Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hope you are all keeping well. Our thoughts and prayers this week are especially with the new Deacons, who were ordained in a beautiful service at the Cathedral on Saturday, 26 June and with those who will be Priested this Saturday, 3 July. Please remember them in your prayers. Here is a picture of the Deacons, taken after their ordinations.
With more of us venturing out, it is inevitable that more people will be notified by Track and Trace. Nevertheless, we give thanks that there are fewer hospital admissions and fewer deaths. While we continue to live with great uncertainty, stresses and demands on us all, let us continue to be considerate to each other. There is the provision of regular access to lateral flow tests should this be something you would like to consider.
Welcome Back Cards
If you have opened fully, running mixed mode services or planning to open soon, you may want to consider sharing these Welcome Back invitations. The Mission and Communications Teams have created two simple template invitations that parishes can fill in with their name, details and the kind of service or event that people are being invited back to. (They have initially created two designs – one with pictures of adults and another with pictures of children and young people). You can download the document of your choice, and then fill it in and print it off using your chosen print method. We hope you will find these helpful as you encourage people back to church. Read more and download the invitations here.
PCCs and APCMs
The following has been taken from the C of E website which was recently updated. Please also see attached step 3 of the Government Roadmap poster
Parochial church councils (PCCs) are able to meet physically indoors from step 3 of the Government’s roadmap, respecting the guidance on social contact and the rules around face coverings and social distancing.
APCMs can also be held in person following the same guidance and rules.
PCCs can, if they wish, meet using virtual means such as Teams or Zoom which enable the members to see and hear each other. This may be preferable in areas with high infection rates, or where travel and an appropriate venue are issues for participation.
However, care must be taken so that members of a PCC who are unable to participate in a meeting in that way are not excluded from the PCC’s deliberations and decision making. The Chair should take steps to ensure that they are able to participate so far as possible, including where necessary by means of the procedure for conducting business by correspondence set out in rule M29 of the Church Representation Rules.
Following a virtual meeting, decisions such as the authorising of expenditure, entering into contracts or those that require a formal resolution of the PCC should be put in written form and circulated for formal approval under the correspondence procedure in rule M29 (which under Rule 76 can be conducted by email).
NHS launches vaccination video
The NHS released a video last week featuring many of the UK’s black church leaders, including Bishop Karowei Dorgu and Archdeacon Rosemarie Mallett. The video is in support of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Making a joyful noise!
We have been encouraged to see that some churches are not letting the restrictions on indoor singing hold them back and have moved outside.
St Catherine, Hatcham (Above)
St Mary Magdalene, Richmond (Below)
Continue to stay safe and thank you for all that you are doing.
The Coronavirus Task Group
(Bishop Christopher, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, the Venerable Alastair Cutting, Ruth Martin and Sophia Jones)
