1st April – 15:42


Storehouse Food Collections
We’re changing the plan for Storehouse food collections.
Starting this Saturday, we’re asking for food donations to be left in our garage! The door will be open wide & food can be left on table between 10am and 12 noon.

Please leave food at Simpson’s, 122 North Rd, Belfast, BT4 3DJ.
Garage door will be open, just leave food on table. 10am – 12 noon.
April’s food item is Tinned Potatoes.
However, any items will be much appreciated.

– Jill

28th March – 10:52

Stephen McDonald has shared the following ‘East Belfast Coronovirus Community Support’ poster:

26th March – 14:21

  • Pauline Simons has asked that the congregation be made aware that sadly New Horizon has been cancelled for summer 2020 due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 situation.
  • Keswick @ Portstewart has also been cancelled

18th March – 20:22

Sunday services & Holy Week

  • Regrettably we are having to suspend all church organisational activities and corporate services of worship, morning and evening for the time being. Sunday morning services will however be broadcast on the website, involving a handful of people at church with a talk, some praise, children’s slot and prayers.
  • This can be accessed Sunday at 11am via bloomfieldpresbyterian.org/live and follow onscreen instructions.
  • If you do not have internet:
    • Please dial 033 3011 0397 – please note number has changed.
    • When prompted insert 21336777#
    • Then key in the following PIN when prompted 8561#.
    • You will hear background music before the service begins.
    • Please note that this will support up to 50 people at one time so it is important the use of this facility is restricted to those who do not have internet access.
  • Orders of Service may be sent out via e mail.
  • Instead of evening worship we hope to provide devotional material to use at home.
  • Holy week services have been cancelled, and devotional material instead will be made available.

Communication

  • Members are encouraged to sign up for e-mail updates and information will be distributed this way. Those who have already provided e mail addresses to receive the BPC magazine or have e mail addresses recorded on the database will be added to this list automatically.
  • Susan Giffen will kindly co-ordinate and distribute prayer requests – susan.giffen@outlook.com
  • The contact person for our website is David Bell at online@bloomfieldpresbyterian.org and initially Michael Stoneman 078 85235497 will coordinate social media platforms.
  • A regular scripture verse will be published on the website to unite all our thoughts

Pastoral Care

  • Pastoral Care will have four aspects:
  1. Member to member care; (Please keep in contact with each other by text or phone)
  2. Elders to their districts;
  3. Youth co-ordinated via Michael;
  4. Pastoral team to those most in need.
  • Elders will maintain phone contact with their district and vice versa to provide encouragement, prayer and mutual support.
  • Funerals will be conducted, but based on local undertakers advice will be restricted to immediate family members with sadly no refreshments available.

Community

  • For the meantime donations to Storehouse may be made on Saturday mornings at the church from 10am – 11am. Those dropping off food will be asked to enter the building one at a time. For enquiries related to this please contact Jill Simpson – Jill.simpson63@btinternet.com
  • A leaflet to engage with the community will be distributed at some stage before long.
  • Soup club leaders have kindly  provided meals/soups for those in need. Requests initially may be channeled  please through John McKibbin. rjmckibbin24@gmail.com

Video Conferencing and Technical Solutions for study groups etc.
There are a number of options you may want to explore if you are involved in organising study groups etc.

1. Google Hangouts – https://hangouts.google.com/
2. Zoom – https://zoom.us/
3. Talky – https://talky.io/

You can also set up a Google Classroom – https://classroom.google.com/ – for anyone who wants to have an online forum to share resources within a private group.

Other practical arrangements

  • Sadly our AGM has had to be postponed and ‘The Hiding Place’ cancelled. Out of a sense of responsibility we have given Oddments Theatre the full performance fee, but ticket refunds will of course be available for any who request from Andrew Shott cashott@btinternet.com
  • Voting for new elders has been suspended for the time being.

While these are unusual arrangements for unusual circumstances, please keep praying for one another and ask that good things otherwise impossible might yet become evident!

 

Older Updates (for reference only)

 

18th March – 19:40

PCI has advised that all organised meetings of the church should stop until further notice. As such all activities will be cancelled including Sunday worship at BPC.

But the good news is the church is not confined to building or organised gatherings…we, the people of God, are the church and God has good news for us to share and live out, despite the chaos all around.

We plan to continue to livestream morning worship and have ideas about ensuring community connection, communication and encouraging a different type of corporate worship over the next few weeks.

Further information will be shared when available.

18th March – 08:18

Update from Youth Worker, Michael Stoneman:
📢 We have made the difficult decision that the following groups will stop meeting, with immediate effect, until such time when it is appropriate to restart:

  • Boys Discipleship
  • Girls Discipleship
  • Merge
  • Merge Extend

We may not be able to meet in person but there will be opportunities to meet online 📲
Both discipleship groups will meet with information to follow soon.
Each Friday we will put out resources for you to use & follow @bloomfieldpc for daily updates, readings and material 📚
🙋‍♂ If there is anything we can do to support you please get in touch with Michael.
At this time please be thinking of creative ways you can reach out and serve your community 🙌
Keep an eye on this page for more ideas and updates.

‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.’
Psalm 46:1 ✨

Stay safe and know we are praying for each of you in these weeks and months ahead. 🙏

17th March – 23:03

STOREHOUSE ARRANGEMENTS
The church will be open each Saturday morning from 10am – 11am.

People can leave their food donations in the Storehouse trolley – we will have the door open so no touching door handles etc. We ask that people drop off food promptly & leave.

Urgent items required this week are:-

  • Tea-bags (40 in a pack – this means the packs don’t have to be divided up)
  • Tins of tuna
  • Long life milk

Any queries, phone Jill 07866 961255

17th March – 10:52

PW committee meeting scheduled for 26th March and all full meetings of PW (including their AGM, planned for 2nd April) are cancelled until further notice.

16th March – 20:47

Update from Honor Kernahan:
The toddler group will not meet until further notice.

16th March – 18:24

Update from Clerk of Session, John McKibbin:
With regret, following the PM’s press conference in the past hour, Frank and I believe that we have no option other than to cancel all events over the next few nights at BPC, including:

  • Kirk Session (Tuesday)
  • AGM (Wednesday)
  • Oddments Theatre Company ‘The Hiding Place’ (Thursday)

16th March – 15:02

Update from Taking Care Rep, Pauline Simons:
For anyone attending Child Protection Training at Kirkpatrick this week please note that all Child Protection training has been postponed indefinitely.

15th March – 11:00

Frank announced from the pulpit the following:

  • Lifebuilders has been suspended until further notice
  • BB and Rainbows/Brownies/Guides are cancelled until further notice
  • St. Patrick’s Day Soup Club is cancelled
  • Parents and Toddlers are continuing to meet
  • Ladies and Mens Bowls are cancelled

14th March – 18:00

All Boys’ Brigade meetings have been suspended until further notice including the display on 3rd April.

14th March 2020 – 13:35

At present, in line with public health guidelines, we are continuing to host morning and evening worship services as normal.

  • Live audio streaming of services will be available for anyone wishing to listen online via the church web site.
  • We have discontinued for the time being the practice of shaking hands or hugging at the door or during church services.
  • We have alcohol hand gels at each door and encourage everyone to wash their hands regularly.
  • No tea/coffee or juice and biscuits will be served in worship services or at KidZone.
  • KidZone and creche will operate during morning service but parents are requested not to bring their children if they are concerned in any way about transmission.
  • No offering plates will be passed around. Plates will be placed in the vestibule and welcome area for a retiring offering.
  • As per national guidelines, we would ask anyone with symptoms to stay at home for seven days and refrain from attending worship services or church gatherings during this time.
  • We would ask anyone whose health is poor and who may therefore be vulnerable to infection to consider missing live worship services until this time of heightened risk has passed.

If you require any pastoral support or help during these challenging times please contact Frank on 028 90653322 or Sam on 07716 903141.

We will continue to monitor the situation and follow public health guidelines, updating as appropriate.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Lets pray for:

  • Those who have been infected, that they may recover.
  • Those who are on the front line managing this outbreak especially public leaders and hospital staff
  • All of us and society that we may learn fresh trust and hope in the Lord.