Rector’s MessageWhen I was a young school boy, the worst sight at break time was to see the notice up which said ‘Out of bounds’ . In the autumn and winter months it was an increasingly common sight. It meant that playing football on the school playing fields was banned. I only ever saw that notice as a threatening restriction. If I was a parent or staff member, it was about keeping children safe.We have been looking at a huge ‘Out of bounds’ notices upon our way of life for over six months. It confronts us with the same frustration. We want to be free, but because of the Covid 19 epidemic which has claimed over a million lives world wide in the past nine months, and over 45,000 in our own country, we are having to live very restricted lives. We long for the ‘Out of bounds’ notice to be taken down. One day it will, but we don’t know when.In early September we were hopeful that the ‘Out of bounds’ notice could be taken down for our churches. We made plans. School were returning, pubs and restaurants were buzzing. Alas it was not to be. As of this week Covid cases are rising in every age group. Yesterday it was nearly 5,000 infections in one day. Daily hospital admissions are rising and death rates are climbing.Consequently, yet again we have deferred the re-opening of our churches in October.I leave you with a prayer written by my favourite Christian writer, Henri Nouwen.Remember you are held safeYou are lovedYou are protectedYou are in communion with GodAnd with those whomGod has sent you.What is of God will last.It belongs to the eternal life.Choose it, and it will be yours.P.S. One thing we are exploring is hosting a Harvest Flower Festival at St Mary’a Haseley on Sunday 11th October, 12-4 pm. At present we are in negotiation with Coventry Diocese about its viability. Watch this space.Keith Mobberley
Rector’s MessageWe had been planning to begin opening our doors for indoor worship beginning with a service at Hatton this Sunday 13th September. In view of the signifiant rise in Covid 19 cases over the last week, and yesterday’s announcement by the government of reintroducing tighter restrictions on public gatherings, this service has now been cancelled.We will still be holding our Zoom service at 10 am on Sunday 27th September. (If you would like to join us please contact Carole Milligan beforehand for log in details, 07988 957 376carole.rutherfordmilligan@gmail.com).We had planned a pattern of services for October, listed below. However it must be stressed these dates must now be considered provisional in view of the current situation. The Ferncumbe leadership will be meeting again in 2 weeks time to make an assessment of what is then possible. PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE FOR OCTOBERSunday 4th October 10.30 Matins St John the Baptist Honiley followed by our AGM (deferred because of Covid 19)Thursday 8th October 11 a.m. Zoom service. Log in details to follow.Sunday 11th October 12- 4 p.m. Haseley Church Harvest Flower Festival (We cannot hold our Festival Evensong because of Covid 19 regulations)Sunday 18th October 10 a.m. Morning Prayer Holy Trinity Hatton followed by AGM.Sunday 25th October 11 a.m. Morning Praise St Laurence Rowington, followed by AGM.Keith Mobberley
Rector’s MessageAs a benefice of parishes we tend to work independently of each other apart from sharing a parish magazine.The pandemic has changed all that. The wardens of each of our parishes have come together on a monthly basis to decide collectively the way forward for us in terms of the worshipping life of our parish. We met again last week to consider what next in the light of the current crisis. We have decided to maintain a cautious approach, mindful that nothing significant has changed which indicates we are any safer until a vaccine is developed. We had a wide ranging discussion about what we should do in terms of parish worship moving forward. The key factors we were weighing up were three fold. Firstly, the demographic of our parish in which the vast majority of us are 60+, making us much more vulnerable to the virus. Secondly, the small numbers of worshippers at most churches, and thirdly the not inconsiderable amount of work it would take to make our buildings safely compliant with government and diocesan regulations. Consequently we have concluded that the obvious place to begin opening up for worship will be Hatton, the pattern beginning in September (September 13th at 10 am for a non Holy Communion service. )We will hold a regular service on the second Sunday of each month and a Zoom service at 10 am on the last Sunday of each month.We recently hosted an open air service in the churchyard of St Mary’s Haseley at which 30 of us gathered on a beautiful summer’s evening. We have decided to hold a similar service at Haseley on Sunday 30th August at 6 pm.A reminder that we are also hosting a Zoom service this Sunday 16th August at 10 am. If you would like to join us please get the log in details in advance from Carole at 07988 957 376carole.rutherfordmilligan@gmail.com