Lockdown Blessings
By Simon Dennis, Minister of Sheddocksley Baptist Church
Like everyone in the UK, the 23rd of March brought a sudden closure of everything familiar, including our newly renovated church building. We quickly discovered that His ways are always higher than our ways (Isaiah 55).
Only two days after we closed the building we received a phone call from the NHS, asking us to be a storage, packing and delivery hub for over 900 comfort boxes sent to every hospital ward and every care home in the Grampian region. What a joy it was for 12 church members to be involved to bring honour and blessing to exhausted key workers on the frontline.
We also had the privilege of responding to a local government request to provide emotional support (via telephone) to 35 local people who were shielding. This saw seven church members activated in daily support calls, and has resulted in some wonderful new friendships with people who are vulnerable at this time. We welcomed one of our new friends to our first in-person Sunday service, and she described a peace she has never felt before – praise God!
Lastly, we secured £2,400 funding to provide lockdown activity packs to over 500 local elderly residents in our area. We bought jigsaws, Sudoku, Lego, puzzles, games, colouring books, and delivered them to sheltered housing complexes nearby. We also put TryPraying books in with these and have received some very encouraging feedback – a jigsaw in the name of Jesus really has transformed hearts and homes at this difficult time.
Just this morning, a local social worker called us to talk about a young family in real need, with no food in their cupboards. And so our response to co-labour in the Father’s business continues…
