Dear Friends,As I am sure you are aware congregational worship in the church building is now temporarily on hold as along with the rest of the nation, we try to break the chain of coronavirus infections by observing another lockdown. But worship, prayer and church life is not on hold! I very much hope you will stay connected to God and one another as we have been doing all this year. Tomorrow we have three All Saints services for you to participate in on online:Morning Prayer 9.00am on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsloughboroughYou can email prayer requests to prayer@allsaintsloughborough.org.uk or call me and leave a message.Parish Communion for Remembrance Sunday 10.30am on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNymtzHV8G_EfZprXch9RIgRevd Emily will be leading this service from the church building with the support of a small team, all of whom will be socially distanced from one another and paying careful attention to covid secure measures. The service will feature live music from Kate and Will Burns and will include an Act of Remembrance. Emily will also be inviting us to mark the two minute silence outside on our doorstep as part of the service.I will be leading the civic remembrance service in Queen's Park at the same time as part of my role as Chaplain to the local branch of the Roal British Legion, with the Bishop of Loughborough who will be giving the address. This can be found on the Council Facebook Page.https://www.facebook.com/charnwoodbcEvensong 6.00pm on YouTube Martyn Davison will be joined by members of the choir to lead a traditional service of Prayer Book evensong.The order of service for both the morning and evening service can be found on our website https://allsaintsloughborough.org.uk/jml02/on-lineSunday Coffee and Chat 11.30amOnce the morning service finishes, so some time between 11.15 and 11.30am, there will be the opportunity to log on to zoom for a virtual 'coffee and chat.' You can either click on the link to join us by video call or phone in using your normal telephone. Feel free to dop by for a few minutes or stay a while. Penny Pullan will be hosting and will be pleased to see you. Bring your own buscuits!Zoom details:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82863039613?pwd=aGszN212em8wQ1RYeEdMN1dMbmVmQT09Meeting ID: 828 6303 9613Passcode: 844204Phone in: 0203 481 5237 or 0203 481 5240 Meeting ID: 828 6303 9613Passcode: 844204Open Church for Private PrayerThe Church Wardens and I are content we can continue to open the church buillding on Saturdays from 10 - 12 to allow anyone to come and pray or just take a moment of stillness. It is importnant we observe social distancing when we do this and don't gather with people from other households but thanks our wonderful stewards it looks like we can maintain this provision.Last Sunday seems like another life time away now but it was wonderful to mark All Saints day together in church and to broadcast the service to those at home. Attached is a picture of Emma and Mark with some of the gifts we presented to them at the start of Emma's maternity leave. As we enter another challenging few months the Archbishops have called us to a month of prayer for our nation and they have written a letter to us all which I have attached here. In particular we are asked to pause and pray every day at 6pm with a different focus each day. Details of this are on the website. https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches/call-prayer-nation#naThey also invite us to observe a day of fasting on Thursdays as part of that act of prayer which I commend to each one of us in whatever form that may take. Above all I am struck by the Archbishop's words for us to be calm, courageous and compassionate as we face these difficult winter months.Yours in the love of ChristRevd Wendy
Dear Friends,We haven't been able to upload the service sheet to the website for tomorrow's service so please find it attached here. The service will be going ahead as planned both in church and live streamed. The new measures announced tonight will begin on Thursday 5th November so it looks as though tomorrow will be our last Communion service together in church for a while.Once we have clear guidance from the Church of England I will be able to update you on exactly what that will mean for us and on the plans we have to maintain our worshipping life online during this next period of lock down. The November Herald was due out this weekend but I have delayed it until we can be clearer about this coming month.Whilst I understand the need for these measures it is with a heavy heart that I share this news. I hope and pray that tomorrow and through the coming days we can feel ourselves surrounded by all the Saints, living and departed. Yours in His peaceRevd Wendy
Dear Friends,Here is my weekly reminder of what's happening at All Saints this weekend, in particular this week in the light of Charnwood moving into tier two and the rise of coronavirus cases, a bit of a long email but please read on for I hope some clarity and reassurance......Church services in the building or outside on the Parish GreenGathering for worship is still permitted under tier two and tier three as long as covid secure measures are in place and that all reasonable measures have been taken to limit the spread of the virus. Having met with the Church Wardens and Standing Committee last night we are content that we have a robust approach to managing this, therefore unless we become unable to staff this with sufficient numbers of stewards and ministers, services and open church will continue to go ahead as planned.This weekend that means:Open Church today (Saturday) from 10.00am - 12pmA new service of Prayer Book Holy Communion at 12pm todayCelebration Communion on Sunday at 10.30amThe plan is for all the Sunday services this month to be lived streamed on YouTube as we have been doing so if you are in any way worried about coming to the building or are aware you have been exposed to someone who has had a positive test, or is even self-isolating and awaiting their results, you can stay at home to join in.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNymtzHV8G_EfZprXch9RIgFor those coming to the building we all need to be extra vigilant and remember hands, face and space. Please follow the directions of the stewards at all times, this includes sitting where you are asked and once seated remaining so unless using the toilet. We also need to remind everyone of the importance of not gathering after the service but to disperse promptly. It will still be possible to speak to a minister or one or two other people as you leave but please do not remove your face covering until after you have left the church grounds, ensure you remain two meters from the person you are speaking to and do not cluster in groups of more than six.Living in Tier ThreeSome of our church community live just over the border in an area that has now been classified tier three. We ask all those coming to the church to take heed of the advice about not making unnecessary journeys, however it is possible to attend a place of worship and for those who have a leadership role (i.e. warden team, clergy, volunteer leader) this would be considered 'work' as those roles are helping us to deliver our charitable services. I hope this clarifies the current situation although I'm aware that even as I write this there is news this morning of possibly a national 'lock down' being brought in again next week. We will of course stay up to date with any new measures that are brought in and advise everyone accordingly. Please don't hesitate to get in touch by phone or email if you are unsure of if you are simply in need of some support and connection with your church family. I am very aware that some of us have a good network in our neighbourhood or through friends and family but others of us live alone and are feeling particularly isolated and maybe fearful of what lies ahead. Please reach out. We shall continue to do our best to keep us connected through various means and of course the ongoing prayer of the church never ceases. If you have a particular prayer request for our ministry team leading public prayers each day on Facebook you can email prayer@allsaintsloughborough.org.uk indicating if your request is confidential. You can also call me to ask for prayer. All Saints and All SoulsTomorrow is the celebration of All Saints which is of course the dedication of our church building. Our all-age service tomorrow will feature both our children's and adult choirs who are singing under a strict covid risk assessment to bring that gift of music to our worship. Tomorrow will be particularly special as it is Emma Trounson's last service with us in an official capacity before her maternity leave begins. Emma and Mark's baby is due any day now so please keep them in your prayers as we celebrate with them the new life that is coming in to the world. The order of service should be up on the website later on today. It is a specific order of service for the celebration of All Saints not the normal Parish Communion. https://allsaintsloughborough.org.uk/jml02/on-lineMusic making continues and we are delighted that Motje Wolf will be covering some aspects of Emma's work over the coming six months. Motje will be with us tomorrow and if you would like to know a little more about her do watch last week's Conversation and Compline which featured Emma and Motje in conversation about music and faith.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAg9xP1lu5I&t=484sOn Monday evening I shall live stream on Facebook a simple service for All Souls - the day when we remember those who have died. I shall be reading out the names of all those whose funerals we have led as a church over the last year but I am also happy to read out the names of others. If you would like to hear your loved one's name said allowed and to be remembered in this public way please email me directly before Monday evening. The service will be at 8pm. If you have a candle at home you might like to light it as part of the service, as we keep All Souls together. You do not have to have a Facebook profle to view the service, just clik on this link to be directed to our church Facebook Page.Your in ChristReverend Wendy Dalrymple
Dear Friends,A quick one from me this Saturday as I'm not really back at work until tomorrow but thought I would remind you that tomorrow for Sunday worship there is a service in the church building at 10.30am with usual Covid safety measures in place. Our preacher will be ordinand Liz Piki and music will be provided by Dominic Remedios our new organ scholar. The readings are:Dueteronomy 34.1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2.1-8 and Matthew 22.34-endThe morning service will not be live streamed tomorrow morning but you can join me at 6pm for a live streamed Conversation & Compline on Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNymtzHV8G_EfZprXch9RIgI shall be in conversation with our Director of Mission through Music Emma Trounson thinking about the role music plays in Christian faith and worship and talking about the challenges of being a musician during a global pandemic. We shall also be introducing you to Motje Wolf who will be covering some of Emma's work while she is on maternity leave.That's all from me this evening. Switching emails off again now to enjoy Strictly!Best WishesRevd Wendy
