We’ve been talking at both churches about our service patterns over the next few months as more people are beginning to return to church. At both churches, we have decided that we are still in a season of transition and as there is still so much uncertainty about the next few months, we are not going to rush to make decisions about long term service patterns by the end of June, but use this time to explore and experiment and be open to where God wants to lead us. The prioirty in this season is for us to focus on just getting back together and worshipping and having fellowship again after such a long and difficult season.
At All Saints: We’ve decided to pospone any discussions on long term service patterns until the start of September so that we can just focus on being together again. This means that we will continue with the single 10am ‘blended’ Sunday morning service until at least the early Autumn and we have booked in a PCC away morning in September for the PCC to reflect on the way forward after that.
At St Andrew’s: Because we have been reaching capacity at our Sunday 10:30am service now, as more return, we are exploring how we might put an extra services to allow more people to return (especially while we still have social distancing restrictions), and also how to create a safe environment after that too. As we provide more ‘in-person’ servies we will have to reduce the online provision a littel to make it manageble and sustainable, but we are committed to continue to offer online provison also. The St Andrew’s PCC will be meeting on Thursday 20th May to discuss some options of temproray service patterns that we might experiment with over the next few months and we’d love to have any further thought or input on these from any of our congregation members.
You can view the paper and options that PCC will be discussing here: PCC Paper: Temporary Service Patterns Options for the next few weeks
We’d love anyone to send us feedback and thoughts on any of this – and any ideas we have not already considered! Please send these to Dave the Rector who will pass them onto PCC.
Thank you for all your support over this difficult season and please continue to be patient and pray that God would give us His vision and direction step by step as we journey through this uncertain season.
We’ve been particularly dwelling in Romans 12 this week and those verses seem so appropriate for us in this season:
10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:10-13)
Let us be committed to living this out in these coming months.
With our love and prayers
Dave & all of the leadership teams.