How a Bradford church met a Covid-related need

Gaynor Hammond, one of our retired Baptist ministers, has written a reflection on how Idle Baptist Church, Bradford, reached out to meet a Covid-related need in the community - and overseas!

Back in January 2022, Pat, one of our Deacons, suggested that we have a Service and a Memorial Plaque in the garden to commemorate all those who died during the time of Covid. It has been such a painful time for so many people during two years of the pandemic, with isolation, so many losses, fear, confusion and bereavement. Idle Baptist Church alone experienced the loss of 13 people from their own church community.

Where do people - and there are thousands of them - go for comfort? Loss and grief can affect our view of everything, including our view of God.
People took this ‘call’ to heart and threw themselves into planning the service. Some worked on the service itself, others worked on the publicity, and others the catering. The service was planned for April 9th. 2022.

Even if no one had turned up on the day the ‘Act of Doing’ brought people together in an amazing way. Working together to reach out to others helped each one of us to deal with our own personal losses.

But people did come – 50 people attended the service! We also had some moving responses from people as far away as New Zealand who had seen our poster on Facebook and contacted us asking if we would remember their mother who was a member many years before. Her name was written in our book of remembrance. (Another lady had only the church as family, and she too is named in our book.)
People came from far and near to mark the loss and remember their own family members who died during that time. Good wishes and a promise of prayer came to us from Uganda, for example.

As people arrived, they were invited to write the name/s of their loved ones in a book. These names were read out during the simple service and prayers were said for them and their families, followed by Acts of Remembrance through symbolic action. There were candles to light, a memory tree with ribbons to tie on in memory of loved ones. There was a Book of Remembrance where the names of loved ones and a short message could be written. This book will be available for people to visit whenever the church is open.

A plaque is now attached to the outer church wall, under the Cross, saying: “Dedicated to the memory of all who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. Loved always, Forgotten never.”

One of the most powerful symbols of the day were crocheted hearts which were given out to each person. Pat spoke of her personal experience of a mother dying, and the pain of not being able to be with her due to the restrictions at the time was given.

She said: “Mum’s belongings were returned in a hand-made draw-string bag. An envelope contained a card of condolence and a crocheted heart provided by the Chaplaincy Service. This small act of kindness helped to ease the pain of loss. I copied these hearts, to be given away – every heart a symbol of love, with a heart-shaped button to represent tears, and they all had a label 'Lovingly given by Friends at Idle Baptist Church' , fastened with a ribbon representing the ties of love never ending. It is those little things that help us through difficult days.

They were received with such enthusiasm, people asking for more to take home for their friends and family members who couldn’t be there on the day. People were given permission to cry, and to speak to myself and others after the service – which they did! At 5pm we were still there, listening to stories and a much-needed outpouring of grief”.

In his letter to the Romans Paul urges us to: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep". How important it is that we the body of Christ validate the pain and trauma of the restrictions and loss and bereavement. We pray that we have given people the strength to go forward with hope.