The Methodist Church Tower Hamlets
News and Calendar
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Contact details
What’s On weekly
10-16 May is Christian Aid Week, as well as Mental Health Awareness week
13-23 May Thy Kingdom Come is a global ecumenical prayer movement for evangelism, running annually from Ascension to Pentecost (read more)
23rd May is Pentecost and Aldersgate Sunday
Monday 24th is Wesley Day: see below for events at Wesley's Chapel
Sunday Service available from 10.45
Meet after worship on zoom for coffee and chat 12:00-12.30
Youth zoom – a gathering for young people 10.00 and 6:00pm
Monday Compass Group 12.30 - 13.30 (see below for details)
Monday Bow Rd prayer room with Lucia at 7:00pm
Tuesday Circuit Morning Prayer with Lucia at 08:00
Methodist Way of Life 7pm
Weds 19th May Evangelism Outreach 11.00 (See ETHNOS below)
Thursday Lectio Divina at 10.15 with Lucia
Friday Zacchaeus Tea & chat 3pm
Saturday Circuit Morning Prayer 08:00 with Lucia Banks
We are running a series of lunchtime Compass sessions on Zoom.
Starts Monday 10th May– 12:30pm-1:30pm
These sessions will help you to explore and understand what it means to be a
Christian within the Methodist Church. Whether you are a member already, new to the Methodist Church, or simply
wanting to understand more about being a Methodist disciple, the course will be really helpful. We provide a book to help you follow the sessions
Please contact Rev'd John Hayes jonhayes2103@gmail.com 07531243327 for more details and the Zoom link for the course.
Ethnos
New Evangelism outreach for the Tower Hamlets Community
UNDER the guidance of Lucia (our pastoral lay-worker for Bow and Poplar) an outreach team will be outside Bow Road church for an hour or so this Wednesday to share the good news of Jesus with anyone willing to listen.
The outreach will then continue for several Wednesdays, gathering first for prayer at 11.30
There are four members of the team who have shared some training sessions, but if anyone else is interested in joining this initiative, please contact Lucia
The outreach Is called ETHNOS (‘People of God’, ‘All Nations’), based upon Matthew chapter 23, verse 19.
For further information, please contact Lucia Banks 07545 135465, lucia.banks@mcth.org.uk
You are welcome to call for tea on Fridays with friends from Zacchaeus. On Zoom
The Zacchaeus Project runs a tea-time chat on Fridays 3-4pm
Meet and
chat with others and reunite with old friends.
Bring your tea/coffee and share your stories. Or you can listen and not speak. That's OK too
Zacchaeus project has moved from Bethnal Green, for the period of the site renovation, to Bow Rd Church.
Call 020 8983 1568 or 07712 332324 or email Debbie for more information on how to join in activities. Some have been able to restart, but please do not arrive without booking.
Already at home at Bow Rd Church, Zacchaeus members set off to explore Bow in their walking group.
Find us on Facebook @zacchaeusMCTH
Mental Health Awareness Week 10- 16th May 2021
This year’s theme is Nature. We know that being in nature,
seeing beautiful trees and flowers and hearing lovely birdsong does us good in
so many ways. This week is the perfect time to get out and about and find
nature, and we’re very lucky in our area of London to have lots of green spaces
to enjoy; award-winning parks, the canals and easy access to the Thames, even a
green bridge! Whilst we know a walk or run ticks the box for physical exercise
maybe this week is a good opportunity to focus on how it affects our mental
health too. Look around you at how the trees are changing, blossom is blooming,
pause and listen to the sounds of spring. If you can’t go far have a look out
of the window at what’s happening in your street, I guarantee there will be
something flying about or growing somewhere!
The natural world is always busy,
whether we are watching or not, and so as we emerge from a time of isolation and
despondency, let us reflect on God’s great creation all around us, and not miss
the chance to notice and draw from it.
More information about Mental Health Awareness week
Sarah Wilson - Band for Life Project
Sarah tells us that Band for Life will soon be meeting again at Bow Church on Fridays - as soon as singing together is permitted and they have worked out safe ways of operating! Can't be soon enough to welcome you back.
Methodist Church starts major new project on being a justice-seeking Church
The Methodist Church is to commit to a two-year project looking at how the Church speaks out on social issues and challenges injustices. The project will be led by Rachel Lampard and aims to make the Church more effective in speaking and acting for justice and transformation. Rachel Lampard said: “I am excited to be part of this project listening to Methodists and those beyond our church, including those who are sometimes unheard; discerning the values upon which our commitment to justice can be based; and acting to help Methodists use these resources to speak and act on issues of justice.I hope and pray that this will be a project which engages people from around the Connexion and leaves us all with a deeper passion for God’s justice in the world.”
Springtime in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
Methodist Church Tower Hamlets provides many possibilities for communicating with each other. There are reflections, updated each week; new information is added frequently. You are invited to contribute. Please check regularly and share your thoughts, prayers and lives with us
Do join in on our Facebook page
Whitechapel Mission
The Mission remains Open and Serving. Thank you so much for your continued support. The best way to help at the moment is to give money and let the Mission buy what it needs. Doors are now open for donations. Food is the highest priority for those sleeping on our streets. Warm clothing, medical attention and support must be sustained. The Mission is now serving up to 600 breakfasts daily and offering some packed lunches to guests
See video of our current work
Up-to-date list of Mission needs
LOCAL FOOD BANK - still running throughout this year of increased need
Working from Bromley-By-Bow Community Centre, St Leonard’s Street, E3 3BT See website.Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic the Bow Foodbank - supported by faith groups including the Methodist Church - has experienced a rapid escalation in the number of families needing support. A second site was opened in Bethnal Green (now at Raine’s School). Both centres endeavour to provide emergency aid to all who visit them. They do not require referrals, paperwork, or ID.
Local food resources:
BOW FOOD BANK @ Bromley by Bow Centre, St Leonards Street, E3 3BT
Open: Mondays 8.30 am - 12.30 pm
NEIGHBOURS IN POPLAR delivering free hot meals
on Wednesdays and Sundays to people in need in the Poplar and Isle of Dogs areas.
They can also help with shopping. (Tel – 020 7987 0257)
BETHNAL GREEN FOOD BANK @ St Matthews Church, E2 6DT
Open Wednesdays 2 -7pm
STEPNEY FOOD BANK @ St Dunstan's Church, E1 0NR
Open daily (except Sundays & Mondays) 10 - 4pm, Saturdays 10 - 3pm
(Tel - 0207 650 3035)
SALVATION ARMY in Kerbey Rd Poplar, Food distribution (limited visits) Every other Thursday 09.30-11.30
FOODCYCLE Distributes food/meals from our Bow Road Methodist Church
Friday evenings between 7 - 8.00 pm
Wesley's Chapel - Museum of Methodism Wesley Day, Monday 24 May 2021
With President of Conference, the Revd Richard Teal & Vice President of Conference, Mrs Carolyn Lawrence
10:00am Morning Prayer, livestreamed only
10:30am Museum Opening Guided tours of the Chapel and Museum at :11:30, 12:30 & 2:45 pre-book
Courtyard activities: Self led ‘Walk with Wesley’ on Googlemaps, local area, lunch available locally
‘Walk with Wesley’ (still under construction) for use at home
All welcome, but attend the red-highlighted events this year, you must pre-book
1:30pm Singing in the courtyard
2:00pm Worship in the Sanctuary Carolyn Lawrence to preach, Richard Teal to lead prayers
3:00pm Prayers and song at John Wesley’s grave, leaving site by 3:15
3:20pm Bunhill Fields, grave of Susanna Wesley
3:50pm Aldersgate ‘Flame’ by Museum of London
4:30pm Gather at St Paul’s Cathedral
5:00pm Sung Evensong; Richard Teal to participate
5:45pm Prayers at the statue of John Wesley, St Paul’s North Garden
Wreath laying by Alison Gowman, Sheriff elect of City of London
Covid security: In line with projected guidelines, up to 6 people can come on each tour of the Chapel and 6 in the Museum at any given time, masked and socially distanced. The Museum will be open for general admission, and tours at stated times. We can have up to 60 in worship at 2 pm; for the outdoor gatherings, up to 30 can gather, and advance booking on our website is strongly recommended. We will be walking independently between the sites.
Spaces in Onsite Community
The Wesley’s Chapel and Leysian Community currently have rooms available to let, and are looking for new people to join the community. The cost of the rooms available vary and as part of the community we will also require people to volunteer time and commit to attending our monthly gathering. To find out more details and to request an application form please contact the office at Wesley’s Chapel and Leysian Mission (tel: 020 7253 2262) or email Sally Rush, our community worker (cw@wesleyschapel.org.uk).
Tower Hamlets Circuit is registered for the Easyfundraising site, which means you can raise money for the church when you buy online via Easyfundraising
1. Register as a user and choose “Methodist Church in Tower Hamlets” as your cause
2. Go to easyfundraising.org.uk first when you buy online. Find the retailer’s name, click through to their site and shop
3. The church gets a percentage of what you spend
Charity Number 1134888