Our minister starts her maternity leave at the end of this week, which means there are some further changes in store for us at Stoneygate Baptist Church.
While the lockdown continues, we will continue to worship in dispersed fashion, with materials shared online and with church members who are offline. These will be prepared by members of the congregation and guest preachers, so you can look forward to a great variety of styles and inputs.
The blog and our social media accounts may go a little quieter than they have been, but we won't have disappeared and you can still find contact details on the website, should you need to get in touch. This might also be a good chance to dig into our archives and look for any gems you might have missed first time around, whether that's teaching on prayer or reflections on social justice or thoughts on wellbeing or ideas for doing Messy Church at home.
We don't know yet when we will be able to gather again, or what gathering might look like when we first open the doors, but any decisions will be made carefully and prayerfully and shared as soon as possible.
We are already starting to reflect on what life and church may look like as we seek to uncover a new and better normal, and we invite you to join us in those reflections. And please know that our doors may be closed but our hearts are not, and we continue to pray for our communities and our country and our world.
Leigh says:
This feels like a strange time to be having a baby, but we are very much looking forward to welcoming the newest member of our little family, and introducing them to their church family when circumstances allow. I will still be around as a member of the church, and will continue to pray for our community and all those we connect with, but I know that the congregation is in safe hands while I step back for a time from my role as minister. Stay safe, be kind to yourselves and to others, and may you know unusual peace in these unusal times.