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Gathering during the National Lockdown (January 2021)
We give thanks that public worship is allowed to continue during this present national lockdown. We recognise that coming together before God is a vital part of what it means to be human, and what it means to be followers of Jesus. That is true at all times, but how true at a time of national and international crisis. We will continue to offer public worship at this current time on a Sunday morning (10am in the church building; 11am in the church hall) and fortnightly on Wednesdays (10am). This is a decision I’ve (Paul the Vicar) made in conversation with the Standing Committee and PCC, and reflecting on Diocesan advice. Monitoring our situation and our practices will continue to take place. We will continue to stream our services for those unable to attend as well.
However, while we do not want to give into fear, the challenges of these times are very real and serious. Our current national picture is a deeply sad one. It is in light of that, in continuing with public worship, the following important points are made:
- It is vital that each of us assess our own risks with regards to the virus – both the risks to ourselves, and our risk to others. Each of us must take responsibility for our actions to care for each other (in wider life and with regards church).
- Each of us too will be in different situations, and it is important to say that while public worship is offered, no-one must feel under compulsion to attend. For some, because of our situations, the right thing may be to not attend. The guidance for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable is found here. Each will each need to make their own decisions in this regard, and we will support you in those.
- The law states ‘You can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times.’ As a means of enabling us to continue to meet, whilst seeking to love our neighbour, honour civil authorities, and recognising the context/ communities we are part of, we urge that everyone adheres very carefully to the measures laid out – by us, or upon us, on public worship, including:
o Please do not attend if you, or a member of your household, have symptoms of Covid-19 which you can find here.
o Please book in advance so that we know how many people are coming. We have limited seating. You can do it here.
o If you have the NHS Test and Trace app, please sign in on arrival. If you do not have the app, and have not filled in a form to allow us to hold your data for purposes of Test and Trace, if you are willing, please fill a form in before you leave. You only have to do this once, not every time. If you have not filled one in, please wait until others have left to do so as the vestibule is small, and will be easier for you to do so.
o Not mingling between households.
o Maintaining strict social distancing between households at all times – 2m (in all but needed situations, where it must be 1m+ with mitigating measures).
This includes being attentive on arriving and leaving as to where others are, queuing outside until the vestibule is clear, following the one way system, sitting in the places instructed by the welcomers, and following directions of the service leader to leave in an ordered manner. We will begin exiting from the back row of the central pews. Please stay in your place until the row before yours has adequately cleared to enable space for your row to begin to exit safely. If you take longer to leave because of mobility issues for example, please feel free to remain in your place until others have left, so you don't feel rushed.
o Wearing a face covering at all times (unless exempt).
o Applying sanitiser on arriving and leaving.
o To leave promptly after the service - not staying inside or gathering outside to chat.
o Wrap up warm - the heating will be on in both locations, but we are seeking to balance this with ventilation.
Thank you for working together to help protect people.
It means alongside this, we will need to work hard to make the most of other ways to continue to ‘fellowship’ together. This is not a time to pull back from each other, nor from our neighbours.
- Can I encourage you to exercise the ministry of the telephone (or of letter writing) to encourage and support each other?
- For others where it is right for us, we might use the opportunity of sensibly exercising outdoors with another individual, to also fellowship.
- We might consider joining ‘Sunday Catch Up’ on Zoom on Sundays at 4.30 – 5pm, by computer or telephone. If you would like to find out more about that please be in touch.
Face Coverings
Face coverings during worship. In England, face coverings are currently required by law to be worn in shops, supermarkets, indoor transport hubs, indoor shopping centres, banks, building societies, post offices and on puhttps://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gF-oHyFvSug/W5HeNnkrClI/AAAAAAAAJxw/RlkRuigIaWc_NzRGpKMPGFyge7VbpVMWgCLcBGAs/s1600/Acta1.8.jpgsome people in our congregations who are exempt from wearing face coverings and we wish to support you in this. It is also important that not wearing on is only for reasons expressed by the government. The list of exemptions which can be found here.
The Church of England Guidance on face coverings can be found here.
Track and Trace
For those attending a physical service, private prayer, or accessing our buildings, in line with government guidance, we are taking a record of those who attend to support the Track and Trace service. This is in the event of a positive Covid-19 case, to enable people to be contacted. However, we need your permission to hold and use this data. It is not compulsory, however we urge all who feel able to give it, to do so. This will help us protect each other and our community. The records are held for 21 days before being destroyed. Forms will be available on Sunday and for open prayer. However if you wish to read the Privacy Policy, you can do so here, or come with the form pre-filled, you can find it here.
Church Building Re-Opening for Public Worship Update - 9th July
On Sunday 12th July, we are trialling two services to enable us to be able to safely offer additional capacity to any who wishes to join us.
Each week will be reviewed to help us consider next steps. It is very much about seeking to carefully find out feet through this time. Even with additional capacity, we can not promise that all those who wish to attend will be able to.
1) 10am - Service in the Church Building (with Holy Communion), 45 minutes maximum, 18-20 people maximum. This service will be live streamed. Note this is minutes earlier than usual. Doors open at 9.45am until 9.58am.
2) 11am - Service in the Parish Hall, 45 mins maximum, 15-16 people maximum. Slightly more informal service. Doors open at 10.45am until 10.58am. Please enter through the side doors in the hall car-park.
Information regarding returning to services in the church building can be found below. Much of this is also applicable to attending a service in the hall. In addition, you can find the following documents below:
To see the information sheet, and one-way system around the hall for services, please click here. Please read before join us.
To read our Risk Assessment, please click here.
Church Building Re-Opening for Public Worship Update - 3rd July
From 4th July, places of worship will be allowed to re-open for public worship if Covid-secure. This is news we should give thanks for! We have been physically apart for 15 Sundays as a church family. However, in light of our paragraph above, many of us will also feel wary and anxious. We still need to be extremely careful. We wish to share key points of planning with you. Two principles guide us at this time:
We are seeking to find ways to meet together as God’s people which keep each other and our community safe. We will be taking a staged approach, beginning with some deliberately small services, which we will then be able to review, and build on.
Provisional Timetable:
Please note - the Church Building will now only be open for private prayer on Wednesday (9.30-4pm)
Setting Expectations
To read our Returning to Public Worship information sheet, please click here. Please read before join us.
To read our Risk Assessment, please click here.
We give thanks that public worship is allowed to continue during this present national lockdown. We recognise that coming together before God is a vital part of what it means to be human, and what it means to be followers of Jesus. That is true at all times, but how true at a time of national and international crisis. We will continue to offer public worship at this current time on a Sunday morning (10am in the church building; 11am in the church hall) and fortnightly on Wednesdays (10am). This is a decision I’ve (Paul the Vicar) made in conversation with the Standing Committee and PCC, and reflecting on Diocesan advice. Monitoring our situation and our practices will continue to take place. We will continue to stream our services for those unable to attend as well.
However, while we do not want to give into fear, the challenges of these times are very real and serious. Our current national picture is a deeply sad one. It is in light of that, in continuing with public worship, the following important points are made:
- It is vital that each of us assess our own risks with regards to the virus – both the risks to ourselves, and our risk to others. Each of us must take responsibility for our actions to care for each other (in wider life and with regards church).
- Each of us too will be in different situations, and it is important to say that while public worship is offered, no-one must feel under compulsion to attend. For some, because of our situations, the right thing may be to not attend. The guidance for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable is found here. Each will each need to make their own decisions in this regard, and we will support you in those.
- The law states ‘You can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times.’ As a means of enabling us to continue to meet, whilst seeking to love our neighbour, honour civil authorities, and recognising the context/ communities we are part of, we urge that everyone adheres very carefully to the measures laid out – by us, or upon us, on public worship, including:
o Please do not attend if you, or a member of your household, have symptoms of Covid-19 which you can find here.
o Please book in advance so that we know how many people are coming. We have limited seating. You can do it here.
o If you have the NHS Test and Trace app, please sign in on arrival. If you do not have the app, and have not filled in a form to allow us to hold your data for purposes of Test and Trace, if you are willing, please fill a form in before you leave. You only have to do this once, not every time. If you have not filled one in, please wait until others have left to do so as the vestibule is small, and will be easier for you to do so.
o Not mingling between households.
o Maintaining strict social distancing between households at all times – 2m (in all but needed situations, where it must be 1m+ with mitigating measures).
This includes being attentive on arriving and leaving as to where others are, queuing outside until the vestibule is clear, following the one way system, sitting in the places instructed by the welcomers, and following directions of the service leader to leave in an ordered manner. We will begin exiting from the back row of the central pews. Please stay in your place until the row before yours has adequately cleared to enable space for your row to begin to exit safely. If you take longer to leave because of mobility issues for example, please feel free to remain in your place until others have left, so you don't feel rushed.
o Wearing a face covering at all times (unless exempt).
o Applying sanitiser on arriving and leaving.
o To leave promptly after the service - not staying inside or gathering outside to chat.
o Wrap up warm - the heating will be on in both locations, but we are seeking to balance this with ventilation.
Thank you for working together to help protect people.
It means alongside this, we will need to work hard to make the most of other ways to continue to ‘fellowship’ together. This is not a time to pull back from each other, nor from our neighbours.
- Can I encourage you to exercise the ministry of the telephone (or of letter writing) to encourage and support each other?
- For others where it is right for us, we might use the opportunity of sensibly exercising outdoors with another individual, to also fellowship.
- We might consider joining ‘Sunday Catch Up’ on Zoom on Sundays at 4.30 – 5pm, by computer or telephone. If you would like to find out more about that please be in touch.
Face Coverings
Face coverings during worship. In England, face coverings are currently required by law to be worn in shops, supermarkets, indoor transport hubs, indoor shopping centres, banks, building societies, post offices and on puhttps://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gF-oHyFvSug/W5HeNnkrClI/AAAAAAAAJxw/RlkRuigIaWc_NzRGpKMPGFyge7VbpVMWgCLcBGAs/s1600/Acta1.8.jpgsome people in our congregations who are exempt from wearing face coverings and we wish to support you in this. It is also important that not wearing on is only for reasons expressed by the government. The list of exemptions which can be found here.
The Church of England Guidance on face coverings can be found here.
Track and Trace
For those attending a physical service, private prayer, or accessing our buildings, in line with government guidance, we are taking a record of those who attend to support the Track and Trace service. This is in the event of a positive Covid-19 case, to enable people to be contacted. However, we need your permission to hold and use this data. It is not compulsory, however we urge all who feel able to give it, to do so. This will help us protect each other and our community. The records are held for 21 days before being destroyed. Forms will be available on Sunday and for open prayer. However if you wish to read the Privacy Policy, you can do so here, or come with the form pre-filled, you can find it here.
Church Building Re-Opening for Public Worship Update - 9th July
On Sunday 12th July, we are trialling two services to enable us to be able to safely offer additional capacity to any who wishes to join us.
Each week will be reviewed to help us consider next steps. It is very much about seeking to carefully find out feet through this time. Even with additional capacity, we can not promise that all those who wish to attend will be able to.
1) 10am - Service in the Church Building (with Holy Communion), 45 minutes maximum, 18-20 people maximum. This service will be live streamed. Note this is minutes earlier than usual. Doors open at 9.45am until 9.58am.
2) 11am - Service in the Parish Hall, 45 mins maximum, 15-16 people maximum. Slightly more informal service. Doors open at 10.45am until 10.58am. Please enter through the side doors in the hall car-park.
Information regarding returning to services in the church building can be found below. Much of this is also applicable to attending a service in the hall. In addition, you can find the following documents below:
To see the information sheet, and one-way system around the hall for services, please click here. Please read before join us.
To read our Risk Assessment, please click here.
Church Building Re-Opening for Public Worship Update - 3rd July
From 4th July, places of worship will be allowed to re-open for public worship if Covid-secure. This is news we should give thanks for! We have been physically apart for 15 Sundays as a church family. However, in light of our paragraph above, many of us will also feel wary and anxious. We still need to be extremely careful. We wish to share key points of planning with you. Two principles guide us at this time:
- God’s people are called to be together – so meeting together is precious and vital
- God’s people are called to love one another – so protecting each other is precious and vital
We are seeking to find ways to meet together as God’s people which keep each other and our community safe. We will be taking a staged approach, beginning with some deliberately small services, which we will then be able to review, and build on.
Provisional Timetable:
- Sunday 5th July – one shorter service (with Holy Communion) at 10.30am (40-45 mins). This will be 20-25 people maximum. We are confident that we have sought to reduce risks as much as we are able. But this service will enable us to review our processes (for e.g. seating people, social distancing, one way system, Holy Communion) as well as test our live streaming for those unable to attend.
- Sunday 12th / 19th July/ 26th July – a continuation of the pattern for 5th July, but developing it as appropriate. This may include increased numbers, testing of a relayed service in the hall, provision of second service in the church building.
- Beginning of August - Aiming at some form of thanksgiving/ celebration service - with either multiple services on the same day, or one service over two locations.
- These timings are provisional, dependent on review of previous weeks, Government and Diocesan guidelines and our ability to deliver! It might need to simply be small things until September.
Please note - the Church Building will now only be open for private prayer on Wednesday (9.30-4pm)
Setting Expectations
- The services we are able to offer in the coming weeks will not be the services we left before March. Nor will they be what we will necessarily have in the longer term. On this last point, as a PCC we are seeking where the Lord is leading us in terms of the future shape of church life.
- While we have worked to make things as safe as possible, nothing is completely risk free. So we ask each individual to prayerfully reflect, assess guidance applicable to them, as well as the risks, and then to come to their own decision. Some of us will decide it is right to come, and others not. That is absolutely fine! There is no pressure for people to come or not. We wouldn’t certainly not want anyone to feel rushed to return if that is not right. For some it will not be right because you are shielding, or because of other risks or factors. For some it will be. We should love each other with regards the different decisions we have each come to.
- Strict social distancing will need to be maintained by all of those who attend. Of course our heart’s desire will be to get close and chat, hug, or shake hands. But it will not be possible at present. We need to love each other by not breaching distancing measures. Places of worship have been given a dispensation and we cannot abuse that or put each other at risk.
- The specific differences and instructions can be found on the attached sheet. They may seem burdensome – but they are there to honour God, our leaders, our community and each other.
- If it becomes clear more people are wishing to return than we are able to accommodate, we will need to put in place a temporary system or rotation to administer this.
To read our Returning to Public Worship information sheet, please click here. Please read before join us.
To read our Risk Assessment, please click here.
Church Building Re-Opening for Private Prayer Update
The Standing Committee of the PCC are pleased to announce that, having been able to further work on the risk assessment, and on preparations for safely and sustainably open the church building for private prayer, it has taken the decision to re-open the church building for private prayer.
It will open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 9.30am-4pm, from Wednesday 24th June.
While we hope this will be a real benefit to congregation members and the community, we also want to make you aware of the important steps which have been put in place to seek to make people as safe as possible. These include removal of common touch objects, separation of pews to allow social distancing, a one way system and a cleaning regime.
While the PCC has put in place measures to seek to reduce risk as much as possible, it is impossible to remove all risk or possibility of contamination. Anyone coming to pray privately must be aware that they have a responsibility to assess their own personal risk and enter on that basis. The pews which have been used, as well as common touch surfaces will be cleaned down after each day of opening. It will not be possible to clean them down between users, however.
If you are in the extremely vulnerable category, we strongly urge you not to enter the building. If you would like certain matters prayed for, or would like to talk to someone please do not hesitate to ring 01253 734562. If you are in the vulnerable category, we ask you to seriously consider the risks to yourself before choosing to enter.
People must not to enter if you have coronavirus symptoms. The safe use of face coverings are encouraged.
Further instructions on social distancing, the one-way system around the building, hand sanitisation will be found on entering the building. There will be a maximum of 8 people in the building at a time.
We ask that people stagger when they visit (for example if you are a 10.30am Service member that we don’t all visit at 10.30am on Sunday!) Also we ask that people do not plan to attend the building with others, except those in your household.
Information Documents which will be on display can be found below:
The Standing Committee of the PCC are pleased to announce that, having been able to further work on the risk assessment, and on preparations for safely and sustainably open the church building for private prayer, it has taken the decision to re-open the church building for private prayer.
It will open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 9.30am-4pm, from Wednesday 24th June.
While we hope this will be a real benefit to congregation members and the community, we also want to make you aware of the important steps which have been put in place to seek to make people as safe as possible. These include removal of common touch objects, separation of pews to allow social distancing, a one way system and a cleaning regime.
While the PCC has put in place measures to seek to reduce risk as much as possible, it is impossible to remove all risk or possibility of contamination. Anyone coming to pray privately must be aware that they have a responsibility to assess their own personal risk and enter on that basis. The pews which have been used, as well as common touch surfaces will be cleaned down after each day of opening. It will not be possible to clean them down between users, however.
If you are in the extremely vulnerable category, we strongly urge you not to enter the building. If you would like certain matters prayed for, or would like to talk to someone please do not hesitate to ring 01253 734562. If you are in the vulnerable category, we ask you to seriously consider the risks to yourself before choosing to enter.
People must not to enter if you have coronavirus symptoms. The safe use of face coverings are encouraged.
Further instructions on social distancing, the one-way system around the building, hand sanitisation will be found on entering the building. There will be a maximum of 8 people in the building at a time.
We ask that people stagger when they visit (for example if you are a 10.30am Service member that we don’t all visit at 10.30am on Sunday!) Also we ask that people do not plan to attend the building with others, except those in your household.
Information Documents which will be on display can be found below:
private_prayer_entry_poster.pdf | |
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private_prayer_entry_poster_2.pdf | |
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private_prayer_entry_poster_3.pdf | |
File Size: | 539 kb |
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one_way_system.pdf | |
File Size: | 368 kb |
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