3 May 2020 - 11am Service
Letters from Lockdown: Locked Out Leader
This is the first of our services in the Letters from Lockdown series happening during May.
Pastor David Mitchell preaches to us about the apostle John and scripture he wrote in Revelation when he was exiled on the island of Patmos.
Did you know that on Sundays after our 11am service, our Prayer Ministry team is available live on Zoom for one-to-one prayer? Watch this short video from Dave Mitchell to find out more.
Details on how to take part will appear at the end of the service.
During the week you can email our Pastoral Care team at any time, or you can post prayer requests in our private Church Family group on Facebook.
Getting a Perspective of Hope in a Dark Time
During May, our new series Letters from Lockdown will focus on four lockdown situations in the Bible, looking at John, Jeremiah, Paul and John the Baptist.
We hope that this series will give us a fresh appreciation of Church in a time of the Coronavirus pandemic and a perspective of hope in a dark time.
We will look at how to pray in lockdown and keep our faith when our experiences are hard.
Tune in on Sunday!
26 April 2020 - 11am Service
Kingdom Come: Conquest
This is the fourth of our services in the Kingdom Come series happening during April.
During the Coronavirus lockdown, our Woodlands Worship team made this great video of them worshipping together from their own homes to This is Amazing Grace.
Thanks to everyone who took part singing and playing instruments!
God bless you all!
Celebrating the victory of God.
During April, our series Kingdom Come will be our focus in the lead up to Holy Week and Easter, using scriptures in Matthew and Revelation.
The four themes for sermons across the month are:
Kingdom Conflict
Kingdom Coronation
Kingdom Come
Kingdom Conquest
19 April 2020 - 11am Service
Kingdom Come
This is the third of our services in the Kingdom Come series happening during April.
You can tune in and listen to our Woodlands Bible School session looking at what the Bible teaches about death, with Tim Dobson.
Easter Sunday - 12 April 2020 - 11am Service
Kingdom Come: Coronation
This is the second of our services in the new Kingdom Come series happening during April.
During the Coronavirus lockdown, our church family wanted to join together at Easter to create a video for our online service, showing us worshipping together to Amazing Grace - My Chains Are Gone (Chris Tomlin version).
Thanks to everyone who took part singing and playing instruments and Jo from our Woodlands Worship team for performing master track of Amazing Grace on the guitar to help us all sing-along in time (ish).
God bless you all!
Woodies Team
Palm Sunday - 5 April 2020 - 11am Service
Kingdom Come: Conflict
This is the first of our services in the new Kingdom Come series happening during April.
We would love our church family to make a concerted effort to pray about the Covid-19 pandemic during Holy Week. Book a slot in our virtual 24/7 Prayer Room.
Runs from 12 noon on Palm Sunday, 5th April 2020
until 12 Midnight on Saturday, 11th April 2020
http://www.24-7prayer.com/signup/418faf
60 MINUTE PRAYER GUIDE: PRAYING FOR THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
To help you pray for the hour, read on below or download our one-hour Prayer Guide.
You’ll need: A Bible, Worship music, Water, Soap, Pens, hand cream
PAUSE (5 minutes)
PRAY
Psalm 46 aloud
BE STILL
Breathe deeply, and welcome the Holy Spirit
REJOICE (5 minutes)
PRAY
Psalm 91 aloud
SING
A song of worship about the greatness of God
ASK (30 minutes - 5 minutes per topic)
1) PRAY FOR THE CONTAINMENT OF THE VIRUS
Using water and soap, thoroughly wash your hands.
Ask God to slow and halt the spread of the Coronavirus.
Take a moment to pray for God’s particular intervention in the nation's most affected.
2) PRAY FOR THE ILL AND ISOLATED
Write the names of the people you know who are self- isolating or who have contracted the virus. You can do this on a piece of paper, or on a piece of material.
Ask God to make His presence felt in solitude and to protect, strengthen and heal them.
3) PRAY FOR PROTECTION OF THE VULNERABLE
You can draw a plaster and write the names of the people you know who are elderly or have an under-lying condition that may make them susceptible to the Coronavirus.
Ask God to protect them from infection.
4) PRAY FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS
Place your hands on your head and ask God to give wisdom to national and local political leaders as they make decisions to protect people.
Cup your hand over your ear and ask God to bring excellent advisers to guide them.
Open your hands in front of you and ask God to give them the ability to communicate clearly to the public.
5) PRAY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Rub hand cream into your hands as you ask God to protect the health professionals (doctors, nurses, ambulance crews and more) caring for those affected by the virus.
Ask God to give them peace, wisdom, to anoint them for their jobs and to protect them from infection.
6) PRAY FOR THOSE AFFECTED IN OTHER WAYS BY THE PANDEMIC
There are many of people who will be indirectly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Ask God to comfort those grieving the loss of loved ones, to provide for those in financial difficulty because they are unable to work, and for business leaders as they face such unprecedented disruption to life.
Pray the blessing of Numbers 6:24-26 over each group.
YIELD (10 minutes)
Pray this prayer of yielding, written by Pete Greig:
Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you to protect us from the spread of the Coronavirus. You are powerful and merciful; let this be our prayer -
“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Psalm 57:1)
Jehovah Shalom, Lord of Peace, we remember those living in Coronavirus hotspots and those currently in isolation. May they know your presence in their isolation, your peace in their turmoil and your patience in their waiting. Prince of Peace, you are powerful and merciful; let this be their prayer -
“May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Saviour, for the glory of your name.” (Psalm 79:8)
God of all Comfort and Counsel, we pray for those who are grieving, reeling from the sudden loss of loved-ones. May they find your fellowship in their suffering, your comfort in their loss, and your hope in their despair. We name before you those known to us who are vulnerable and scared - the frail, the sick and the elderly. [pause] God of all Comfort, you are powerful and merciful; may this be our prayer -
“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.” (2 Corinthians 1:10)
Jehovah Rapha, God who heals, we pray for all medical professionals dealing daily with the intense pressures of this crisis. Grant them resilience in weariness, discernment in diagnosis, and compassion upon compassion as they care. We thank you for the army of researchers working steadily and quietly towards a cure - give them clarity, serendipity and unexpected breakthroughs today. Would you rise above this present darkness as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in your rays. May this be our prayer -
“Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)
God of all Wisdom, we pray for our leaders: the World Health Organisation, national governments, and local leaders too - heads of schools, hospitals and other institutions. Since you have positioned these people in public service for this hour, we ask you to grant them wisdom beyond their own wisdom to contain this virus, faith beyond their own faith to fight this fear, and strength beyond their own strength to sustain vital institutions through this time of turmoil. God of all Wisdom and Counsel, you are powerful and merciful; may this be our prayer -
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Psalms 46:1-2)
I bless you with the words of Psalm 91:“Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” (Psalm 91:3-7)
“Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1)
May El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty who loves you protect you. May Jesus Christ, His Son who died for you save you. And may the Holy Spirit who broods over the chaos and fills you with his presence, intercede for you and in you for others at this time.
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18)
BE STILL
Breathe deeply, thank God for His presence and release into His hands all you’ve prayed this past hour.
Even though we are not able to gather together in person this Easter, we'll be looking to encourage you throughout Holy Week in a number of ways.
You can tune into daily online devotions, book a one-hour prayer slot in our virtual 24/7 prayer room and watch our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services.
So, whatever your experience of church or faith, we pray that this Easter time will be a special time.
Check out our Easter Page for more information and ways to connect during Holy Week.
29nd March 2020 - 11am Service
Connecting with God in a Crisis
This is the second of our broadcasted services after the Coronavirus pandemic made us unable to meet face-to-face until further notice. It is before the lockdown and social distancing became mandatory.
We would love to see people from our church family step forward to become emergency foster carers.
Bristol has an amazing group of more than 300 foster carers, many of whom have come to fostering after their birth children have grown up or following a different career. There are also many kinship caring grandparents, providing care for their grandchildren.
This means that a large proportion of carers are at heightened risk from the virus and many will need to self-isolate, with more expected in the coming weeks. There are already 25 fostering households having to self-isolate.
As the city becomes more vulnerable and families less resilient, the Council is expecting an increase in the number of children who will need the City’s support and care.
We are asking Christians in Bristol who may be able to open their home to a vulnerable child to complete an online form and then Home for Good will be in touch with next steps…
Want to reach out in a practical way to show God’s love and kindness?
We have made up some really simple cards that you can download, print, personalise and give out to your neighbours.
You can even take photos of what you get up to to share what you do online with #coronakindness.
We are now posting a video devotional each day from Monday to Friday to bring encouragement and inspiration to our church family. Hope you enjoy it. Connect online with us to get these each day on social media.
22nd March 2020 - 11am Service
God’s Will in a Crisis
1 Timothy 2:1-8
This is the first of our broadcasted services after the Coronavirus pandemic made us unable to meet face-to-face until further notice. It is before the lockdown and social distancing became mandatory.
For this service on Mothering Sunday, we hear from our senior pastor Dave Mitchell as he talks to us about God’s will to rescue and save us in a crisis. He reminds us that God does not want anyone to perish. He also talks about how we can respond to a global pandemic, by praying for our city and nation and the world. How we need to connect and encourage each other during these unprecedented times. And we need to help and serve people, being generous wherever possible, looking out for the most vulnerable people and those on the frontline.
Join us on Sundays at 11am for a new way to do church together online.
You can watch the service here on our website on the homepage, or you can subscribe to our YouTube channel to live-chat with other members of our church family.
Find our how you can connect online with us on social media and also reach out to love and serve your community.
If you are a family with children at home, you can also join our private Facebook Group for families for a special Facebook Live service at 9.30am.
We think we have some opportunities for creative and exciting ways to express our love for God, for one another and the world at this time…
This page was updated on 18 March 2020 and will be kept up-to-date with the latest advice and actions we are taking.
Government advice and direct medical directives to faith communities has been Keep Calm and don't carry on! The need to avoid transmission of the virus by all means possible to allow the Health Service to prepare for and cope with this unfolding epidemic, means the most loving thing we can do for our wider community is to take unprecedented steps to reduce spread of infection now.
On 17 March, leaders of the Woodlands Group of Churches met (a metre or two apart from one another) to pray about and plan our response now that we are not able to gather together in person for the time being. Our team of staff and volunteers are all now working from home as well.
We think we have some opportunities for creative and exciting ways to express our love for God, for one another and the world at this time…watch this short video message from pastor Dave Mitchell.
Live Streaming of a Weekly Church Service
We will express our worship on Sunday by live streaming behind closed doors. We were really encouraged that on 15 March, our first ever live stream service attracted 3,000 views. We will be working to get the best possible production quality for future services. We will be posting a link on our homepage and also using Facebook Live.
Opening a 24/7 Prayer Room
We plan to open a 24-7 prayer room at Woodlands to keep a worship space open and to facilitate constant prayer for our nation and wider world (details to follow).
Encouraging People to Volunteer
We want to mobilise volunteers in Church to serve our City and the most vulnerable. In the first instance, visit The Noise website to help out and volunteer at a food bank to make sure no one is short of food at this time. Many of our food banks in the city are staffed by teams of older people, who are now unable to volunteer.
Helping You to Love Your Neighbours
We’ve made printable CoronaKindness Cards that you can download, print, personalise and give to your neighbours. This is a great way to reach out in a practical way to show God’s love and kindness to the people around you. Share what you are doing online with the hashtag #coronakindness to be part of a global trend.
Finding Alternatives for Midweek Groups
Midweek groups have been advised not to meet and each group will have to work out how best to support one another according to risk, technical resources, etc. We shared practical tips with all our small group leaders already, so they can support their members.
Providing Inspirational Content Online
Woodlands team members will be encouraging our church family with online resources including:
Study resources for some enforced contemplative time to build up your faith
Soul care alongside the practical care we all need
Opportunities for prayer requests to be made online
Daily devotional videos starting soon!
Reminders for everyone to pray at noon, wherever you are, whatever you are doing
Connect with Woodlands on Social Media
We will be posting regular updates on social media and sending more regular emails to church members. Be sure to connect with us to stay up-to-date with what’s happening.
Like our public Facebook page (official updates)
Join our Facebook group for church members (private place to connect, post requests for help or prayer)
Join our Facebook group for families with children (private group of 9.15am regulars)
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Fill in a contact card if you want to be added to our email lists
If You Need Help
If you feel unwell, please follow the current national guidance.
If you, or members of your household fall ill and/or self-isolate please tell your homegroup leader and let us know via email. This is a time where we need to be supporting, loving and encouraging one another.
Future Steps
This is an ever changing situation and we will continue to respond to any changes in the advice we receive.
This is a time to look out for our neighbours, particularly the vulnerable and elderly, to avoid panic buying and be messengers of faith hope and love.
We would love you to pray for our World and nation, we will be interceding for our nation in these extraordinary times.
Do pray for our health professionals who will be under enormous pressure right now.
Woodlands Church, Belgrave Road, Bristol BS8 2AA
