The door to St Paul’s Boundary Road may have been closed since the start of lockdown but thanks to the efforts of the congregation the church has been able to adapt to online worship and is now looking for a way to engage the wider community in honouring all those who have lost their lives to Covid-19.
On Sunday 3rd of May they launched their #hundredhearts campaign, aimed at encouraging everyone to draw or make 100 hearts, with each heart representing a life lost to the virus.
The Vicar of St Paul’s, Revd Tim Fox explains: “As a community it feels really important to us to find a way of acknowledging all the grief and hurt that people are experiencing at this time. Unfortunately, as the number of deaths rises we need hundreds of people to help us.”
With the first 500 hearts being made by the vicar and his family, those watching the Facebook Live service on Sunday have already been sending in their contributions via Facebook and email. Some have drawn their hearts on paper, others have cut 100 hearts from coloured paper. People of all ages and beliefs are encouraged to get as creative as they want to make their #hundredhearts.
Tim says, “We want to enable people to grieve and to remember their loved ones, while normal funerals can’t take place. And to find a way to represent the enormity of this event in the story of our nation. We want to display all of the hearts online and, when we are able, in the church building – as a tribute to those that have passed, but also to show that, as we believe, everyone who has died is a precious child of God.”
For those who do find themselves drawn to God at this time, Tim hosts a nightly evening prayer on the church Facebook page, and communion service on Sunday mornings. In the evening, viewers are encouraged to submit prayer requests which Tim can then respond to during the live broadcast. The Sunday service has moved from being a mobile phone on a selfie stick to a full worship experience with music and readings from other members of the congregation, thanks to the wonders of modern technology.
He says, “the existing congregation have been fantastic at letting me know they are watching and connecting with each other during this difficult time. We have seen a few new names and cannot wait to welcome them into the church building when it is safe to do so.”
If you would like to contribute to the #hundredhearts campaign you can send via email to hundredhearts.stpaulschurch@outlook.com or on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StPauls.BoundaryRoad/
