News75550AE8 A457 4013 B9F5 7A855A166090

2020 has been a year we will never forget. It is hard to make sense of how the smallest molecule could have such a devastating effect on every aspect of human lives across the world. We are grieving for all we have lost and longing for recovery and restoration in 2021. To express our concerns, a small team at Trinity Methodist Church have created 8 Christmas prayer stations. These represent some of the situations, personal problems and global issues where we need healing and hope.

  1. Education – Hylda Emsden and Jenny Burnop
  2. National Health Service – Christine Beggs
  3. Fairtrade – Lesley Whymark and Marjorie Saberton
  4. Domestic Abuse – Harriet Thomson
  5. Dementia – Christine Beggs
  6. Equality – Harriet Thomson
  7. Food Poverty – Christine Beggs
  8. Our Planet – Archie Whymark

Although some of the displays have strong powerful messages which express hurt, each of them includes a nativity model of the baby Jesus. Christmas represents the coming of Jesus as a vulnerable baby as a symbol of love and light into a broken world of darkness and despair. We invite you to walk through the church, stopping briefly to look and pray at the prayer stations before lighting a candle on your way out. This will be a silent prayerful walk through activity which we have organised in a Covid safe way under government and Methodist Church guidelines. It’s a small way to allow our congregations and visitors to come into the Church, which has been closed since March, to spend no more than 20 minutes thanking God for preserving and protecting us in 2020.  You may be confused, angry, sad, worried or sceptical. Everyone is welcome to pray for healing and hope at Christmas and for guidance, strength and goodness in 2021.

Opening times:

Tuesday 15 December, 12pm – 2pm & 6pm – 7.30pm

Thursday 17 December, 10.30am – 12pm & 6pm – 7.30pm

Tuesday 22 December, 10.30am – 12pm & 6pm – 7.30pm