This Sunday's sermon (coming on the BHC Godalming YouTube channel): Psalm 63 - Hope in the dark times

Hello again, after the most unusual of weeks in which every day life, and church life has been affected so radically.   

After reading down to see what's going on, here's A word from Simon Taylor on 'Shock'.

Having stopped all church gatherings and services last week, on Monday we were instructed to close our buildings completely.  Please note that this applies to Busbridge church, Hambledon church and the Old Rectory.  - All locked up until further notice, with very occasional access by the wardens and those caring for the buildings. 

So, never has it been truer, or more encouraging, to know that the church is not the building, but the people….and for us today, like many churches, it is somewhere virtual - on zoom, YouTube, Spotify and www.bhcgodalming.org!   

[Initially this may involve signing up for a few new (free) accounts and a bit of grappling with new apps and tech, but we're trying to use the easiest, most widely used and free solutions.  BUT If any of this is not possible for you, please reply – 'Help...' and we'll do what we can to keep you connected another way.]

Church@Home
Last Sunday's online service on YouTube has had more than 500 views.  WOW – almost everyone came to church on the same Sunday.  Thanks to all those who have given such positive feedback on the pilot episode – the first Sunday series is now fully commissioned! 

This week Simon Willetts will be preaching on Psalm 63 – Hope in Dark times.    The service will go live on BHC Godalming at 10am on Sunday, and we hope that you will watch at that time, together.  The service includes church members doing the readings and prayers and we are so grateful to everyone who has been able to embrace a new process.  REMEMBER THAT THE CLOCKS 'SPRING' FORWARD ON SATURDAY (But the upside of all this is that no one will know if you're late!).

To go with the service, the Sunday Song List s on Spotify here.  It includes contemporary worship and traditional hymns.  We've not quite found to the solution for including songs in the broadcast (there are copyright restrictions) but it's coming.

Prayer
As important as ever.  The BHC public zoom room is hosted by someone from the Prayer Ministry team at 9am every weekday.  We've had up to 20 people several mornings this week.   There are some guidelines on bhcgodalming.org - Please give it a try. The Prayer Ministry team would also be happy to receive any personal prayer requests in confidence.  e: prayer@bhcgodalming.org.  We know that prayer is also continuing relentlessly in Home / Small groups.  Amen!

10.30am Coffee Break & 4pm Tea time
Please feel free to pop in and out of the BHC public zoom room from 10.30-11am and 4-4.30pm to say 'Hi', share highs and lows from the day.  We're all getting used to the new technology so this is quite a good time try it out.

CYF Online
Ichthus and Pathfinders now have a dedicated zoom room for their meetings. Not surprisingly, our young people have taken to their new meetings like ducks to water.  These are happening at roughly the usual Ichthus & Pathfinders times – They are open to everyone, but you do need to register by emailing anto.ficatier@bhcgodalming.org to join the zoom meetings.   

To join in with Explorers and Ark activities, email Judith.hawkey@bhcgodalming.org.

BHC Community Response Team
We have all been humbled and amazed at the many thousands of people who responded to the call to return to work for the NHS.  An even greater number have volunteered to help in their local communities (over half a million according to the latest published figures) and the communities in Busbridge and Hambledon are very much part of those figures.

Road Stewards and House Groups have formed WhatsApp groups, to help them stay in touch; more than sixty people have volunteered to help those who are self-isolating or otherwise unable to leave their homes.  We have received around twenty requests for help and another forty who are receiving 'phone calls from our pastoral team, to check on their wellbeing.  Several people have registered with us, saying that they are all right for now, but know they will need help as time goes on.

It is heart-warming to be a part of all this and we are so grateful to everyone who has been in touch.  It has been very busy, so if you have volunteered, but have not received an acknowledgement from a member of the team, please could we ask you to e-mail coronaresponse@bhcgodalming.org again, simply to ensure that no-one has been missed?

Above all, we want to say an enormous 'thank you'!

So, as there's much for us to do (and contrary to popular opinion - less time with the family 'remote learning' at home) please take a look around on www.bhcgodalming.org. 

And don't forget you can also follow BHC Godalming on Facebook, Instragram and Twitter too.

To the number of you who are in self-isolation at the moment, and indeed those suffering with the virus, please do forward any prayer requests (in confidence) to the Prayer Ministry team via prayer@bhcgodalming.org.  The church would love to care for you spiritually, emotionally and practically if we can.