To everyone who calls the People's Church their church,
Firstly, we hope you are doing ok. We are praying for you and for our community at this time. The government's latest guidance speaks of stopping non essential contact and avoiding social venues and gatherings, includes all faith groups and churches. This advice has been followed up by our Baptist family whose latest guidelines state that not only our Sunday celebrations but also other gatherings during the week should now stop.
With this in mind, and with a heavy heart, our physical gatherings as the church, both on Sundays and in the week, will stop until further notice. (This includes our regular events such as Playdate, Knit and Natter, Prayer Breakfast, Eden activities, other clubs and formal organised small groups gathering.)In this period of time we will find new ways of being the church to each other and to the community, continuing to love God and one another, and reaching out to those around us with the love of Christ.
We know this may be a shock for some, and a challenging time for many of us, but the church is the people, not the building or a particular service, and we will be in touch in the coming days about ways in which we can continue to be church well.
We would encourage all church members to 'be good neighbours' on and to their streets, offering support / calls / texts where possible. If you are fit, able and willing, and want to help locally here in Partington we'd encourage you to sign up to help through the Hideaway's co-ordinated response https://www.thehideawaymanchester.com/m31-residents
We will be in touch again in the coming days, with updates, plans for an online gathering on Sunday, and next steps as they develop.
In the mean time, please be assured of our prayers for you
Thank you and God bless,
Jonathan People's Church Partington