At a recent All Age Worship service at Christ Church, Mountsorrel, the worshipping community thought about how they've been blessed by God, and how they in turn can be a blessing to others.
Alison White, Children & Families Worker explains "We decided to spread the love for Valentine's Day and as part of the service we decorated small boxes and wrote 'God Bless You' and 'Thank you' on and inside them. A chocolate heart and Love Heart sweets were placed in each box. During the service, we thought about some people who have borne the brunt of complaints during the pandemic, and on Valentine's Day we delivered our little boxes of blessings to our two GP Surgeries and Pharmacy in the village."
It's a great example of a simple act of gratitude and of the church family showing their appreciation to those within their parish who have been particularly stretched and under pressure during the Pandemic.
Perhaps it's worth thinking, who in your parish or local context might your church or fresh expression be able to find ways of thanking and blessing as a way of connecting your everyday faith with the wider life of the area in which you're called to minister God's love?