The Village MCC Announces New Online Service

The Village MCC Announces New Online Service

The Village Metropolitan Community Church has moved worship services to Skype to combat the isolation many members may feel due to social distancing and isolation made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a message to church members Rev. Michael Hydes, Senior Pastor, said “The world has been changing very quickly over the last few weeks and the church is adapting to those changes. Understanding that social distancing is an imperative, we can no longer gather for worship as we have been doing. So, with immediate effect our worship services will be via a conference skype call.

If you haven’t used Skype before then it’s easy. Download the program onto your computer or phone. Create a username. (If you have a microsoft email then you can just use that). Send me a message on skype so I can add you to the worship list. (my user name is ‘michaelhydes’ ). Done!

On Sunday you will get a skype call about 17:30 to say that the worship call is open. You can then connect any time during the evening. Worship begins at 6pm.Hymns will be played by Will, and the words will appear on your screen. Alas, we cannot all sing together as the system can’t handle so many voices at once – but if we mute our microphones we can all sing along with Will.Please take time to prepare a glass/cup of wine/juice and a piece of bread so that we can celebrate and take communion together.There are a few rules that will make this easier for us.

No background noise please – even if a tv or radio is on low it’ll mess up the system.
Remember to mute your microphone when you’re not speaking.
It’s church – clothing should be appropriate. (No pj’s please!). If you do not want to be seen by others then mute your camera.
Use the ‘chat’ function (it’s a bit like messenger – or texting) to chat with everyone. This is a social gathering for worship!

Living with the reality of Covid -19 is not easy. I want to meet with folks and give a hug, but real life meetings are solely for emergencies and hugs all have to be virtual.

Remember, God loves you beyond your wildest imaginings. I love you, and just the thought of not being with you makes my heart ache. Jesus is with us no matter what technology we use to meet. Together we will get through this, and ensure that we all stay as healthy as possible.”

The Village MCC Brighton and Hove is a church that was created by LGBTQ Christians, their families, friends, and allies. It’s an MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) called to support the LGBTQ community in whatever ways it can.

And this is a great place for MCC. Brighton has a huge LGBT community, one of the largest in Europe. The Village MCC Brighton and Hove offers a safe space where anyone can feel at home, fully affirmed in their sexuality and gender identity.

Church members are active in the larger community, offering emergency aid and support to the homeless and vulnerably housed. Our minister, Rev. Michael, offers spiritual direction and pastoral care. Together we worship every Sunday evening at 6 pm.

You are welcome to come and experience yourself the inclusive spirit of The Village MCC Brighton and Hove. Everyone is welcome, and you never know, it might be the home that’s been waiting for you.community.