxation of some of the current restrictions. Some people find fasting helpful for prayer, while others do not. It is up to each of us to decide what works. Fasting without praying is just another name for dieting! If you want to take part, then you could: • pray in a single session, in several short snatches, or a few slots during the day. • hold a pebble, or look at a cross, or watch a candle flame, or listen to music. • doodle, or knit, or look at a garden, or go for a short stroll. • read a newspaper, or look at some photographs.

The Synod has provided some suggestions for prayer. The basic list is below – you can find more details on our website at http://stgs-urc.org.uk/worship/prayer

• Those in need • Those in authority • Ministers and church leaders • Vulnerable children • Community • Homeless people • Environment • Church user groups • Key workers • Unemployed people • Churches • Schools, colleges, students & • Church members teachers • Christians across the world • Justice • Shielded households • Moving from fear to faith • Mental health • Families • Vulnerable adults • Yourself • Our openness to God • The global impact of Covid-19 • God’s closeness to us all

If you prefer, you could use The Lord’s Prayer, or the prayer of faith on the next page. A prayer of faith in times of trouble O Lord, sometimes I think you have forgotten me — when I suffer pain that doesn’t go away; when things appear to get worse instead of better; when I am alone and no one seems to care. It’s as if you hide yourself away from me, and I feel weak, bereft and defeated. And yet, O Lord, you have been good to me. All my life you have been beside me. Through troubles and misfortunes you have upheld me. I rely on your constant love and care. You will strengthen me and save me. I will rejoice and be glad. Isabel Bala, (from the URC Prayer Handbook 2020) Virtual Coffee Morning Saturday 11thJuly will be our next virtual Coffee Morning. Track down the biscuit tin, and from 10.30am, pour out a cuppa and phone someone for a chat.

Printed Service Our friend Revd Chris Davies is providing a written service for each Sunday – please ask if you would like a copy included with your news sheet.

Pastoral Emergencies For pastoral emergencies, please contact David who can put you in touch with a Minister. Contact Details: Website: stgs-urc.org.uk Secretary: David Shimmin email: [email protected]