St Mary’s church opening for services
St Mary’s church has been opening for Wednesday morning 9.30 Holy Communion since 15th July and many people are enjoying that service. We are now very pleased to announce that we are also opening for services on Sunday mornings at 11.00, beginning on 16th August.
Unfortunately, we will not yet be able to offer the full range of facilities and freedom that we traditionally have. We must still comply with social distancing requirements of 2m between individuals or family groups. Also, we must wear face masks and avoid touching surfaces that others are going to touch soon after. The combination of these factors mean that we will have a capacity limit of about 45, we can’t have the toys out in the ‘children’s corner’ and we have to ask for children to stay with their parents.
We have traditionally had far more than 45 people at our Sunday morning services but the last thing we want to do is turn someone away at the door. Therefore, if you wish to attend one of these services, you are asked to contact the churchwarden each week at the following email address: David.pickavance1@outlook.com. For those without email connectivity, there will be a list on the porch noticeboard for them to add their names; it will be removed as we reach capacity each week. To allow access to all who wish to attend, bookings will only be taken a week at a time and places will be evened-out.
The services will be shorter than normal as we are still not allowed to sing, and the restricted space in the Living Stones Room is such that we can’t offer the usual tea/coffee after the service. At the moment that problem is compounded by the lack of water supply, so the toilets are currently out of action. However, that situation should be rectified within the next couple of weeks and ‘emergency’ facilities will be available in the vicarage.
When you come to the church, you will find that it has been aired, the door is open wide and that hand cleansing solution is available as you enter. The available seating positions have been identified with service books and you will be shown to them. For Holy Communion, only the priest will handle the bread and wine, and only he/she will take the wine. We will remain standing to receive the bread wafer and it will be ‘dropped’ into your cupped hand so that there is no contact. The churchwarden will closely control the movement of attendees to and from the alter so that social distancing can be maintained. Communion will be available in the pews for those requiring it, so please inform the churchwarden of this request when you arrive.
Our apologies if all this sounds quite daunting but the important thing is to make the church available to you for worship whilst keeping you as safe as possible, and to make you aware of what to expect.
We look forward to seeing you.