Public worship - Coronavirus update

The light shines in the darkness

Although at one level, we were expecting a January lockdown, nonetheless, yesterday evening's announcement will have been a shock to many of us.

Unlike during the previous lockdowns, you may have heard that places of worship are allowed to remain open. However, the Bishop has made it very clear that the leadership of each church should make their own decision about whether it is safe and appropriate, in their context, to offer public worship.

There are a number of factors to take into consideration, and the safety of our staff, volunteers and congregations is paramount. In that light, the senior leadership team of the church have made the decision not to open for public worship this Sunday, to allow us to take the time to make an informed and considered decision about what to do in the coming weeks. It is already clear that we will not be able to offer Earth Church or Toddler Church under the current restrictions.

We will, as we have since March, continue to offer live streamed morning prayer at 9am every day, and a live streamed service of Holy Communion every Sunday at 10am which you can find on our Facebook page or here on our website. So while we cannot gather in person, we can still gather in prayer and worship.

This new lockdown will be challenging, at a practical and emotional level, for many if not all of us. If there is anything our church community can do to support you, please do contact your ContacTree caller, or the Parish Office on 03301 594919, or me on kat.campion-spall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk

In these difficult times, the words of John's gospel speak to us even more profoundly: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. My prayer for you is that you will see glimpses of that divine light in the darkness, and that it will give you the hope you need to see you through to better times. God be with you.

Every blessing,

Kat

The Rev'd Kat Campion-Spall
Associate Vicar, St Mary Redcliffe Church

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Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.