The Christians Together group in Milford on Sea and Everton wish to express its thanks to all the

people who have helped us cope during the pandemic.

·  This includes all of the staff working in the NHS and in care homes

·  delivery drivers who have kept the shops supplied with food and medicines as well as those

· making home deliveries

·  the staff working in our local shops

·  neighbours who have looked out for people who live alone or who have been shielding

·  others who have kept in contact by email or phone to stop people feeling as if they have

· been abandoned

· teachers and teaching assistants who have enabled children to carry on learning

· scientists for developing vaccines which will eventually allow us to go back to leading more

· normal lives

·  emergency service workers

·  people who work to ensure that our supplies of gas, electric, water, phone and broadband

· are maintained

·  business owners who have had to completely change their business model to survive.

This list is not exhaustive but we want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way to keeping us safe and healthy during the past year.

Our church buildings have been closed at various times over the past year but that does not mean that the churches were not still active in our communities. Some churches moved to providing online services and all of them reached out to provide pastoral care where it was needed. Our churches are now either open again or preparing to reopen and will continue to adhere to the regulations regarding social distancing etc. Some may be hesitant about returning to our church buildings and meeting in groups so worship may be a bit different for a good while yet. The need for prayer has never been greater and Christians Together churches have been regularly praying for all those in our communities. We are comforted by the words from Isaiah Chapter 58 v 9  “When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond”. That response may not always come in the form that we expect or would like but be assured God hears all our prayers.

Christians Together in Milford on Sea and Everton is a group which represents the churches in those villages viz. All Saints’ Church Milford on Sea, Milford on Sea Baptist Church, Milford on Sea Methodist Church, St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Milford on Sea and St Mary’s Everton.