Yesterday, I shared an update on our plans to re-open the Chapel building for public worship. We are starting very cautiously and are determined to be meticulous in following the guidelines. There are also some things that the guidelines currently provide for but we have current held back from doing because we want to approach… Continue reading Return to the church building -some ideas for the future
Category: Church life
Church planting in a time of coronavirus -an idea
We have links with a church in the US who have live-streamed services for some time. Recently, they did some analysis of where people were tuning in from and found that they had people joining in from all around the world, including the UK. They then asked one of our elders if (with our permission),… Continue reading Church planting in a time of coronavirus -an idea
Why we are going back to the building
From the 4th of July, we will be allowed to re-open the Chapel for worship services and prayer. As things stand, it looks like we will be fairly constrained in what we do. Current guidelines suggest that singing will not be possible and we will have to observe strict social distancing. We will not be… Continue reading Why we are going back to the building
Re-opening Bearwood Chapel for public worship
We now have permission from the Government to re-open our building for public worship. So, we are really encouraged to be opening this Sunday, 5th July. I want to take the opportunity here to explain what we are doing. Ina follow up article I will explain why we are taking this approach. I also hope… Continue reading Re-opening Bearwood Chapel for public worship
Returning to church buildings – what does the Government guidance say?
From the 4th July, church buildings will be able to re-open for public worship. It is our intention at Bearwood Chapel to re-open in some format as soon as possible. We will also continue to use social media to provide online connections and services over the coming weeks and months. In two further articles this… Continue reading Returning to church buildings – what does the Government guidance say?
When is a church not a church?
As we return from lockdown, there are still some significant restrictions expected about how we will be able to go about meeting together. The one that has provoked the most reaction has been the likely ban on singing and yet, maybe more importantly (and still with minimal discussion) we can expect restrictions on baptism and… Continue reading When is a church not a church?
Lessons in lockdown 1. Reach and Engagement are not the same
In the early days of lockdown, people were quickly talking about a possible revival. Surveys suggested that a high percentage of people had accessed online church content, the number of views of our Facebook and Youtube streams were double, if not quadruple our normal Sunday morning attendance. The problem is that there is a huge… Continue reading Lessons in lockdown 1. Reach and Engagement are not the same
Coming out of lockdown may require a re-plant mindset
One of the responsibilities of leaders is to see and prepare for what may lie ahead. That’s a double challenge because we are not given infallible foreknowledge, we are dealing for possibilities and probabilities. That means we have to be ready for multiple scenarios. It also means that we will need to be ready to… Continue reading Coming out of lockdown may require a re-plant mindset
Families, Children and Childlessness (Responding to Kevin DeYoung)
The other day, Kevin DeYoung penned these words in an article for the Gospel Coalition “Here’s a culture war strategy conservative Christians should get behind: have more children and disciple them like crazy. Strongly consider having more children than you think you can handle.”[1] Kevin was writing primarily for a US audience. The concept of… Continue reading Families, Children and Childlessness (Responding to Kevin DeYoung)
A phased return out of lockdown for churches (a draft proposal)
Over the past few months, churches have willingly complied with COVID-19 lockdown measures. We have done so because we believed it was the right thing to do as we sought to love our neighbours. Throughout the lockdown we have sought to continue to care for the communities around us often providing practical and emotional support… Continue reading A phased return out of lockdown for churches (a draft proposal)
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