With Summer just around the corner, and the hottest spring in a long time, and with the relaxing of Social Distancing we have been able to put our church benches back out for everyone to sit and enjoy the sun. Whilst the church it's self has been closed, our churchyard has looked a little unloved, but we have now been able to make a start on clearing up the church yard. Last week we started to weed the main path and across the front of church. The main path has been swept of all the fallen blossom and we have even reset the clock to show the correct time.Over the course of the next few weeks, we will continue to make the churchyard more pleasing to the eye.If you feel the urge to pull out a few weeds, or do a little gardening, please feel free to do so, we really don't mind, the church is there after all for the community.
During this current situation of lockdowns due to COVID19 parish churches have had to look at different ways of "being church".Since the start of the lockdown Christ Church has been embracing modern technology in order to serve the parish of Sowerby Bridge.Our Churchwarden Peter Henry said "Each day the vicar has been bringing us daily readings via our church prayer and support group on WhatsApp, whilst each Sunday her service is from her study. Members of the congregation have also got behind this and are featured in one or two of our services. But our issue was coffee morning, how to make this a new norm. to achieve this we have been using zoom, as a way for us all to see and chat with each other, like we would on any normal coffee morning. Each week we send an invite to our members, inviting them to click on the link and join us."Moving forward, the link will also appear on our calendar invites, so like our coffee mornings, anyone can pop in for a brew and a natter.You do have to provide your own biscuits and brew, but the natter is free. Why not check our website for details of our next coffee morning, and join us
Today we launch our new look website. After many year with our old provider, the PCC agreed at the last meeting to a new provider. Our provider ChurchEdit also provider our admiration system iknow Church, so the two products compliment each other.Our Website editor Peter Henry said "it makes more sense to have one provider especially when the two systems work in harmony together. Moving our provider to ChurchEdit gives us a fresh new look as well as more functions to better show the Parish what their local Parish Church can offer. Setting up the page was relatively straight forward and the support being offered by the team at ChurchEdit has been fantastic especially during this current situation where they are working from home"ChurchEdit provide dedicated and bespoke websites for all churches, whilst there sister company iKnow church, who's vision is centred around John 10:14 ‘I am the good Shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me’iKnow Church also works in partnership with the Church of England.To view our new look website head to http://christchurchsb.org.uk
The Church of England have suspended all acts public worship for the foreseeable future. Please see the link below for more information.https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churchesThe Archbishop of Canterbury is due to lead the Church of England’s first virtual Sunday service for worshippers staying at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.The service has been recorded in the crypt chapel at Lambeth Palace in London and includes prayers, hymns and a short sermon, the Church of England said.It will be broadcast across 39 local BBC radio stations at 8am this weekend.
