This post last updated on 4th September 2021.

As we begin a new academic year and term, we thought it would be good to highlight or repeat one or two things regarding how we will be meeting on Sundays through till December.

Firstly, as we gather on Sundays we have reverted to just the one service at 10.30am each week. From 5th September 2021 our children’s activities resume with a slight simplification of the arrangements for pre-school children. There will be no longer be any need to book seats to attend the service and the Trustees have previously given a statement regarding guidance on how we can meet safely through this time – see below.

In particular, we’ve known for some time that leaving lock down was going to be much harder than entering it. It’s imperative that we bear with one another, recognising that people will often see, feel and experience things such as ‘risk’, ‘safety’ and what it means to care for others well, etc, differently from us. Let us endeavour to model grace, patience and kindness in the ways we interact and in our attitudes towards one another. Again, the Trustees’ statement will go some way to helping us think about how to do this. The Trustees will continue to review the situation and risks as we move forward, making changes if and when necessary.

Secondly, though we will be streaming the service live each week, we won’t be generally circulating the link. If you still feel unable to gather face-to-face and wish to access the live-stream, please contact the church office to sign up for and receive the link, which is different for each service.

Thirdly, throughout the last 18 months we have continued producing handouts (and Growth Group questions) to accompany the talk. We will be continuing to do this and will make a limited number of paper copies available to pick up at church on Sunday mornings. However, we’ll continue to send the handout to those registered on our ChurchSuite system and make them available on the website so that people who want to can print them at home and bring them, or use electronic copies as they wish.

Finally, can we encourage people to bring their own Bibles with them on Sunday mornings. We will have a number of church bibles available for visitors, but it is a great habit to get into, and helpful for our daily walk with Jesus, if we are using the Bible we have with us throughout the week so please try to bring them along.

We will update this posting as things change.

Trustees’ Statement

Our Church Trustees recognise that we are a diverse community of people with different perspectives and experiences since the start of the Covid pandemic. As they say,

Perhaps the single most important thing we can do at this time is to ‘be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.’ (Ephesians 4:2). It is important that we ‘not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that is helpful for building other up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.’ (Ephesians 4:29) In short, ‘each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.’ (Philippians 2:4)

You can read the complete statement, which covers issues such as our approach to social distancing and wearing masks, by <Clicking here>.