I hope you’ve had a good week and have been able to manage the heat as well as can be expected. It is with mixed emotions that I write this last email to you. With this being my last Sunday before retiring I wanted to express, on behalf of Sally, my family and myself, our thanks and gratitude for putting up with us for the last 22 years. We have appreciated your friendship and support and have learnt so much, which we shall never forget. There will be more to say tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as is possible in Church, but I am very conscious that there will be many watching the service via Facebook, either live or later. So, thank you for joining us through whatever way you choose. There’s lots of uncertainty about especially because of COVID. I can’t pretend that the last 16 months or so have been easy, but by God’s grace we have found different ways of worshiping God and witnessing to our faith. Whatever happens in the future will be influenced by the experiences we have had. But what is certain the life and worship of this Christian community will continue. Until a new Vicar is appointed, Steve, Mark and Gill will have the responsibility of running the parish. They, in turn, will be answerable to the Bishop. If you have any questions, concerns or comments please approach them directly. There’s no need to use 3rd parties. It’s very difficult to say how long the appointment process will take. Unlike many parishes in similar situations, you have the benefit of some very experienced people in the leading of worship and pastoral care as well as in the more practical side of parish life. Steve, Mark and Gill will need your support and prayers over the next few months, as well as your forbearance should things become complicated at times, as they surely will. The pattern of Sunday services will remain the same, subject to any changes from Government and the Church authorities because of COVID. There will continue to be a Sunday 10.30am Parish Communion, now with the Choir and live music from the organ and keyboard. You will be asked to wear masks and reserve your seat through Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/all-saints-church-daresbury-15013411336) as at present and for the reasons I have given in previous emails. The service will continue to be live streamed through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/daresburychurch/) and a recorded version later on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfda6IN8rV3qSHiTKvTTvug) and the telephone (01925 980054). The 4.00pm Sunday Evensong on Facebook will also continue, as will the weekday 10.00am services of Morning Prayer. However don’t forget the special evening service of readings, hymns and music that Claire and the Choir have put together on 1st August at 6.30pm. You can reserve your seats here :- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evening-praise-with-hymns-readings-and-anthems-tickets-164308323619 Please keep your eye on our websites www.achurchnearyou.com/church/12623/ or www.daresburycofe.org.uk and Facebook for further announcements. Tomorrow’s service sheet is attached. With God’s blessing, David
Just a brief reminder to ask you to reserve your seat for this Sunday's service by Sunday 9.30am. Don't worry if when you log onto the Eventbrite site - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sunday-morning-holy-communion-tickets-144873252799 - if it says it’s sold out. We set the number of tickets only to help us manage the seating arrangements. No one will be turned away.Towards the bottom of the page, you are given the chance to go onto the waiting list. Please do so as more tickets will be released as time goes by. More can also become available if tickets are returned.If you don’t want to use Eventbrite, then telephone the Vicarage – 01925 740348 – and we’ll add you to the list.The Government asks for people to register and/or use the QR codes by the doors to help, should there be a need to contact those attending. Having a ticket helps in that regard.Once in your pew, we ask you to maintain a respectful distance from others. Please keep using your masks. Singing and responding is quite possible with them on. We shall continue to use every other pew. Chairs will be put out to help to increase capacity so that as many people as possible can attend.Looking forward, you might like to know that Claire and the Choir have put together a special evening service of readings, hymns and music which will be on 1st August at 6.30pm. You can reserve your seats here :- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evening-praise-with-hymns-readings-and-anthems-tickets-16430832361With God's blessing,David
Dear All,I hope you had a good week and that you and all your family are keeping well.As I mentioned in my note at the beginning of the week, the national Church issued its updated guidance late on Friday afternoon. As you would expect, it’s quite detailed and I have yet to take in all its implications. However, one or two things have become clear. First we will continue with the cautious common sense approach that we have used over the last 18months. It seems to be clear now that the virus is transmitted by aerosol we should try to keep the risks as manageable as possible. It is crucial that as many people as possible feel safe when they come to Church even though there may be others who take a different view. It’s a question of social responsibility and looking after our neighbourSo, we would like you to continue to wear masks during the services. The government ‘ expects and recommends’ that they are used in crowded and enclosed settings. This is to protect yourselves and others.Singing is back from 19<sup>th</sup> July! Both singing and speaking are perfectly possible from behind a mask. Arrangements for the choir can be slightly different, but I will need to discuss this and other advice with Claire first, who in turn will be, and has been, discussing things with the ChoirSecondly, although social distancing rules no longer apply, we intend for the time being to keep every other pew vacant. This will have little or no affect in limiting the numbers and will help to keep and develop the culture of reassurance for all. It may be a minor inconvenience for some but helps the greater number. To this end we will continue to encourage you to reserve a seat through Eventbrite or by ringing the Vicarage. This has always been the case. It helps us to continue with track and trace as is recommended. Again, this is for the benefit of all. The QR codes at the doors will still be available and there are forms to fill out if you don’t have a smartphone. Ensuring that there is a safe number of those coming will become more and more crucial as restrictions ‘ease.’ The approach we are taking is based upon the safe use and consistent management of our Church, and this will change and develop as things around us change and develop.There will now be no limits on numbers for baptism. I never understood why this was so. Again, the only limit will be around the safety of those attending.Thirdly, we shall continue with our practice in the distribution of Holy Communion from the chancel steps with the bread only. All the other ways we have been doing things over the last year will also continue, and that includes the many ‘behind the scenes’ preparation that happens. We hope slowly to be able to use the building for other events and meetings. Whether we will be able to open the Church more fully as before, remains to be seen. This, and many other of our previous activities, will have to be looked at gradually and maybe adapted for the future. This week the Church Fellowship will be meeting on Tuesday at 2.00pm and Crafters on Wednesday at 10.00am both for the first time in the LCC.However, unfortunately it is not now going to be possible to have a Communion service this Thursday at the Milner as I had hoped. A number of individual circumstances have made it impractical and we will be making alternative arrangements.There will be more to follow once we have had chance to digest the guidance fully. More will be coming out during the week and next weekend regarding the arrangement for my last Sunday service on 25<sup>th</sup> July. In the meantime tomorrow’s service is attached.With God’s blessing, David
I am sure that many of you will be wondering how the Government's announcements yesterday about the changes in Coronavirus restrictions from 19th July, will affect our church life. The following was posted last night [12th July] on the Church of England's website:-https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance'A spokesperson for the Church of England said: “We note the Health Secretary’s statement in the House of Commons this afternoon [12th July] and the Prime Minister’s press conference this evening confirming plans to move towards the next stage of the Government’s roadmap on July 19 while urging caution in response to rising cases of Covid-19 propelled by the Delta variant.“The prospect of the lifting of legal restrictions will be both a relief and a cause of anxiety and we are aware that there is likely still to be significant guidance in place. “We have already been considering our current guidance to churches and are awaiting updated Government guidance for places of worship. “We will also be seeking further clarification through the Government’s Places of Worship Taskforce, which meets later this week, on a range of areas affecting public worship and places of worship.”'Once we hear further from the national Church, we shall be looking at how their advice and guidance will be applied by us here in Daresbury. We will let you know as soon as we can via our usual communication channels. Please be assured that we will have your safety in mind at all times and will not wish you to feel any fear or anxiety when coming to Church. With God's blessing,David (Vicar)
