Since receiving the message that our Sunday services were cancelled as from 15th March, life for the worship team, as for many others, has changed dramatically.

So much of what we previously did was about the gathered Church, coming together to sing, worship, pray and encourage each other, so with no gatherings and no sign of meeting up in the near future, ministry has certainly looked different!

For most of the team, public ministry has been put on hold. We no longer require PA and Easy Worship, and it’s just not possible to include everyone in our ‘online worship’. Most team members are part of other ministries, so this has opened up opportunities to serve in different ways, but for many, this unique time is a chance to stop doing other things and for each of us to tend to our own ‘secret walk with God’. When we do finally emerge from this lockdown, our prayer is that the worship team would be more on fire for God and more in love with Jesus than ever before. Ready and well positioned to minister to the many people who are looking for hope and meaning, and finding it in Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

“When we do finally emerge from this lockdown, our prayer is that the worship team would be more on fire for God and more in love with Jesus than ever before.”

God calls us to sing and make music for many reasons, especially for our own edification and encouragement (as well as to give voice to our worship and praise of Him). So, we have been producing videos for online worship. It’s not as good as meeting together in person. We don’t get to experience our own voice joining in with others as we become one voice of praise, reminding us that we are one in Christ. We don’t get to taste that sense of God’s intimate presence as he delights to make his closeness known to us, when we gather together in His Name. But we do hope that these videos go some way towards our need for mutual encouragement and edification in these strange and difficult days.

As we look ahead, we do not know when we shall meet properly again, though we know we shall one day. I say ‘we’, but of course I shall be long gone by then! When I leave at the end of August to go to Vicar Factory, I am delighted that Sarah Holbrook (currently Intern at SJH) will be taking up the post of Worship Co-ordinator. Sarah loves to be creative in worshipping God and I know she will be a wonderful encourager and inspiration as the Church looks at sustainable ways of keeping worshipping God and encouraging each other over the next 6-12 months.

I would also like to thank Emma Orton who edits and produces the final versions of the videos you see online. In many ways Emma has now joined the worship team and become an integral part of what we do. She does a fab job, combining her artistic and technical skills with her love for God and we are hugely grateful for her contribution.

Here are some key points for prayer for the worship team at this time:

That we would use this time well in preparation for the next season so that we are more on fire for God and more in love with Jesus than ever before- each developing a quality secret walk with God.
That God would bless, inspire and lead those of us involved in producing videos for online worship.
For Sarah as she prepares for a new role, for myself as I prepare for two years of ordination training and for the impact these changes will have on the team as well as the wider Church.

Many thanks for praying and may you know God’s blessing, peace, joy and protection at this time.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Marcus Pagnam
Worship Pastor

Worship Ministry