With effect from Wednesday, 15th July, churches in the benefice will be open for individual prayer as follows:Baltonsborough: Wednesday, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm<span style="font-size: 1rem;">West Pennard: Wednesday, 9.00 am – 6.00 pm</span>Lottisham & West Bradley: Wednesday, all dayBEFORE ENTERING A CHURCH Please read and follow the instructions in the notice on the church door
To keep everyone safe when we come into church, please can we all pay careful attention to the following points.• At the entrance to church someone will be noting your name and phone number, so that if someone in attendance subsequently tests positive for Covid-19, the rest of the congregation can be ‘track and traced.’ This information, in compliance with GDPR, will be deleted after 21 days. • The diocese strongly advises that face coverings should be worn by all those attending a place of worship. • There is no numerical cap on how many people can attend a service, as long as people are 2m apart. Once that stage has been reached, any further people seeking to come into church will not be permitted to do so. • Before coming into church, please sanitise your hands. Hand gel will be provided.• To keep to the required social distancing, please sit in alternate pews, 2m apart, in a seat where an order of service has already been placed. (Family groups can be seated next to each other). • No hymn books or orders of service will be given out. When you come into church disposable paper copies will have been placed in the seat positions to be used. • If you normally follow the readings in a pew bible, please bring your own bible to church. • Singing is not currently allowed.• Refreshments are not permitted to be offered after the service.• Toilets need to remain closed for now. • Please follow any instructions given on exiting church, (E.g. exiting one row at a time). One way systems may be in place in some of our churches. Also, please remain socially distanced in car parks and church grounds, before and after the service. • Children’s play corners are closed and soft toys and hard toys will have been removed.• The collection plate will not be passed round. A collection receptacle will be placed in one place, and your attention drawn to it by the service leader. • If you become unwell in the service, with Covid-19 symptoms, please go straight home and go online to NHS 111, or call 111.Specific guidance for Communion Services• The peace cannot be shared.• Communion wafers will be covered when the priest says the words of consecration over them. • Those handling the elements before or during the service will have used hand sanitiser first.• Wafers will be dropped into communicant’s hands rather than being placed. If inadvertent contact is made, both the priest and communicant will re-sanitise their hands. • The priest will re-sanitise their hands just before the distribution.• To avoid touching and to keep social distancing; the communion rail will not be used. Please form a line, keeping 2m apart, standing from the priest, as far as is possible.Revd Chris Hopkins and the Church Wardens. 25th July 2020
With church services cancelled, collectively we need to be more creative as to how we worship, remain connected to each other, and how we care for one another. On the ‘Worship Resources’ page you will find a short homily, the lectionary readings and prayers, updated for Sunday of each week. God’s peace and blessings be with you all.
The Diocesan advice is:In the light of the Government’s guidance churches will be encouraged not to hold meetings unless they are absolutely necessary. The national Legal Office has written to every Diocesan Registrar and Diocesan Secretary with advice on how to suspend the legal requirements to hold these meetings.As such, please consider all of our APCM’s postponed, to be rescheduled once we are through this period, or until new instructions from the diocese are received.
