Dear Friends,Following the UK lock-down which saw all our buildings and activities closed we are now re-opening.<span style="font-size: 1rem;">For the time being our online services will continue in their current format on YouTube (search for Rev Nick Walsh or use the link in the email) and Facebook (@StLukes70 or @StMarksDownham).</span>To stay in contact with the church and to keep building up our faith and community please do one or all of the following:• If you use WhatsApp please text me on 07774516204 so I can add you to the St Mark’s group• If you use Facebook, please follow St Marks Downham (@stmarksdownham) for regular updates• If you can’t do any of the above or if you would like to talk or pray or request support, please contact Rev. Nick - 07774516204 or revnickwalsh@gmail.comPlease do pray for us all as we will continue to pray for you. And as always, we encourage you to look after each other and care for those around you.</span>Grace and PeaceReverend Nick Walsh, Vicar
Hi everyone, you may have heard the latest news that the Government is permitting churches to re-open for services from 4th July. There is a lot of preparation and organising to do in order to safely and sustainably re-open our churches - particularly as we are so dependant on volunteers who fall within the most vulnerable category. Much of this will depend on guidance from the Church of England which has not been made available yet.Therefore at present I cannot confirm the date that physical worship will resume, but be assured that I will be working with the Diocese, staff team and DCC to come up with a safe, wise and appropriate plan.In the meantime, our online worship will continue via Youtube, Facebook, WhatsApp and Zoom.Please pray for wisdom, discernment and clarity from the Holy Spirit as we make plans.Rev. Nick23.06.2020
We heard yesterday that we had a been awarded this recognition from A Rocha and have been sent a certificate.If you don't know about A Rocha, we included some news and information about it recently in 'Compass' the Team Church Magazine. This is the most relevant part:FROM THEIR WEBSITE (EDITED):A Rocha UK (ARUK) is a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world and committed to mobilising Christians and churches in the UK to care for the environment.This is our response to the biblical mandate to care for the earth, and a demonstration of the Christian hope for God’s world. We do this through:– practical involvement in nature conservation projects and ecological research;– campaigning on biodiversity issues;– engaging with churches, schools, communities and individuals.Underlying all we do is our biblical faith in the living God, who made the world, loves it and entrusts it to the care of human society.Part of the worldwide family of A Rocha organisations committed to conservation action as an expression of Christian mission, we work collaboratively with others who share our passion for the planet and our desire for its flourishing. To this end, we draw on the insights and skills of people from diverse cultures, both locally and around the world.
