Bill Gates on founding Microsoft made a profound statement that became the mission statement of the organisation and this was to put ‘a computer on every desk and in every home.’ I believe he could not have envisaged the impact that vision would have on our world today.

Now we don’t just have a computer on every desk in every home but indeed in every palm and in every pocket. Yes, the ubiquitous smartphone is that computer. With it, you can link up with anyone, anywhere, and at any time and you can see as well as hear them in realtime, and with it, you can ‘go to church!’ Oh yes, tell someone the future is here but don’t just take my word for it, kindly check out these headlines to see the impact this is having on the way we worship today:

British public turn to prayer as one in four tunes in to religious services – “The Church of England has said that unexpectedly high numbers of people are tuning into online or broadcast services, and 6,000 people phoned a prayer hotline in its first 48 hours of operation” “The survey of more than 2,000 people, commissioned by the Christian aid agency Tearfund and carried out last weekend, found that a third of young adults aged between 18 and 34 had watched or listened to an online or broadcast religious service, compared with one in five adults over the age of 55. One in five of those who have tuned into services in the past few weeks say they have never gone to church.

The most frequent subjects of prayers since the lockdown has been family (53%), friends (34%), thanking God (24%), the person praying (28%), frontline services (27%), someone unwell with Covid-19 (20%), and other countries with Covid-19 (15%)” – excerpts from www.theguardian.com

Churches rising to lockdown challenges attracting new worshippers thanks to zoom prayer sessions – Reverend Hugh Nelson, 47, of Goudhurst and Kilndown parish, reported a significant rise in church engagement since lockdown. He explained: “If we said in normal times ‘we will be in church at 10 o’clock to pray and chat’, you would get about two people. Through this we have got over 50.” – excerpt from www.swlondoner.co.uk

Coronavirus: Churches may not be back to normal by end of the year – A survey by ComRes last week found that almost one in four British adults have watched or listened to a religious service since lockdown began. Bishop Sarah Mullally said the findings showed that while religious buildings are closed “the Church continues to be open”.

She added: “Now there is going to be a challenge for us in the future, about asking ourselves why do more people access online than may be coming to our buildings? How do we enable them to enter into our community, to be part of our community in church?” – except from www.bbc.co.uk

And from abroad, Ireland:

Survey finds people praying more since virus lockdown – A new poll from Amarach Research, commissioned by The Iona Institute, looks at how religious practice is taking place during the lockdown. It has found that: 27 percent of the public have watched or listened to at least one religious service during the current period. A more detailed look highlights some unexpected findings. For example, 24 percent of 18-24-year-olds saying they are praying more than usual. This is the same as for over 55s, but far higher than the age groups in between – excerpts from www.indcatholicnews.com

The Pandemic Lockdown Is a Godsend for the Indian Church – Many smaller churches have their attendees join the live streams of larger churches. Our own sunrise service on Easter, conducted on Zoom, drew 250 people—despite its 5 a.m. start. When churches started streaming their services online, they were surprised at the audience they received.

I know of small churches that normally had less than 100 people attend on an average Sunday now have more than 700 viewers online. Our own church, Bible Bhavan Christian Fellowship, which has been live-streaming for more than four years, saw a 300 percent increase in viewership. People have been watching from all over India, and all around the world. We have received responses from as far as Africa and South America – excerpts from www.christianitytoday.com

I believe the testimonies above speak for themselves and indeed speak volumes about the emerging post-lockdown church. I am sure the same applies to other countries in Europe, Africa, and the USA. God is moving like we know He does, in mysterious ways, and we’ve got to move with Him.

Like the bible says, we have dwelt on this mountain long enough and it’s time to move on. This emerging picture of the church is a confirmation of what we believe to be the Spirit-inspired COVID-19 update we published on the 19th of May 2020 (check it out in our past issues available as a link at the top of every issue). Are we ready for the change?

A word of caution about this though. I am not saying we should lock up our churches and move our services online, NO. Rather I believe it is another effective way of reaching out to those who for one reason or another are unable or unwilling to attend church physically.

Remember our Lord Jesus Christ promised us in Matthew 16:18 saying, “I will build my church and the gates of hades will not prevail against it.” His church is indeed marching on and we need to move on with Him. We are the church. Blessings be.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time-consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterward.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2metres).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary travel

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face coverings is now mandatory on all public transport from the 15th of June 2020. The British Medical Association (BMJ) have gone one step further and are suggesting that face coverings should be worn in all areas where social distancing is not possible like shops, restaurants, and pubs. So there we have it, If unsure just wear one. Remember to keep your reusable face coverings clean and make sure they fit well covering the nose, mouth and the sides of the face to prevent leakage of air sideways and backward

16. Lastly, if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Covid-19 update 02-July-20 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

One thing though is clear, the taking of a life in broad daylight with the world watching must represent one of the lowest points of humanity in modern times.

The death of George Floyd that fateful day on a street in Minneapolis represents a watershed in the long arduous struggle for equality and social justice anywhere in the world. It has galvanised people of all colour and creed into action to march in protest basically sending out one message, enough is enough.

It is hard to ignore the many young white men and women joining the BLM protest marches around the world. I believe they joined the protest because the injustice they see being meted out to blacks is at variance with their conscience. And I believe a good number of them joined the protest because of their sense of fairness.

They are not prepared to listen to what others say the truth is but have gone to search for it themselves and they have reached their own conclusion and their conclusion is what we have seen on our streets. They are beckoning to us to join them in doing away with injustice, lack of fairness and discrimination based on colour.

They are saying Black Lives Matter and the corollary to that I say is all lives matter. I matter to you and you matter to me and we all matter to God.

I believe also that by joining the protest, they are unknowingly reiterating those famous words of MLK when he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

They are leading the way and asking for our support to bring that to reality. They have laid down the gauntlet and proclaiming the kind of future they want to live in and I dare say that future is now. Are we watching and listening?

We must ask ourselves why the death of George Floyd has impacted the world so much. No one knew of him until he died that rather cruel way. But something changed when he died and that change has reverberated around the world so much so that it has led to calls for statues around the UK to be pulled down because of their links to slavery.

I rather think the change we need to see is in our hearts. Let’s pull down the monumental strongholds of resistance within our hearts to racial discrimination and social injustice that have stood for centuries. Pull them down and teach the next generation to love and respect people whatever the colour of their skin.

Let’s circumcise our hearts of racial prejudice so we can see the goodness and richness that The Lord has endowed us with as people regardless of race. Like one brilliant commentator remarked, “we all belong to one race, the human race.”

MLK once said, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’ Let’s teach ourselves and our children to love unconditionally and we’ll witness the brightness of morality flood our nation.

We stand on the precipice of change the likes of which we have never witnessed before in this generation so let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24 paraphrased). By all means, take a knee if you must but while there bend the second knee in reverence to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ever ask or think according to His power that works in us. And when you’re back on your feet, stand up for righteousness, equality and social justice for therein lies our peace.

For there is neither white, black or brown, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 paraphrased). And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen. (Philippians 4:7).

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash allfresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2metres).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary travel

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face coverings is now mandatory on all public transport from the 15th of June 2020. The British Medical Association (BMJ) have gone one step further and are suggesting that face coverings should be worn in all areas where social distancing is not possible like shops, restaurants, and pubs. So there we have it, If unsure just wear one. Remember to keep your reusable face coverings clean and make sure they fit well covering the nose, mouth and the sides of the face to prevent leakage of air sideways and backward

16. Lastly, if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early

May The Lord bless and keep you safe as you continue to stay alert. And oh yes, keep supporting our frontline workers.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Covid-19 Update 25-June-20 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

The list of the devastation it’s left in its wake is almost endless affecting every aspect of our lives be it social, economic, educational and emotional.

From cancelled weddings (including a royal one), to cancelled holidays, cancelled exams, cancelled sporting events including the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Euro 2020 football tournament, Wimbledon grand slam tournament and oh yes our beloved premiership football (I know, don’t remind me Liverpool FC are still waiting to pick up their well-deserved league title). At least now you know where my football allegiance lies.

Pardon my informal jocular digression from a rather serious matter. Let’s refocus now on the emotional impact of the virus in tearing families and friends apart.

Mental health problems that were previously well controlled have resurfaced as the lockdown and loss of jobs have negatively impacted the vulnerable among us.

Those furloughed are wary of losing their jobs as there is no guarantee they’ll be returning to their jobs when we eventually emerge from lockdown. For them, the uncertainty is mentally devastating and crippling.

The full picture of the economic impact has not yet hit us but if the recent statement made by our suave Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak is anything to go by then we are in for a very rough ride when this pandemic is over.

He said and I quote, ‘We are likely to face a severe recession the likes of which we have never seen.’ As the cliche goes, ‘Be afraid, be very afraid.’

Now let’s turn our attention to the human impact. The loss of human lives I’m sure you’ll agree is the most devastating and the one that will have the most long term impact on families.

When the main income earner in a family is lost, then adjusting to life without them takes a long time to kick in. This excruciatingly painful experience will sadly, be the case for many affected families up and down our nation.

Personally I have lost at least four people close to my family to COVID-19. How does one begin to pick up the pieces after such a loss? God only knows and only His peace and strength can see one through.

To make matters worse, our loved ones are buried in haste and without the usual befitting send-off they deserve all in an effort to observe social distancing and discourage transmission of the infection. I believe the question on everyone’s mind at this juncture is where do we go from here?

The word of God is always a good recourse in situations like these.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

When faced with overwhelming circumstances and when perturbed by prevailing hardship, seeking God’s counsel is always a source of encouragement (remember He is omniscient and omnipotent).

Because He knows all and can do all, when our understanding fails us, God is always there to direct our paths if we turn to Him. When disaster strikes and our very existence is threatened, it becomes very difficult to make sense of anything going on around us. In those situations, we may despair of life itself but the good book reassures us in Romans 8:37-39 NKJV,

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I firmly believe God will use this tragedy to bless us and although the enemy means it for evil, The Lord will turn it into good. And I am persuaded too that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 paraphrased). Don’t forget He is in the storm with us and He will see us safely to the shore of peace.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Covid-19 update 03-June-20 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

This many Christians will recognise marks the day when The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples of Jesus in that upper room and they spoke in new tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance.

People from different lands who heard them came together and were filled with wonder at what was happening because they heard them speak in their native language (Acts 2:1-12).

This was God’s way of reversing the chaos and disunity of Babel when God confused their language (Genesis 11:1–9). Traditionally Pentecost which in Greek is Pentekoste literally refers to the festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Passover.

In the church calendar it is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter (Whitsun Sunday). However on that fateful day, Pentecost, God gave the disciples a new purpose which was liberty to proclaim the gospel of Christ under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and hey presto, the New Testament church was born!!!

So following ‘lockdown’ for fifty days, the church was birthed, a new life, a new impetus, a new vigour, and a new purpose nothing like the world had ever seen before. As a result of this, about three thousand souls were saved after Apostle Peter spoke with boldness and power to the crowd. For an uneducated fisherman, this was extraordinary!

This is the power of lockdown when spent in the presence of God. Our lockdown today is uniting people, neighbors and even strangers just like the Holy Spirit united people following the ‘lockdown’ culminating in the day of Pentecost.

The church today is in physical lockdown but not in spiritual lockdown and we MUST and WILL emerge with a renewed life, renewed impetus, a renewed vigour and a renewed purpose of reaching out. Sounds familiar? Yes, it is and the reason for the repetition is its importance. We must not lose focus.

At this juncture, we cannot but remember those who are recovering from COVID-19 infection, feeling the adverse effect of the lockdown through the loss of jobs or perhaps bereaved and are finding life a struggle at the moment.

Please be reassured that in that struggle, God is working His purpose in you to turn your ‘mess’ into a message of hope that will not only minister to you but to others in perhaps similar circumstances.

This I believe is a time of regeneration and renewal of your strength and vigour spiritually and physically. One day at a time, one step at a time, and with the infusion of the power of the Holy Spirit your rebirth will be accomplished.

He is breathing (Ruach) into you the freshness that only His Spirit can bring to ease you out of this predicament and set your feet firmly on the road to complete recovery. You shall emerge with renewed life, renewed impetus, renewed vigour, and a renewed purpose.

Like the bible reassured us in II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” And I am confident that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” Amen – (Philippians 1:6 NKJV paraphrased). So you will arise, you will shine for your light will come because the glory of The living God will rise upon you, Amen – (Isaiah 60:1 NKJV paraphrased).

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash allfresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2metres).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary travel

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medica lconditions are well advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts asmuch as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face coverings is now mandatory on all public transport from the 15th of June 2020. The British Medical Association (BMJ) has gone one step further and are suggesting that face coverings should be worn in all areas where social distancing is not possible like shops, restaurants, and pubs. So there we have it, If unsure just wear one. Remember to keep your reusable face coverings clean and make sure they fit well covering the nose, mouth and the sides of the face to prevent leakage of air sideways and backward

16. Lastly, if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

May The Lord bless and keep you safe as you continue to stay alert. And oh yes, keep supporting our frontline workers.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Covid-19 Update 08-June-20 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

The first thing that springs to mind is the heavy death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic that is sadly still ongoing and the fear of a second wave of infection when the lockdown is lifted. It is quite sobering that to date (i.e. at the time of writing this piece) over 36,000 people have lost their lives to this very sneaky infection.

Let’s put this in perspective. I live in Medway and our local stadium, Priestfield Stadium in Gillingham, holds about 11,500 people at full capacity. So we are talking here about three times that capacity. This is shocking, to say the least. Now given this number of deaths, I’m just wondering, are you thinking what I’m thinking? How did it come to this? Where did we go wrong? I’ll leave you to ponder those questions for a while.

I understand there is a petition making the rounds on WhatsApp and other forms of social media about reopening our churches. That is fine and I agree with that. But have we stopped to ask ourselves why we are asking for this?

Is it to meet our friends again and share fellowship face to face and restart those morning coffee and cake midweek meetings that we cherish and to have that sisterhood or brotherhood banter after Sunday service that we so enjoy?

Or is it to restart our evangelistic foray into our neighborhoods that we’ve missed so much? Again, I’ll leave us to ponder that in our individual minds

While doing that I’ll let you into my thoughts about this. An in-law spoke to me this week about a member of his church who rarely attended church on Sunday but has now been regular since the online church started and even attested to the fact that he’s been really enjoying fellowship this way and participating in all the activities.

That is the beauty of the online church and I firmly believe this resource MUST be harnessed and exploited in full to reach the unchurched. In our life group, we’ve had two people express interest in joining our weekly online meetings, one churched and the other unchurched.

For many, online church has afforded them the opportunity to fill their homes with praise, worship, and prayers and I am talking about the churched here.

Many only fellowship in church once a week and don’t even pray at home. Do I hear you say really? Yes really. Now please don’t get me wrong.

This is not an accusation but a call to spiritual arms. We are Christians and we are called to reach out and that means all of us including myself. Let’s ask ourselves, how many unchurched friends and colleagues have we invited to our online church since it started?

I believe every church should start looking at ways to make the online church a permanent fixture as it is shaping out to be a powerful evangelistic tool.

Now back to my questions. If we want the churches to restart because we are rearing to go and evangelise our neighborhoods, I’m all for it but there should be no going back to the status quo. Think of the many lives that have perished without Christ in this pandemic. We CAN and MUST not stand for any more deaths without Christ.

Christ is the head of this nation, our unseen provider, and our silent protector. To Him all flesh will turn for it is He who answers prayers. This pandemic shall pass and we shall emerge victorious in the awesome glorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. So let’s raise a hallelujah in spite of the storm raging around us. May The Lord God bless and keep us all.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time-consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterward.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2 meters).

12. Avoid large social gatherings but small groups meeting up in the open spaces like parks are now allowed to provide the social distancing rule is adhered to.

13. Stay at home as much as possible unless you are going out to shop or you have an emergency like visiting your doctor or the hospital.

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face masks or face coverings is now encouraged in public and certainly on all public transport. But please do remember that surgical masks if worn are disposable and should be discarded after a single use so you may find that reusable face coverings are cheaper and easier to manage. A word of caution about face coverings though, “keep then clean and make sure they fit well covering the nose, mouth and the sides of the face to prevent leakage of air sideways and backward.

16. If going to work, avoid using public transport if you can. Cycle to work if at all possible – it is a good way to get some needed exercise done.

17. Lastly, if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

Stay safe, stay alert, and keep applauding and supporting our key workers.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Coronavirus Update 27-May-2020 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

There are several of them available to us now and I dear say more may be joining the roll call later. Well,we have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Zoom connect, Snapchat just to mention a few. These media are very powerful tools that help to bring people together from one pole of the earth to another just like they are in rooms next to each other.

Let’s take Snapchat as an example; imagine if it is renamed ‘Snatch-chat’ to snatch those under the enemy’s grasp away from him? How wonderful will it be? I believe that would have been God’s original intention in giving us these ideas. Well at least we are reclaiming some of them back for good use now as God I believe originally intended.

Now let’s turn our attention to social distancing which I understand may be with us in some form for some time to come. If that is the case, then the way we do church may change and perhaps permanently.

We may not be able to cram ourselves into buildings (especially small ones) for the sake of worshiping God because that would break social distancing rules.

It means, therefore, using these online media now available to us to fill the gap for meetings especially those that do not necessarily need a face to face attendance.

If this was to happen, what happens to our churches? Will we still need them? How do we maintain them if they are largely redundant?

These are just my thoughts and ruminations so I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions but not before I’ve shared with you another thought of mine.

What if God is using this as a way of driving us to push the gospel of Christ into the nooks and crannies of our nation? How you may ask?

Well, by forcing churches to break up into smaller groups rather than unmanageable large groups and by doing church in other ways like online worship which we now engage in, we maybe able to attract those who find the idea of going into a large building daunting or even boring.

I understand the millennials (often defined as those born between1981-1996) who tend to be technologically savvy prefer these modes of meeting for worship. Now then, that is a rather large group I’m sure you’ll agree and often the most difficult to reach evangelistically.

By doing church this way, we are speaking their language and we are in effect engaging with them. Who knows,there might be evangelists among them waiting to be discovered. God I’m sure you’ll agree moves in rather mysterious ways. Check out this passage from Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV,

Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”

Yes, the dry arid places in our society shall spring forth with life when drenched with water from the living spring of the gospel of Christ.

Now, this doesn’t mean we’ll completely do away with face to face church meetings, no, but it allows us to build in some flexibility into the way we do church.

Another bonus is having more than one service on Sunday for churches that can only manage one at the moment. So the first service in the morning could be face to face and the other in the evening might be online via zoom or some other appropriate medium and guess what it means we can do church on the go!

Just login wherever you are and meet with God. The older folk among us who are unable to come to church because of health reasons can also join in online. How wonderful is that?!

Now I am well aware that employing social media to reach the churched and unchurched is nothing new. But this is the first time it is being used widely and yes, I believe it will be the new norm.

What if God is using this COVID-19 pandemic to wake up the church and drive us out into our communities to spread the word? Again my thoughts.  There is a precedence of sorts in the bible in Acts 8:1b, 4-8 NKJV,

“…… At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” 4-8, “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralysed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”

The word of God spread following persecution and the scattering of Christians in the early church and the church grew.

Now it doesn’t mean the pandemic is a persecution of the church but it gives us the platform to reach out and support our communities.

You may have noticed that it didn’t take the church long after the lockdown to setup church meetings on social media.

That to me is gaining momentum so let’s not lose it now. Let’s keep on trucking, pardon my 70s cliche. May The good Lord continue to strengthen us and expand His kingdom through us, Amen.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time-consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterward.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2 meters).

12. Avoid large social gatherings but small groups meeting up in the open spaces like parks are now allowed to provide the social distancing rule is adhered to.

13. Stay at home as much as possible unless you are going out to shop or you have an emergency like visiting your doctor or the hospital.

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face masks or face coverings is now encouraged in public and certainly on all public transport. But please do remember that surgical masks if worn are disposable and should be discarded after single use.

16. If going to work, avoid using public transport if you can. Cycle to work if at all possible – it is a good way to get some needed exercise done.

17. Lastly if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

Stay safe, stay alert, and keep applauding and supporting our frontline workers.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Coronavirus Update 19-May-2020 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

We’ve locked up our businesses and gone into lockdown on the advice of the government.

While in this lockdown mode which is on scientific advice, it is hoped that the coronavirus transmission rate will eventually be reduced to the point where it eventually dies out. This is because the chances of transmitting the infection reduce the fewer people we come in contact with.

The epidemiologists (an epidemiologist is a person who studies or is an expert in the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases), talk about there productive ratio (R) which is the average number of infections arising from one case of infection. In other words the number of people that are likely to be infected by one infected person.

The higher the R rate, the higher the rate of transmission of the infection, and the lower the R rate (preferably below 1), the lower the rate of transmission. So the thinking is, by keeping us apart for some time, those who are infected by the virus will have less chances of spreading it to others and so it will eventually fizzle out, it is hoped.

So much for scientific jargon. Well how do you and I come in? Read on. Our body may be in lockdown mode now but let’s keep our heart in lookup mode. Look up to whom you may ask? Look up to Jesus, the Author, and Finisher of our faith.

Keeping our distance from others may be good for keeping away this virus that has gone ‘viral’, but that doesn’t mean we should keep our distance from God.

We need His closeness to keep us in perfect peace as our minds are stayed on Him. Why? Because we trust in Him (Isaiah26:3 paraphrased). This will probably resonate well with the Americans as they’ve got it on their dollar bills – IN GOD WE TRUST.

We must emerge from lockdown better than we went in. Now we have a church in every home due to the churches in lockdown, the church must come out with a Big Bang when out of lockdown mode.

It’s time we started showing the world we are worthy of that nickname, Christianoi (Greek for follower of Christ), first given to us in Antioch which referred to the Christ-like attitude of the early Christians. We can start by praying this Covid19 thing out of existence and turn the world right-side up.

The race is on for the scientists to find a cure if possible and a vaccine for this virus so let us as Christians keep up the race to find a spiritual cure for our nations.

I’m sure you’ll agree that something must be terribly wrong if the world economy is threatened by a super-microscopic organism that the whole world including the superpowers is struggling to contain.

The world may be perplexed by this virus but our God isn’t, so let’s keep asking Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20 paraphrased). Remember the reassurance we have in Romans 8:37, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” So, let’s keep our shoulders straight, chin up and march on like the spiritual warriors we are. God bless you loads as you do.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time-consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterward.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2metres).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home as much as possible unless you are going out to shop or you have an emergency like visiting your doctor or the hospital.

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face masks or face coverings is now encouraged in public and certainly on all public transport in London. The Scottish government has also come out in support of this by advising their use in public. But please do remember that surgical masks if worn are disposable and should be discarded after a single-use.

16. Lastly if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

The Prime Minister last Sunday outlined the very subtle plan to ease the lockdown starting this week.

The first noticeable change is the departure from the well-drilled mantra of ‘stay home, protect the NHS, save lives’ to a new one that states, ‘stay alert, control the virus, save lives.’

Although some may find the advice on controlling the virus unclear, the thinking behind it is that by staying at home as much as possible, working at home if we can, keeping our distance when out where possible, limiting contact with others and washing our hands regularly, we may be able to control the virus.

May The Lord bless and keep you safe as you continue to stay alert. And oh yes, keep applauding and supporting our frontline workers.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Coronavirus Latest 12-May-20 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

“…… For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

Apparently, if you do have a job, can afford a roof above your head and food on your table, you are among the top five percent in the world to whom much has been given. It may not sound like it and you probably don’t feel like it but, it is a fact.

Check out these statistics from the World Bank Group website on the impact of COVID-19 on the world economy and you’ll probably change your mind. “According to the most recent estimates, in 2015, ten percent of the world’s population or 734 million people lived on less than $1.90 (£1.53) a day.

That’s down from nearly 36 percent or 1.9 billion people in 1990. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis as well as the oil price drop, this trend probably will reverse in 2020. The COVID-19 crisis will have a disproportionate impact on the poor, through job loss, loss of remittances, rising prices, and disruptions in services such as education and health care.

For the first time since 1998, poverty rates will go up as the global economy falls into recession and there is a sharp drop in GDP per capita (GDP per capita is a measure of a country’s economic output that accounts for its number of people. It divides the country’s gross domestic product by its total population).

The ongoing crisis will erase almost all the progress made in the last five years. The World Bank estimates that 40 million to 60 million people will fall into extreme poverty i.e. surviving on less than $1.90 or £1.53/day in 2020, compared to 2019, as a result of COVID-19….”

Shocking isn’t it? Changed your mind yet? No? Well, read on. Increasingly many households are turning to charities like food banks to feed themselves and for the provision of household essentials. There is increasingly more need now for these charities than ever before as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have seen and will see in the coming weeks and months businesses going under and the livelihood of many destroyed all because of this super- microscopic thing called COVID-19.

These are the economic impact but the hidden health impact apart from the obvious mortality from the disease are, worsening mental health, an increase in domestic violence, neglect, and isolation. These issues often go on below the radar because they largely go unreported.

Convinced now are you about being in the top five percent to whom much has been given? I bet you are. So much talk, so many statistics. So what is the solution? Some countries like China, Austria, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand have through rigorous large scale testing and aggressive contact tracing managed to bring the COVID-19 outbreak under control, and life is beginning to return to some semblance of normality in those countries.

The story is sadly not the case here in the UK and so all hands are still on deck within the government and in our health institutions to bring us out of this crisis. On a positive note, testing for the virus has now been aggressively ramped up. We heard from the Prime Minister last week that we are now ‘past the peak’ of the outbreak and hopefully on the downward slope.

This suggests that the next few weeks are crucial in our fight against this dreadful virus. So let’s continue as we are and let’s not relent our efforts both individually and collectively. Collectively as Christians, we can do much more in the spiritual realm.

The story is sadly not the case here in the UK and so all hands are still on deck within the government and in our health institutions to bring us out of this crisis. On a positive note, testing for the virus has now been aggressively ramped up. We heard from the Prime Minister last week that we are now ‘past the peak’ of the outbreak and hopefully on the downward slope.

This suggests that the next few weeks are crucial in our fight against this dreadful virus. So let’s continue as we are and let’s not relent our efforts both individually and collectively. Collectively as Christians, we can do much more in the spiritual realm. Remember,
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12 NKJV.

And we know this from II Corinthians 10:4 NKJV “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”

Yes let’s prayerfully pull down this stronghold as we stand in the gap for our nation. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much so the bible says. And as we stand shoulder to shoulder and fight we know victory is already assured in Christ our Lord. Remember His advice to us in John 16:33 NKJV,

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Need I say more?! God bless you as you pray.

And now for our weekly rigmarole on the prevention of COVID-19 infection if I may call it that.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Clean your shoes with antimicrobial wipes or spray and leave them preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all sealed packaging if possible with antimicrobial wipes. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags. This can be tedious and time-consuming but better safe than sorry.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterward.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2 meters).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home unless you are going out to shop for food or you are an essential service worker or you have an emergency like visiting your doctor or going to the hospital.

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face masks or face coverings is now advised on all public transport in London (Mayoral decree). The Scottish government has also come out in support of this by advising its use in public. It won’t be a bad idea to wear one in public if one feels safer doing so. But please do remember that surgical masks if worn are disposable and should be discarded after single use.

16. Lastly if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

Above all, please stay at home, keep safe, keep well and God bles

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Coronavirus Latest 05-May-20 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

They represent hope and give us a sense of optimism for the future. Singularly the colours probably won’t be as impactful. But together, they can’t be ignored and I believe this gives us a picture of unity, something we need at this difficult time. The rainbow was given as a sign of God’s covenant with man after the great flood in Genesis 9:12-15 NKJV,

“And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I ring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

I find it fascinating also, that the sign of hope chosen by our children at this time of the Coronavirus pandemic to support and encourage our NHS frontline heroes is the rainbow. You can find them on many windows all around our dwelling places. It’s as if they’re reminding God of His previous covenant and saying, ‘Lord please make another covenant with us and take away this virus, Lord please.’ Truly God ordains praise out of the mouths of the young ones. I firmly believe God will definitely answer if our little ones all raise up their voices and ask Him for a reprieve from this pandemic. Go on children do it for us!

So, even as grim as things look, let’s thank our Lord with hearts and hands and voices. For He alone has done great things. And why not? Well, we only need to remember this verse in the bible and we will – – II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV,

“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

What promise and reassurance this passage gives. So there we have it, ‘if we will, He can and He will.’ The eternal God is our refuge and underneath us are His everlasting arms. I’m sure by now you know what’s coming next. Oh yes, our weekly reminder. We probably know them all by heart now but hey, it won’t hurt to go through them again.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20
seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Leave your shoes preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all packaging if possible with a sanitiser. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2
metres).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home unless you are going out to shop for food or you are an essential service worker or you have an emergency like visiting your doctor or going to the hospital.

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face masks is now advised on all public transport in London (Mayoral decree). The UK government advice is to wear a face-covering which is one that can be made from a scarf, bandana or even an old T-shirt rather than a face mask. The reasoning behind this is that advising the public to wear face masks might deplete the supply available for the NHS.

Remember surgical masks if worn are disposable and should be discarded after a single-use. Also, any face mask or face covering MUST cover the nose and mouth to be effective. Please see below the evidence of the effectiveness of wearing a face mask or face covering:

16. Lastly, if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

Above all, keep clapping for and supporting our frontline heroes. Please stay at home, keep safe, keep well and God bless.

Probability of Covid19 transmission with or without a face mask or face covering

The post CHM Covid-19 Update April 29th 2020 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.

Let me share with you one of mine that is pointedly expressed by this excerpt from Bible In One Year (BIOY 16/4 2020) authored by Nicky Gumbel (Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton) and his lovely wife, Pippa. It reads:

“If you love somebody, what you long for more than anything else is that person’s presence with you. Photos are a comfort. Telephone calls, emails, and texts are nice. Letters are good. Skype, Zoom, and FaceTime are great ways to communicate. Yet nothing can compare to actually spending time with them in person.”

Many have had to endure the unbearably painful experience of saying their final goodbyes to their loved ones via these media because of the risk of transmission of the coronavirus. The untold emotional turmoil they must be going through right now is unimaginable. Where is God in all these we may ask? The very simple answer to this is a rhetorical question, “where is God in our lives? Is He on the periphery or in the center of our lives? For those who have Him in the center of their lives, you may recall this verse in Isaiah 26:3 NKJV,

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You Because he trusts in You.”

Also speaking in the same vein is this reassuring popular hymn by Priscilla J. Owens 1882 which reads:

“We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.”

These I believe are reassuring words that may provide comfort for those that are bereaved at this difficult time. The name of the Lord is for us a mighty tower as we run to it we are safe (Proverbs 18:10 paraphrased). So we rest, assured that The Lord is sovereign and He is in control keeping in mind

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

For those who may realise they’ve inadvertently left God on the periphery of their lives, perhaps now is a good time to usher him in. This is not to mean that the suffering you’re going through right now is a result of your lack of relationship

with God but it provides a very good opportunity to straighten out your relationship with Him. We are created to be in relationship with Him. Start with a good daily devotional. There are many available online but the one I’ve found very useful is BIOY mentioned above. If you haven’t a place of worship, well this is the best time to join one right from the comfort of your home.

Now, how easy is that?! And if you had one before and haven’t been in a while, please rejoin fellowship online. May the good Lord bless you as you do and I have no doubt in my mind that as you do His peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, Amen.

Now let’s go through our well-rehearsed Covid19 routine once again seeing we have another two weeks or so to go in lockdown mode. Tired are we? Sorry, me too but it’s all going to be worth it in the end. There are in fact encouraging reports across the UK that the rate of infection may be slowing so all we need now is a sustained reduction and we hopefully will be racing towards the end of this rather dark tunnel. Practical advice on prevention.

Practical advice on prevention of COVID-19 infection

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap is not available.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Always wash your hands when you get home or into work

4. If driving, wipe the door handles and steering wheel with a sanitising gel before and after driving.

5. For those working with patients, take your shoes off at the door before entering your house on returning from work and take off your clothes on entering. Wash them and take a shower. Leave your shoes preferably in a box in the hallway to prevent cross-contamination.

6. When you go shopping leave all your shopping in the bag on the floor and wipe all packaging if possible with a sanitiser. Wash all fresh produce with water before refrigeration. If possible take off the outer packaging of foods and re-bag them in sealable bags.

7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

8. Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterward.

9. Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

10. Avoid handshakes.

11. Maintain a safe distance from others when out and about (at least 2 meters).

12. Avoid large social gatherings – these are temporarily banned under the lockdown and social distancing rule anyway.

13. Stay at home unless you are going out to shop for food or you are an essential service worker or you have an emergency like visiting your doctor or going to the hospital.

14. All elderly people 70 years and above and those with chronic medical conditions are well-advised to stay at home and avoid social contacts as much as possible (referred to as shielding)

15. The use of face masks in public has been controversial. While some countries strongly advise it and many now do, others like the UK are keeping the situation under review, citing the lack of scientific proof of its effectiveness. If you feel safer wearing one please do but remember surgical masks if worn are disposable and should be discarded after a single-use. If you wish to make your own face mask, you can find guidance by watching this short video using this link: https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1246428235883298816

16. Lastly if you experience symptoms please seek medical advice early.

Above all, clap for our frontline heroes if you may but please stay at home.

The post Christ Hospital Ministry Coronavirus Update 21-April-2020 appeared first on Christ Hospital Ministry.