News from HCC during the Coronavirus Outbreak

WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER

Good afternoon!

So we are heading into lockdown again, from midnight tonight! This will strike us all in different ways, but I’m sure one thing that we all have in common is a longing for things to return to normal. Let’s remember, though, that God IS in control, he’s not phased by what is going on, and by living in the way Jesus taught us we will overcome. Click on the image if you’d like to hear a few words from me in person!

We know that there are challenges, but we pray that this will be a time of building up and not of despair, a time for stepping forward and trusting God in new ways. God is ALWAYS the answer. God hears every prayer. Let’s be praying for each other and for our community. Let’s look out for those amongst us who are alone, or who may be experiencing things heavily at the moment. Please do get in touch with us if you need help or someone to turn to, by email at admin@hccuk.org, by text to 07713 458358 (Trevor’s number) or to any of the staff team, or via Facebook messenger or WhatsApp.

Sundays

We will have to cancel Forest Church during the lockdown, and we will also not be able to meet at 83a. However, we will be at the same place online hccuk.online.church at 10am for our ‘simulated-live’ services and immediately afterwards on Zoom for a informal catch-up call.

This week we are following Session 5 of the Prayer Course – ‘Unanswered Prayer’. Although we can’t meet for Forest Church, we’ve put together:

  • A family Forest Church sheet on unanswered prayer
  • An adult reflection on unanswered prayer

These sheets can be used to accompany a walk. You need to look for leaves and seeds on your walk and then stop at different places to talk about the points. It will need adapting for younger kids and used as a conversation starter for older ones. It may feel a bit difficult to start these conversations but faith discussions are such an important part of teaching our children that God is part of our whole lives and to help them grow in their faith along with us.

We do recommend watching the Prayer Course session 5 prior to doing this as it will help you in your conversations and exploration of the topic. As always we would love to see any photos or pictures of your walks.

Small Groups

Small Groups will continue to meet on Zoom. Even if you don’t join the meetings, do keep in contact with one of our small group leaders.

Churches Together Men’s Breakfast

Churches Together in Huntingdon and Godmanchester will be holding a Men’s Breakfast on Sat 7th November, where Colonel John Lewis will be talking about ‘Faith in the Firing Line’. More details here.

Every blessing

Trevor


THURSDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER

Good morning!

We hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend!

This Sunday we will be joining with the other churches in the Ignite network online for our Sunday service. The web address is still the same, hccuk.online.church, and there will be a Zoom call afterwards.

As we turn from Summer into Autumn, we have been considering the way forward for our Sunday services. Our aim has been to keep moving forward, to provide spaces which suit those at every stage of coming out of lockdown, and to bring a programme which is within the resources that we have. Some will have received a letter from Tim this week setting out how Sundays will look from September onwards. The letter is attached here and the accompanying infographic here. Please do get back to us if you have any questions over the letter’s contents. Tim also covers the main points of the programme in the video opposite. The Autumn programme will start on Sunday 13th September.

The activities at 83a and at Hinchingbrooke Park will be run in a Covid-secure manner. We will explain how each event will run in separate videos next week. To ensure that we do not exceed the safe capacity of Room 1 at 83a, we will need people to book a place at the meetings there. A link will be provided next week.

In other news, please do join us for our monthly church prayer meeting over Zoom next Monday evening at 8pm. This month we will be joining with others from across the Ignite network to seek God and pray over the work and life of our churches and the region. The Zoom link (for this call only) is here. The meeting ID is 841 617 2148 and the passcode Ignite1.

Finally, on Saturday 5th September at 8.30am, Churches Together will be holding a Virtual Men’s Breakfast, where Piyush Jani, an ENT consultant at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, will be speaking on ‘From Hinduism to following Jesus Christ’. He will talk about his own journey from Hinduism in a village in Kenya to following Jesus. The Zoom link is here, the meeting ID 892 8753 1628 and the passcode 007.

Every blessing

Trevor


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WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY

Hi there!

As we prepare to turn from July into August, with a little cooler weather at present, here are a couple of items for this week:

This Sunday

  • New Series  We will be starting our new series for the month of August entitled ‘Led’ – a tour through Psalm 23. The online service will be shorter and simpler, it will include a look at a verse of the psalm each week, and a meditation on the theme of the week. Join us on Sunday as we consider verses 1 and 2: ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures’ – feeding yourself in God.
  • Church Picnic  This Sunday we will be holding the first of 3 church picnics during the month of August – at 12.30pm, at Riverside Park in Huntingdon, on the field next to the Huntingdon Boat Club building. This is right next to the large car park on the ring road. We will meet on the field very close to the Boat Club building. If you cannot find us, phone 07713 458358.
    Guidance for the picnic:
    • the government advice is that we can meet outside in groups of up to 6, or more than 6 if 2 household ‘bubbles’ are meeting
    • groups of 6 of us should be separated by a reasonable distance (certainly over 2m)
    • bring your own food, drink and something to sit on and do not share
    • don’t come if you have any symptoms of Covid
    • bear in mind toilets may be closed – we intend finishing around 1.30-2.00pm.
    • bring a face covering if you would like to get closer than 2m to others
    Despite the restrictions we believe we can have an enjoyable time picnicing together. Outdoors 2m does not seem as much as it does indoors!
    We recognise that not everyone will be ready to take this step. We will have our usual Zoom call from the picnic at 1.00pm so do join us then if you don’t want to join us in person! We’ll use the usual link here.
    If the weather is bad we will text around everyone to let them know of any changes to arrangements.

Small Groups Small Groups have the opportunity to follow the Psalm 23 series by using a RightNow Media video series by Matt Chandler. Before watching it as a group together you will need a RightNow Media account, which is free as the church has a subscription. Go to this link to sign up.

Deep Dive on Shepherding  The final ‘deep dive’ session on the Eph 4:11 shepherding calling will be tomorrow evening at 8pm at the usual Zoom link here.

Have a blessed week

Trevor


THURSDAY 23rd JULY

Good morning!

Here are the things we’d like to tell you about this week!

Click on the image to the left to watch this week’s video update from Tim, freshly back from holiday!

As we continue to slowly emerge from lockdown, the Stukely Small Group went on a walk last Friday evening around Somersham Nature Reserve. Click on the image to the right for a short video clip of the event.

Huntingdon Summer Brunches  Please continue to pray for the Summer Brunches which started yesterday at Coneygear Park on Oxmoor. Tim refers to this in the weekly update video. Pray that this will continue to be a great blessing for the families that have been invited.

Sundays Online

  • The Shepherding Calling  This Sunday we will be looking at the final gifting/calling of the Ephesians 4 ministries in our current series – shepherding. We will be joined by Nigel Double, a former elder of HCC.
  • The Teaching Calling  If you scored highly on the teaching calling in the survey (www.fivefoldsurvey.com), remember the ‘deep dive’ session tonight on Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6109041991) at 8pm when Stephen Cawley will be taking us a little deeper in our study of the teaching calling. All are welcome to join this 40 minutes Zoom call. Visit our website here for further material on the Ephesians 4 callings.
  • Children’s activity sheets for this Sunday can be downloaded here.

August Programme 

For our online Sunday services during August we’re going to dial down a little to give the production teams a small rest, but continue with a new series. Sensing the moment we are in, our services will be focused on giving space for rest, replenishment and recharging.

We’ll be doing this by turning to Psalm 23 where we will be discovering the places the Holy Spirit wants to lead us with Him. Simply, the series will be entitled ‘Led’. In this psalm, the psalmist takes us through a spectrum of landscapes from pasture, the waters edge, the valley, the battlefield to the temple. Through these scenes we are given an insight into the spiritual places and terrain the Lord wants to take us through with Him in our lives.

Our prayer is that we rediscover God’s passion for communion with us, a new desire awakens within us for Him, and that we gain a new glimpse of His character, faithfulness and goodness as we walk with Him through the highs and lows of these times and realise we are born to abide in Him through it all.

August Picnics  On the 2nd, 16th and 30th August from 12.30pm, in place of the usual Zoom call, there will be an opportunity for a socially distanced picnic for any that would wish at Riverside Park, Huntingdon. This is going to give us the chance to begin to reconnect again utilising the warmer weather. Guidelines for the picnics will be issued to ensure safety.

Have a blessed day!

Trevor and Tim


WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY

Good afternoon!

We hope this email finds you well! We have some things to tell you about this week. Take a look also at the weekly video update, this week from Trevor as Tim is away, by clicking on the image to the right.

This Sunday  In this Sunday’s online service (10am, hccuk.online.church) we move on to consider the teaching calling mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. We will be joined by Paul Brown from Royston, who, with his wife Ruth, has visited and spoken at HCC several times over the years.  We will also be taking communion together, so have some bread and wine ready at the appropriate point in the service. In the pictures you can see Eden serving communion in the Flint household last month! Please note that the family activity sheet for this week can be downloaded here.

Teaching ‘Deep Dive’ On Thursday evening at 8pm on Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6109041991) you can catch the ‘deep dive’ on the teaching calling. If the survey (www.fivefoldsurvey.com) showed that teaching was one of your callings, then why not drop in to find out more about Holy Spirit-inspired teaching!

Huntingdon Summer Brunches  The Huntingdon summer brunches are being arranged by HCC, the Anglicans, the Methodist Church, Christchurch Huntingdon, Medway Christian Fellowship, together with the council.

  • The event is a great opportunity to bring light through the gift of a brunch and some other presents to some needy families that will have been referred to the project over the period 22nd July – 28th August. The project needs around 15 volunteers each day, mainly to talk to the families, and help with stewarding. This is for mornings only – from 10am to 1pm. Please let us know at admin@hccuk.org if you are interested and we will send you a registration form.
  • Also for the Summer Brunches – we need used plastic drinks bottles (with lids) – 2 litres sized down to individual water bottle size. They should be washed. We also need some sturdy cardboard boxes (eg shoe boxes). If you can keep a stock of these please let me know and we will arrange to get them to the project.

Face Coverings  The government have mandated that face covering be worn in shops from 24th July. Debby Flint has a number of face coverings which she is offering to anyone in the church who needs one. Just get in touch with Debby (debby.flint@hotmail.co.uk) if you’d like one – she is happy to drop them round.

Praying for Youth  Yesterday Richard and the Thrive team went out into some of the parks in Huntingdon to speak to the youth of the town as they were out and about. Please pray for the Thrive team as the seek to re-connect with young people in the town. Some they know from the Thrives cafes, some are new. Pray that God would use them to bring Light into their lives.

Youth Zoom  This Sunday at 4pm will be the last youth Zoom call before a break for the summer holidays. Be sure not to miss it!

Have a great week!

Trevor


WEDNESDAY 8TH JULY

Good afternoon!

We trust you are well and we pray God’s blessing on you, your family and friends this day! Catch the video update for news of what’s going on in HCC at this time.

We hope you enjoyed our all-age family service last Sunday. Next Sunday the theme will return to our look at the ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11, and we will be looking at the evangelistic gift. Get ready for some great input from local evangelist Chris Duffett and news of what’s happing in Warboys from Elisabeth Glasper.

This week the ‘Power of Five’ series Deep Dives are taking a rest, and also the Bible Study mentioned in previous weeks will not run, as Michael Schwier is unwell. Please pray for him and the family at this time.

A reminder of the request for volunteers to help with the Huntingdon Summer Brunches starting in 2 weeks time (22th July) and running until 28th August. Five churches in Huntingdon, together with the local council, will be serving brunches to invited families in the Oxmoor area from a location behind the new Coneygear Centre. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the love of God to needy people in Huntingdon, especially after the lockdown period. To make the event work, volunteers (aged between 18 and 70) are needed for the following roles (all 10am-1pm daily except where shown):

  • meeting and greeting and signposting families
  • chatting with families
  • assisting with cleaning and hygiene each day
  • assisting with the Friday clean up every week (12.45-1.15pm Fridays)
  • any other help that you could offer that might be relevant to such an event!

You can offer to serve any number of days you like. Volunteers do need to register in advance. Booking forms are available, please email us on admin@hccuk.org if you would like to be involved in this fantastic project and we will send you one.

RightNow Media For some time now the church has had a subscription to RightNow Media. RightNow is like Netfix for Christian teaching videos! Literally thousands are available on the site, free to you as a member of HCC! In August, we will be using a RightNow video as part of our Small Group studies, so it would be helpful if everyone had an account. If you don’t have yours yet, go to this link to sign up.

Have a great week!

Trevor


WEDNESDAY 1st JULY

Good afternoon!

I hope you are well and enjoying the cooler weather!

Do take a look at the weekly update video by clicking the logo to the right. Tim and Ania are away now for 2½ weeks, so I will do my best to bring you some news and thoughts every week! We pray for God’s blessing upon them as they celebrate their daughter’s wedding and spend some time away in Poland.

This Sunday will be an all-age service looking at God’s love for us. Richard and Helen would really like to receive a short (1 minute) video testimony of a time when you received an act of love and how that helped you. It doesn’t have to be a big life-changing thing, day to day acts are good too. It’s always so good on a Sunday to see people from across the congregation sharing real testimonies. If you could do this, please could you get the recording to richschwier@hotmail.com by midday Thursday – that would be great!

The URL for the online Sunday services at 10am is hccuk.online.church and the Zoom link for all church Zoom calls (unless you hear otherwise) is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6109041991

There will be Bible study looking at the book of James on Wednesday at 8pm, using the above Zoom link (see last week’s email).

Don’t forget this Thursday’s ‘Deep Dive’ looking at the Prophetic Ministry Gift, 8pm on Zoom at the above link.

Small Groups will be meeting on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday (youth) on Zoom this week.

Next Monday will be our monthly church prayer meeting. Join Jean and I on Zoom, at the above link, at 8pm for a hour of praying for all in HCC, the town and the nation.

Huntingdon Summer Brunches  Starting in 3 weeks time (22th July) and running for 6 weeks, 5 churches in Huntingdon, together with the local council, will be serving brunches to families in the Oxmoor area from a location behind the new Coneygear Centre (shown). This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the love of God to needy people in Huntingdon, especially after the lockdown period. To make the event work, volunteers (over 18s and not required to shield) are needed for the following roles (all 10am-1pm daily except where shown):

  • meeting and greeting and signposting families
  • chatting with families
  • assisting with cleaning and hygiene each day
  • assisting with the Friday clean up every week (12.45-1.15pm Fridays)
  • any other help that you could offer that might be relevant to such an event!

Booking forms are available, please email us on admin@hccuk.org if you would like to be involved in this fantastic project and we will send you one.

Many blessings

Trevor


THURSDAY 25th JUNE

Good Afternoon!

We hope you are enjoying the warm weather!

Do watch Tim’s update for this week, where he draws inspiration from things that have been going on in his garden, by clicking on the logo to the right.

‘The Power of Five’ – Our Look into the 5 Ministries of Ephesians 4:11
Why are we looking at the five-fold ministires of Jesus at this time? Just as many have been taking extra training courses and making home improvements over the last few months, we’d love you to make a spiritual investment with us too, together as a church, over June and July. ‘The Power of Five’ creates an opportunity for us to take some time to discover who God has made us to be as individuals and how we can thrive in our callings. We believe that being part of Jesus’ church means we each have a vital part to play. Our vision is that coming out of this time we see a church alive in our diversity and richness – each of us working together to express the fullness of Jesus (Eph 4:11-13), in being part of the family of HCC.

How can you take part?

  • Join us on Sundays
  • Take the 5-fold survey at www.fivefoldsurvey.com
  • Check out the ‘Power of Five’ section on the website where you can get more interviews and resources to help grow in your strengths
  • Join a small group conversation
  • Join the ‘Deep Dives’, especially the sessions that relate to your primary two giftings, on the Thursday evenings at 8pm on Zoom (link here), in the week the gifting was discussed the previous Sunday. Here are the dates of the ‘Deep Dives’:
  • Thurs 25th June (tonight!) – Apostolic
  • Thurs 2nd July – Prophetic
  • Monday 6th – PRAYER NIGHT – no Deep Dive that week (week of online family service 5th July)
  • Thurs 16th July – Evangelist
  • Thurs 23rd July – Teaching
  • Thurs 30th – Shepherd

For our Next All-Age Service (Sunday 5th July) …
We would love it if people could do a short video clip saying a time when they really felt that someone showed them love and what a difference it made to them. We would love a spread of ages doing this, it only needs to be really short – under a minute preferably. We just want to celebrate acts of love and inspire each other. When you have done them if you could email them to richschwier@hotmail.com we would really appreciate it. Please let Rich know if you would be willing to do this by this weekend – clips will be needed by next Wednesday. It has been so good to hear from different people over the last few weeks and sharing is a great way to stay connected. Many thanks!

Wednesday Evening Bible Study
We’re delighted to let you know that Michael Schwier and a few others have recently started a Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7.30pm, on Zoom. The zoom link is the usual one https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6109041991. Currently they are looking at the book of James. Anyone is welcome to join for Bible Study and a chat.

ChurchSuite – Online HCC Calendar
All our current online activities, including the small group meetings and the Bible Study above, are featured on the HCC Church Calendar available on our website here. Take a look to see all that we are doing. The calendar is provided by ChurchSuite, a new tool which we are introducing to help support us with much of what we do in the church. We will be telling you more about this in the coming weeks – how you can have access to all that’s going on in HCC via an app on your phone or by going to a webpage, including signing-up for activities, small groups, rotas, checking your own contact details, and much more.

Now We can Meet People Face-to-Face….
The recent relaxation in the social distancing rules give us the opportunity to meet up, with certain limitations, face-to-face with others. Especially while the warmer weather is here, why not take this opportunity to meet up with a few others in the park, or visit someone and spend time in the garden! Online communication has helped us to keep connected, but there’s nothing like a real physical meeting as an encouragement and the beginning of a return to normality!

Churches Together Breakfast Meeting – 4th July
Church Together in Huntingdon and Godmanchester will be welcoming Graham Daniels, Director of Christians in Sport, as speaker at their next men’s breakfast on Saturday 4th July. The meeting will take place on Zoom, and Graham will be talking about sport, mental health and faith in lockdown. Here’s a brief taster from a recent interview he did with Sky News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsqo2AkpPnQ&t=10s.  Further details will be given next week.

Trevor and Tim


TUESDAY 16TH JUNE

Good afternoon!

We hope that you are all well. Take a look at Tim’s weekly video update on the right. Things to tell you about this week:

  • Sunday Series  We have started our new series ‘The Power of Five’ focussing on the 5 gifts described in Ephesians 4. Stephen Cawley gave an introduction to the series last Sunday; this can be watched again here. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the gifts in detail – starting with the apostolic gift next Sunday.
  • The Power of Five ‘Deep Dives’ – Thursday evenings at 8pm  To accompany the series, we are doing a number of ‘deep dive’ sessions on Thursday evenings at 8pm. Go to hccuk.online.church and you will be able to follow a workshop-style deeper exploration of the gifts. This week Stephen, along with Tim, Karen, Kizzy, Katherine and Michael will be looking at the gifts as a whole, considering their own results from the online survey which we can all do to help us understand our gifts. It can be found at www.fivefoldsurvey.com, and takes about 10-15 minutes.
  • One’s  If you still have your figure ‘1’ that you drew a few weeks back for Sunday morning, could you drop it in or post it to 83a so it can be added to a display in the front window of the church building. Thanks!
  • ‘It’s Your Move’  Over the next couple of weeks, Richard and Helen, along with some of the other youth and childrens workers in Huntingdon, are developing a creative video resource to offer to local primary schools. This video will help school year 6s think about their transition to secondary school, and will replace the lessons the youth team would normally give in the schools at this time. The video will accompany the ‘It’s Your Move’ Scripture Union books which Churches Together buys for the local schools each year. Please pray for Richard and Helen as they both develop this video resource and make connection with all the local primary and secondary schools in Huntingdon and Godmanchester.
  • Summer Brunches  We are currently involved in a project being planned to provide summer brunches during the school holidays for families on the Oxmoor estate. This is being run by the council together with several of the local churches. We are also looking to do something similar on Hinchingbrooke. The aim will be to help families in need with a good brunch over 30 days of the summer, in an environment which allows social connection with a variety of activities. Watch out for more details soon.

Finally, a reminder of how everyone can remain connected with others in HCC as the summer progresses. Opportunities are as follows:

  • Sunday church online at hccuk.online.churchat 10am
  • Weekly small groups meeting on Zoom (contact us if you’d like to join one of these groups):
    • Hinchingbrooke: Tuesday and Friday at 7.45pm
    • Stukeley: Tuesday and Friday at 7.30pm or 8.20pm
    • Broughton: Tuesday at 8pm
    • Ladies Group: Friday at 10am
  • Youth: Sundays on Zoom at 4pm
  • Children: through activity packs posted out during the week which link to the upcoming Sunday service

We are praying for you at this time. If you would like to get in touch then please ring or email any of the staff team. Contact details which can always be used are admin@hccuk.org and 07713 458358 (Trevor).

Trevor


WEDNESDAY 10TH JUNE

Hi there!

How welcome is the rain after the weeks of sunny weather!!

What a beautify clip of everyone holding their ‘1’s on Sunday! HCC: all different but ‘one’ together!

Weekly Video Update  Today is Tim’s birthday! Happy birthday Tim! Watch his video update for the week.

New Teaching Series – the Ephesians 4 Gifts  Last Sunday, in our family service, we led into our new teaching series which will be starting fully this week. The series ‘The Power of Five’ looks at the gifts outlined in Ephesians 4 – the apostolic, evangelistic, prophetic, teaching and pastoral gifts. We will consider how we use these gifts both in ourselves and as a church. The attached flyer gives a background to the series, which will be running in June and July.

83a Rainbow Window Display  Last week Kay Flint put up a display in the front window of 83a expressing our thanks to key workers during the Covid pandemic. What a great job she has done! It would be great also if we could add to the display many of the figure ‘1’s that went into the service last Sunday. Could you send yours in or drop it off at 83a (83a High Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3DP)? Thankyou.

Trevor

 

 


TUESDAY 2ND JUNE

Good afternoon!

Check out Tim’s latest video update!

‘1 but Different’  Join us this Sunday at 10am online for our family service entitled ‘1 but different’.  This is the launch of our new series asking how, as the church, we express, in our diversity, the fullness of Christ, and how, in a world of change, we need this more than ever before. Read more about the series in the document attached

This Week’s Family Activity Sheet  For this week, the HCC family focus is to take time to pray.  Over the last couple of days families will have received your copy of the prayer map. Check this link out Family Prayer Adventure Map. This is linked to an app you can download that connects with it, giving videos and other material to connect you with God each day.

83a NHS Thankyou Posters  As mentioned last week, we would like to make use of the window space at our town centre premises ’83a’ to put up some pictures with messages of love and thanks for all Huntingdon’s frontline workers and NHS staff. If children could make up some posters of their handprints in the 7 different rainbow colours then we can make a big rainbow in the window. Finished items can be dropped off at 83a (83a High Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3DP) or Debby will come and collect them. Kayleigh explains more here.

Take 10 Challenge  Let’s all keep going with the ‘Take 10’ challenge – to take just 10 minutes a day to come before God with no agenda, to listen and see how He speaks to us. Tim also has a book recommendation ‘With’ by Skye Jethani on re-imagining the way you relate to God which he has found really helpful in this area.

Covid 19 – Give Help, Get Help  Please be sure to visit our ‘Give Help, Get Help’ pages on the website. You can offer to give help to those within and outside the church – help of a practical, pastoral, prayerful or professional nature, or a financial contribution for those in need at this time. You can also ask for help as a key worker, ask for prayer or seek help of a personal or practical nature. Suggest other ways to give or receive help too!

Help for Sundays – Video Clips Needed by Thursday 4th June

  • Richard and Helen are asking for your help.  Can you please draw the number ‘1’ on a piece of A4 paper, and get someone to record you saying the word ‘one’ and holding up your piece of paper. This isn’t just for children and young people, for this to work we need all of you so please help!! We look forward to receiving your videos! Please send them to richschwier@hotmail.com by Thursday morning. Thanks.
  • Also Stephen would like some help. He would like to receive a very brief video clip from as many as possible telling about a ‘thoughtful gift’ you have received, and why it was thoughtful. Stephen asks for the videos by Thursday 4th June as well. They should be sent to Stephen at stephen.cawley1@gmail.com. This will be for a short video introduction to our next teaching series.

Be blessed and stay safe

Tim and Trevor


WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY

Good morning Everyone!

Tim’s Weekly Update  Click on the image to the right to view Tim’s video update for this week.

Thy Kingdom Come Prayer  As mentioned in the last 2 emails, this week we’re praying together with the global Thy Kingdom Come project. As well as praying for our nation to hear the gospel, and in particular for 5 friends to come to know Jesus, we want to be showing God’s love and care for our community. Perhaps we could do this through our Covid-19: Give Help, Get Help initiative. Join us tomorrow (Thursday) at 12.30pm on Zoom for 30 minutes of prayer as we join others across the world in proclaiming ‘Thy Kingdom Come’. The Zoom link is the usual one: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6109041991.

Pentecost Sunday Celebration with the Ignite Family of Churches  See Tim’s invitation to the left. Join us at 10am this Sunday as we gather with churches from across East Anglia that are also part of the Ignite network. The usual URL – hccuk.online.church and Zoom link (as above) for the catch-up after the meeting. Also join us for prayer at 9am on the same Zoom link.

Shine the Light at 83a!  Our town centre home, ’83a’ is quiet at the moment, though we have just finished having the forecourt refurbished. Many people still pass the building though. We would like to make use of the window space to put up some pictures with messages of love and thanks for all Huntingdon’s frontline workers and NHS staff. If children could make up some posters of their handprints in the 7 different rainbow colours then we can make a big rainbow in the window. Finished items can be dropped off at 83a (83a High Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3DP) or Debby will come and collect them.

Paul Turner Conversations with Tim on the Holy Spirit  Over the past 3 weeks, on Sundays, we have enjoyed some conversations Tim had with Paul Turner from the River of Life Community Church Haverhill on the Holy Spirit. In fact only a small part of the conversations were shown on Sundays. The 2 full conversations are now available on the website here.

Be blessed this week

Trevor


TUESDAY 19TH MAY

Hi there!

Video Updates
This week’s video update from Tim can be reached by clicking on the first logo to the right. In the video, Tim gives a brief reflection on last Sunday’s service and a request for any last submission for the church survey (returns will be anonymous when presented to the Sunday planning team). He launches the Covid-19 ‘Give Help, Get Help‘ part of our website (with a virtual tour!), explains we’re suspending the Mask Challenge, and introduces the ‘Take 10’ challenge (mentioned on Sunday). Tim’s experience of the ‘Take 10’ challenge can be reached from the caption on the right.

This Week’s Kids Pack
The 4 element of the kids pack for this week can be downloaded below:

Pentecost Sunday 31st May
We are part of a wider family of churches called the Ignite Network. On Pentecost Sunday, we’ll be having a special service with the Ignite Network. This will be at the same time, 10am. On 31st May, we will gather online with the other Ignite churches from across East Anglia to celebrate the birthday of the church! Take your seat for some inspiring stories, worship and insights on the meaning of Pentecost for us today!

Thy Kingdom Come Prayer – ‘Prayer & Care’

We have felt a fresh call to prayer as a church through our small groups, WhatsApp prayer chain, intercession team, Sunday and monthly Zoom times and staff prayer times. We are humbling ourselves knowing we and our country are in need of our Saviour. This comes as part of a national surge in prayer that’s being reported in both the faith and non-faith community at this time.

At this time of year it’s practice for us to hold a week of focussed prayer. This year, we’re connecting with the national call to prayer that is the ‘Thy Kingdom Come Prayer’ initiative. During the week beginning 25th May, we are going to take 7 days in the run up to Pentecost to pray.

Over these 7 days let’s pray for the Spirit to work significantly in those who don’t follow Christ, that they might encounter his love and peace and make the best decision anyone can ever make – to become followers of Jesus – and that they in turn would come to give their lives in service of the Kingdom of God.

But however important prayer is we know the ‘pray-er’ is called to action. So, this year we will be encouraging us not simply to pray that friends and family, colleagues and neighbours might encounter the love of God in Christ, but that they would experience that love in action. We are calling this ‘Prayer and Care’.

This is the invitation:

  1. Pray: pray for 5 family members, friends or neighbours who don’t know Jesus. Pray they might encounter the love of God in Christ at this time. Pray for their needs or concerns.
  2. Care: could you become part of our Covid-19 Care Team (See ‘Give Help, Get Help‘)?
  3. Invite your 5 friends to join us online on Sunday 4th June for a special Sunday when we will be opening our ‘doors’ wide for the community to join us online!

We will be praying, expecting and relying on the Holy Spirit to draw us more and more to encounter God’s love in Christ, so we might be the difference in the world he is sending us to.

During the week we will hold 30 minute prayer times on Zoom on Tuesday 26th and Thursday 28th May from 12.30-1.00 pm. We would also encourage you to pray for your 5 friends that week each day for 10 minutes on your own, in one of our online small groups, or as a family.

Other resources which may help you during the week of prayer:

Have a blessed week, and take care if you are going back to work.

Tim and Trevor


WEDNESDAY 13th MAY

Good afternoon!

We trust you are having a good week!

Tim’s Weekly Video Update

Click on the image to the right for Tim’s latest mid-week video update, in which he talks about the message from last Sunday and a new initiative that we will be launching soon as part of our response to Covid-19: ‘Give Help, Get Help’.

Covid-19 Face Masks

We thank those who responded to the ‘Face Mask Challenge’ to make 50 masks in 10 days for local care homes. Even though we’re past the first 10 days, this project is still running, so if you would like to make some masks for the local community please go to our webpage here.

HCC Online Church Survey

We’ve been running for nearly 2 months now as ‘online church’. We want to ask you about your experience of HCC during this period, to help shape what we do as we go forward. It would help us enormously you could you let us know your thoughts under each of the 5 questions below by clicking ‘Reply’ to this email and filling in your answers in the space provided.

The list of questions under each main question are just to jog your thoughts. You do not have to answer each one, or be confined to just those points!

Please reply to this survey by next Monday evening 18th May.

  1. Sunday Services

What do you think of the Sunday online services? Have they been beneficial? Have you enjoyed them? What do you think of the style we have adopted? Is there anything you could suggest we could add, do differently, or not do? Is the length about right? How do you find the all-age nature of many of the services? Do you enjoy the Zoom calls afterwards?

Answer:

  1. Support from HCC/Zoom Mid-week Groups

Do you feel supported by and connected with HCC during the lockdown? Have you been able to access a Zoom small group meeting online during the week? How have you been finding these? How could we improve the ways in which we keep in touch with people and keep people connected, and able to share needs and offers of help?

Answer:

  1. HCC Supporting the Community

We are steadily building the support we offer to the community and will be releasing an initiative shortly. Do you have any ideas as to how HCC could further support the community?

Answer:

  1. Other Activities during Lockdown

Do you have any other comments or suggestions on the activities of HCC during the lockdown period, and as the country gradually comes out of lockdown. Are you interested in engaging socially on Zoom? If you have children, would you like a Zoom group for the kids?

Answer:

  1. ­Finally…

What do you feel you and the church are experiencing and learning during this time that we want to keep?

Answer:

Thankyou for helping us by completing this survey.

Trevor


TUESDAY 5th MAY

Hi!

The Face Mask Challenge
The challenge is well under way! This afternoon Debby dropped off 38 homemade face masks as the first batch to be provided to Primrose Hill Care Home for their staff to continue to keep safe. Thank you!! Please keep making them so we reach the goal of 50!  See our website for details if you would still like to get involved!

Tim’s Weekly Video Update
Catch Tim’s weekly video as he recaps what we can take away from last Sunday morning and announces a fresh focus this month in learning about the Holy Spirit as we approach Pentecost Sunday on 31st May. That Sunday we will join with the whole family of churches we are a part of from across East Anglia, the Ignite network, for a time of celebration.

This Week’s Children’s Work Sheet
Why not get ready for Sunday’s teaching by reflecting on this week’s families work sheet reminding us of who the Holy Spirit is. Download the work sheets here.

Enjoy today’s sunny weather!

Trevor and Tim


WEDNESDAY 29TH APRIL

Good afternoon!

Weekly Update from Tim 
Here is this week’s video update from Tim, which includes 5 top tips for living in lockdown as exemplified by our HCC Family!

Updated Website
You can now use our updated website at www.hccuk.org to access quickly Sunday Online services, catch backdated services, start giving to HCC and find out how you can give and receive help at this time. Take a look!

Mark’s Gospel Sermon Series
Wow! This coming Sunday sees the finale of our epic journey through Mark’s gospel. We end with the Great Commission, how we are a ‘sent people’, sharers of the good news. For Sunday’s service, have you had any ‘silver lining’ moments you could share in a brief video clip? Take a very short video and send it to Richard Schwier (richschwier@hotmail.com) this evening if you can!

Sundays Online in May
Perhaps like never before, at this time it’s OK to ask for help. One of the names Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit is ‘the Helper’ or Comforter, Advocate, Counsellor (John 16:7). He’s Jesus’ gift to us, but did you know He’s also your Helper, aiding and abiding in us 24-7? Over May, in the run up to Pentecost Sunday, we are going to discover in a new way, who He is, what we can expect in a relationship with Him and what He ‘does’. Join us as we continue to gather as church ONLINE! Please note that the link for the Zoom prayer call before the service and the catch-up afterwards is always https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6109041991.

The Mask Challenge
Don’t forget to give the Mask Challenge a go. Check out why we’re doing it and who the masks are for on our webpage www.hccuk.org/masks. If you have any questions or need help or any resources please get in touch via masks@hccuk.org.

Virtual Prom Praise – May 2nd, 7.30pm – Free Broadcast 

Prom Praise is a huge, wonderful and God-filled event held every year held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Think ‘Last Night of the Proms meets Songs of Praise’ and you’re part way there. On May 2nd there is a free broadcast of the ‘best of’ as a Virtual Prom Praise with performances from Graham Kendrick et al and the Kingdom Choir and orchestra of All Souls, London. To sing/pray/ listen along with all the audience in the vast Albert Hall is a very special spiritual experience. Sign up for the event at https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2020/virtual-prom-praise/ or www.allsoulsmusic.org.

Have a blessed week!

Tim and Trevor


FRIDAY 24th APRIL

Hi, and welcome to HCC’s ‘Mask Challenge’

It’s been inspiring to see that many of you are already making a difference in the Covid-19 crisis. Today as a church we are launching a further response!

Could you help make a difference for frontline staff in our local care homes? We have been in contact with Audrey Royston’s care home and there is something we could really help Primrose Hill Care Home staff with – MASKS!

They are running out and have asked if we could help them by providing some homemade masks!  So our challenge to respond is on!

The challenge is, can we make, between us, or with friends and others you know outside of the church, 50 masks in 10 days! If we have more than we need we will give them away to other community carers!

Check out our website here for all the details. Noemi is helping us co-ordinate the project. If there is anything you need or can offer, please make contact with her via masks@hccuk.org

Feel free to share the challenge electronically with friends locally using the image above.

Lets go for it!

Video Update from Tim

Here’s another video update from Tim, recorded earlier in the week.

This Coming Sunday (26th April)

This Sunday, in our online service at hccuk.online.church, Richard will be looking at Jesus’ appearance after His resurrection on the Emmaus Road. Be sure to join us at 9.55 am. Join us at the Zoom prayer call at 9am before the service, and also immediately after the service. The link for both of these is https://zoom.us/j/6109041991

Next Sunday (3rd May)

For next Sunday’s service, Richard and Stephen would like to pull together a compilation of short (30 second) videos from HCC people. We would love you to share a good news story from what has been happening to you recently – it can be a birthday celebrated, anniversary marked, phone call received from someone, letter from a friend, bunch of flowers from a neighbour, word of encouragement from someone, answer to prayer – anything! Share a video describing what’s made you smile.

We’d like both children and adults to be involved so this is open to everyone. Please send your video clips to stephen.cawley1@gmail.com by midday Wednesday 29th April at the latest.

Youth Online

Please note that all youth are invited to our regular Sunday 4pm meet-up on Zoom, which includes chat, discussion, games and much more.

Have a good weekend!

Tim and Trevor


THURSDAY 9th APRIL

Hi there!

We have a few things to tell you about as we approach the Easter weekend.

Firstly, take a look at Tim’s weekly update opposite, where he explains how we will be celebrating Easter in HCC.

Good Friday  Tomorrow evening we will be streaming a Good Friday reflective service, starting at 8pm. This will look at the events of the last 24hrs of Jesus’ life through the eyes of Mark. It will involved readings, space to reflect, sung worship and communion. So, before the service, get ready with some bread and a glass of wine or fruit juice so that we can enjoy taking communion together – one as family in spirit, if not physically present. Join the service at hccuk.online.church or via our website. We will have a Zoom call afterwards for those who are free. The link is https://zoom.us/j/6109041991.

Wave of Prayer  A ‘wave’ of prayer is being organised to go around the world – twice – to pray for the effects of the coronavirus outbreak!  Watch this video to find out more. We will be praying, via Zoom, at 7pm on Friday (an hour before the Good Friday service) and at 7am on Saturday morning. The link is https://zoom.us/j/6109041991. John and Bobbi will be leading us as we come together to pray over 5 areas connected with the impact of Covid-19 globally (see list of points here).

Easter Sunday  Join us at hccuk.online.church for our Easter Service at 9.55am, as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. The link to the Rend Collective song on YouTube that Tim mentioned is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh4AWQsSOo4. Be sure to have that ready so you can easily swap to it in another window towards the end of the service. We’ll have a Zoom catch-up afterwards, for which the link is https://zoom.us/j/6109041991 (yes, all Zoom calls are the same link!)

Have a blessed Easter, and remember to let us know if you need help in any way.

Trevor and Tim


FRIDAY 3rd APRIL

Hi there!

We trust you are well and enjoying being at home, working from home, or are keeping safe if you are still going in to a workplace.

Latest update video from Tim  Click on the image for Tim’s latest short video update on what’s going on in the church.


Sunday Online  Join us for our Palm Sunday Service this coming Sunday. Get ready at 9.55am for the countdown quiz and a very cool grand entry filmed by our very own Andy and Jack Prosser! Children, you can find attached here a copy of this week’s activity sheet in preparation for Sunday!

On-line Devotion  Take 20 minutes to find encouragement and a word in season this weekend from Philippians 1:1-11 as Tim shares from the scriptures how the Apostle Paul transformed his confinement under two years of house arrest in Rome, year AD61!  This will be the beginning of a series building us up in the Word over this time. Click on the image to the left.

Small Groups on-line  Everyone in the church now has a chance to link up with others in Small Groups online. These Zoom groups give a chance to catch up with others in the church and pray together, and help us to feel more connected at a time when we’re being encouraged to ‘stay at home’!  We have the following groups meeting at present on the days indicated:

  • Stukeley (Tues and Fri) – Karen and Debby
  • Hinchingbrooke (Thurs) – Trevor and Jayne
  • Broughton (Tues) – Richard and Helene
  • Ladies Group (Fri mornings) – Jean

If you’d like to be part of one of these groups, email us at admin@hccuk.org.

Easter Sunday  We are going to be gathering online for an Easter Celebration 10am Sunday 12th April. Families look out for the video on planting parsnips by Tim and Ania on the HCC Church Family Facebook group and a packet of seeds and activities Ania is sending out to you through the post this weekend!  Next week’s activity sheet will be released on Monday, packed full of Easter activities. We also want to ask ALL OF US if we can send in a photo or video recording of any evidence you can see of ‘new life’ around you!  It could be a Spring flower or bud in your garden, or new life in nature you might spy on your daily exercise e.g. some lambs or ducklings you come across in your local fields or area. It might even become a quest!! Could you send those to Tim by Thursday 9th April.

Many blessings

Tim and Trevor


TUESDAY 31st MARCH

Hi there!

Thank you everyone for joining us for our online service last Sunday. We really hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the positive feedback you have given us! If you missed it or want to share the service with friends and family you can catch it again at hccuk.online.church.

This Coming Sunday
Join us again this coming Sunday at 9.55am for our 10.00am service complete with Zoom coffee catch-up afterwards. It will be Palm Sunday and we will be asking the question: how do we receive Jesus as King in our lives?

We would love to have your help:

  • Have you got a photo or story of arriving somewhere in style, or when you waited for a special event, or have you had your photo with a celebrity?  We’d love you to share them with us!
  • Have you got a testimony of what it means for Jesus to be king in your life? What does it mean for you today? Could you send it in a short video clip. Or, could you tell us of the impact your faith is having for you at this time?
  • Children, we have attached another activity sheet for this week – can you make a Palm branch to bring with you?

Please can you share anything back by Wednesday evening, and we will be in touch.

Easter Sunday
On Easter Sunday, the theme is going to be ‘hope out of the darkness’ as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and its meaning for us today.

We would like to invite you to plant a seed or a bulb at home this week and to take a photo of it each day to record its progress as it germinates and springs into life in the run up to the Easter weekend.

As families you might also be planting Easter gardens for school and could record your garden in a photo diary to show us how it comes to life.

Small Groups
Small groups are continuing online during this period! Everyone in the church is invited to take part in a small group connection, whether you were part of one before lockdown started or not! Come back to us if you would like to be part of a weekly catch-up together with others.

Jean Casling runs a weekly ladies small group at 10am on Fridays. Ladies, if you’d like to join in the Zoom call for that, please contact jean.casling@hccuk.org and Jean will send you the link.

Taking Care of One Another
As ever, please let us know if you are in need of any essentials or need support in any way. We will be delighted to try and help.

Many blessings

Tim and Trevor


FRIDAY 27th MARCH

Hi there!

We hope that those of you at home have had a peaceful week and that those who are still in the workplace are coping well under the new way of doing life!

First, on the right, there’s an early morning update from Tim!

A reminder that the new HCC Church Family Facebook page will have posts and information from the church family often relating to the Sunday service. It’s a closed group, so find the page, ask for an invitation and join the chat!

Today we want to tell you a little about Sunday’s online service.

Sunday’s service is being brought to you by Tim Anderson, Richard Schwier, Helen Cobby and Trevor Payne along with the Schwobby band and various other contributers!

Get Ready!  Reach the service by clicking on the image to the right, by going to hccuk.online.church, or by going to our website www.hccuk.org, and clicking the first item ‘Online Church’ under the Church Life menu. The service introduction will start at 9.55am, ready for the main event at 10.00am! To get everyone involved there will be a quiz to have a go at before the service begins that will be displayed on the screen before the service starts.

The Peace  After the opening time of praise we’ll say the Lord’s prayer together followed by a 5 minute pause when we will take a break in the service to send a text, WhatsApp message or phone someone to say hi and exchange a brief encouragement with someone else in the church. You might like to think beforehand who you might contact and have your phone at the ready!

Interact  During the service broadcast there will be a panel on the right of your screen where you can ‘chat’ – put up comments, reactions, thoughts, words of encouragement or scriptures as we share in the time together. The team will be on hand to reply to your comments!

Sound  You might wish to enhance the sound through listening through a pair of head phones or Bluetooth speaker.

Tea and Coffee will be Served after the Service! At the end, for any that would like, as we would normally do, we are going to meet up over coffee or a cup of tea, but in Zoom! We’ll take a 5 minute break after the end of the service to grab a coffee and to reconvene on Zoom. Use this link https://zoom.us/j/6109041991 to join us there. This will last for 10-15 minutes.

Giving  We would normally take up an offering during our Sunday service. In this time when we are not meeting we can instead give through GoCardless and Stripe via the Donate page on our website here.

We look forward to having you with us on Sunday for the first in a new type of church expression, truly HCC’s ‘next step’!

Be blessed

Tim and Trevor


TUESDAY 24th March

Hi Everyone!

At the start of this week I want to tell you how we are meeting up on-line and keeping connected.

Meet in small groups online this week
Firstly, we’re excited to announce that small groups are going online this week!  If you are not part of a small group and would like to join one of our online groups, please contact admin@hccuk.org to find out which one might best suit you! You will be hearing from your group leader how to join the gathering.

This Sunday we go online as a church!
This Sunday we are broadcasting our first HCC Sunday service online via our website at 10am. We invite all of you to join us!  The service will have something for everyone and will be a chance to worship together, pray together and share community. We are church, we are family and we can still gather!

Over the next two Sundays we will be joining the final stages of Jesus’ journey to the Cross which will climax on Easter Sunday in a special on-line resurrection celebration!

In readiness for this Sunday, this morning, twelve families received a packet of ‘worship and activities’ on their door step in preparation for us looking at Mark 14:1-9 and the anointing of Jesus at Bethany in an outrageous act of worship in a time of great danger. See the picture above of Aeva Wales taking hers indoors!

In the meantime, for everyone else, we would like to invite you to begin to familiarise yourself with the passage and begin to allow God to speak to you through it at this time.

Instructions on how to join the Sunday service online
To reach the Sunday service you will be able either to go directly to hccuk.online.church or go to the HCC website, click on the Church Life menu, and then click Online Church.

Catch Tim’s Video Update
For a bit more of a personal update catch my latest video by clicking on the image to the right.

How to keep in touch and connected with the HCC church family over this time
We just wanted to run through with you the main ways we are going to be communicating with you each week and keeping connected online. These are:

  • Church-wide Emails – emails such as this one, which will be sent out on a Tuesday and Friday.
  • Video update – each week there will be a video update from Tim or a member of the team which you can catch across all our communication platforms from email, to website, and Facebook
  • Website – our website, with a new page for news updates during the coronavirus outbreak which can be reached via a button on the front page. There will also be a page for our new online Sunday services which will appear under the Church Life menu or you can reach directly at hccuk.online.church
  • Facebook – we have several Facebook pages, each with specific purpose:
    • Huntingdonshire Community Church – our public facing church page
    • HCC Church Family – this is a NEW closed page, where members have to request access, with posts from HCC folk which may be a little more personal – please request access to this on the page
    • HCC Events – a page we have had for a while that promotes our outreach events into the community
    • HCC Rainbow Toddler Group – connecting all the families who come to Tuesday toddler group
  • Zoom – We have also been using Zoom for meeting up on-line – please contact Trevor if you would like help setting yourself up on Zoom. In the picture you can see how it looked on Sunday with 23 homes in the call (nearly 30 people!)
  • WhatsApp – There are a number of WhatsApp groups covering small groups and other areas of activity within the church. Of note is the HCC Prayer Chain. Please confirm if you would like to be added to this group. It is here for prayer requests which can be circulated within the church.

Prayer during the Virus Outbreak
Repeating what is above, please do let us know by replying to this email if you’d like to join the HCC Prayer Chain WhatsApp group. Hopefully everyone in HCC will join this. It’s important we hold each other, and those we love, up in prayer through this time. We also have an intercessors WhatsApp prayer group and a prayer call over Zoom at 9am on a Sunday morning – please let us know if you would like to join that.

In Conclusion …
Sorry there is a lot of information here, but we wanted to let you know there are lots of ways you can keep in touch, be encouraged and keep informed. Many of these platforms are interactive and we would love to hear items of news from you, sharing any points of humour, prayer requests and answers to prayer, your best activity ideas, what you’ve been up to and so much more!!

Stay blessed and have a favoured week!

Tim


FRIDAY 20th MARCH

Hi,

What a week!

In my email on Tuesday, you will have read HCC’s response to the things being asked of us as a nation to curb this virus and to support one another through this time.

We want to play our part.

Whilst we are being asked to physically distance ourselves from one another, as a church, let’s decide to become relationally and spiritually even stronger and closer, but through different ways!

Let’s have a purpose that we will come out of this time having really supported each other, had more phone calls with each other, connected with each other on-line in new ways, having prayed more together, having understood each other’s fears and stood with each other to see God’s provision. Let’s share the challenges together and keep each other’s spirits up!!

These are days for FAITH and not fear!

We also might find ourselves having more time. Why don’t we use this time to still ourselves before God and connect with Him in a new way? We’ll be recommending some great reads to enrich our walks with God. We’ll also be releasing an HCC Spotify playlist that we can use to meet with our Father God out on a walk or in our living rooms.

RightNow Media is also full of great videos for all ages! This is an online Christian ‘Netflix’ we subscribe to as a church containing loads of video resources that you can access for free. If you haven’t already, you can join and take advantage of HCC’s subscription RightNow here.

Weekly Video Update
Each week Tim or one of the team will be releasing a video update.  Here’s his update for this week! Click on the image.

Over this time we will be launching three main ways we can all keep connected:

1.   HCC Sunday On-line
Each Sunday morning (starting 29th March) we are going to release a 25min Easter HCC video experience that will take us as a church through the Easter episodes as we complete our series on Mark’s Gospel. It will be full of updates, sketches, content, worship, prayers and features from around the HCC community including feedback from some challenges we’re going to be releasing for our children and young people to do from the Monday to the Wednesday before.

2.   On-line Small Groups and New Connect Groups
If you are already in a small group we are designing a way you can keep meeting on-line. But we’re also looking at some new collaborations for those who aren’t in small groups and would like to connect into some new on-line forums to keep connected in a relevant and helpful way. Watch this space on how these will launch.

3.   On-line Prayer on Zoom!
Prayer is going to be one thing we won’t stop. At 7pm this Sunday evening, light a candle in your front window and join us for our first on-line prayer meeting using Zoom. This is part of the Evangelical Alliance’s call for a national day of prayer this Sunday; more information on this can be found here.

Zoom Use of Zoom is free of charge and you can do so through your PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. It is a very popular and easy to use means of connecting by voice or video over the internet. To take part in the call, at 7pm, go to this link. Here is a link to a short video showing how to connect to a Zoom call you might care to watch first.

Also this Sunday – A Walk in the Park
This Sunday Debby Flint will be taking a walk in Hinchingbrooke park (with her dog), and she invites us all to join her for fellowship and prayer. We will follow the government guidelines about staying safe, so no hugs or physical contact and we’ll walk at a safe distance from each other. Please stay at home if you have a temperature or a new cough. The cafe and the toilets are closed with the nearest at Hinchingbrooke hospital. We’ll meet outside the cafe at 10.30am. See you there!

Above all – We are here to support you.  

For help, a chat or support, contact your small group leaders or one of us as a staff team: Tim, Trevor, Jean, Richard, Helen, Ania.

We have a small but growing church-wide prayer WhatsApp group that anyone can post a need and receive prayer from across the church. If you’d like to join this, just reply to this email.

Technically, if you need any help setting yourself up with any of the online tools please talk to someone technically-minded in your small group, or call Trevor who will guide you through.

Why don’t we make it our aim to phone a different person each evening in the church? Or to meet up with another couple on Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp or Facetime once you’ve put the kids to bed.  Or create a Bible study group with some friends over a WhatsApp video groups. There are so many ways of staying connected!

Stay safe, stay connected, be blessed!!

Tim


TUESDAY 17th MARCH

Yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister calling us all to take immediate and decisive action to counter the spread of coronavirus as a nation needs to be taken seriously both for our own benefit and for those more vulnerable within our community.

These are unprecedented times which will impact many of us in a variety of ways. There will be effects on ourselves as individuals, our friends and families, and in some cases, our finances.

What is our response? 

Firstlywe are going to pray  At this time, our trust is in our good Father and His hand of protection. We resist anxiety and instead we are going to pray.  We are going to pray for those affected directly and indirectly by this virus. It’s going to be a difficult time for many people. We need to pray.

Key verses are: 2 Chronicles 7:13-16, Psalm 91.

Secondlywe are here for one another. As a leadership, church and staff team we are focused on providing the support and connection needed for us all to walk through this time together. We will need to re-imagine ‘how we do Church’. We are going to be available and sensitive to what help is needed. We will look to how we can strengthen connections and provide support for each other in our faith and in practical needs over this time, for what might be quite an extended period.

Through the network of our friendships and small groups, can we encourage us all to look out for one another and keep supporting those in isolation or who might be affected in any way.  And please, let us be good at asking for help ourselves. We might not find this easy, but we need to know there is permission to do so in these times!!

If there are any situations you become aware of that as a church you think we could raise help for, please let us know.

Thirdly, we want to pause and think about our wider communities  Think widely around initiatives in our own streets to look out for the vulnerable, help with shopping, dog walking etc for those who are isolating. As a church, we will be looking at how we can play a meaningful role in serving the community at this time. If you are aware of any needs or think of ideas or opportunities you see we could respond to as a church, please share those ideas and let us know. These are times of great opportunity to demonstrate God’s love, care and kindness. We are ready.

What is this going to mean for our Church meetings, events and 83a?

We need to follow government advice and cancel most of our meetings until conditions change. We will need to move ‘on-line’. Small face-to-face meetings can still take place and 83a will still be partially open but the key message is that IF YOU SHOW ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS associated with coronavirus, you must self-isolate for 14 days. If you do spend time with others follow the guidelines that have been issued.

So, with immediate effect, and until the situation changes:

  • Sunday morning meetings at Cromwell will cease
  • Small groups will stop meeting
  • Youth activities will cease
  • Worship team, monthly prayer, Toddler group, Alpha and Creative English will cease
  • The following events will not run: Palm Sunday Cafe (5th April), the Small Group ‘Growing Together’ evening, the Wider Leadership Team Meeting and the International Food Night.

We are looking at making use of on-line resources to continue to connect together, support and encourage each other in our faith. We are considering, and  beginning to plan for:

  • an on-line Sunday ‘experience’ involving video, participation and teaching
  • meeting with appropriate safeguards for walks in the park and prayer walks
  • setting Room 2 aside for prayer with sign-ups
  • prayer forums, on-line Bible teaching
  • making wider use of our website, Facebook pages and other on-line IT resources

Our town premises ’83a’ will be open for some users, and the office will be manned part-time. Should you come to the office, please note the safeguards in the paragraph above.

On the pastoral front, we will be doing our very best to ensure that everyone has someone looking out for them. For those in small groups this will be their point of support. For those not in small groups we will look to provide a support network.

The staff team will generally be working from home but are still contactable. Their numbers and email addresses are as follows:

Please also use the office landline 01480 411665 or email admin@hccuk.org, or connect with us via Facebook or WhatsApp at any time.

We will continue to keep you updated with news and information as things progress. Please, above anything, let’s stay in touch, keep connecting and remain in prayer.

With heartfelt blessings

Tim, Trevor, Jean and Richard