Hi everyone,

I’m sure for many of us the news of the new restrictions limiting socialising to 6 people has come as quite a shock as it has widespread implications across so many spheres of life. Listening to the PM however, he has confirmed that churches are still able to hold services providing there is no socialising in groups of more than 6 people and the strict protocols we’ve been following anyway on Tuesday night’s over the summer are observed.

Our plan as leaders therefore is to keep going with what was set out in last week’s service:

From 20th September,

• 10.30 livestreamed service from LBC with small congregation
• 3pm an All Age service
• 5pm a short service of worship

The 2 afternoon services will just be sign in for ‘Track & Trace’– not booking in, so please just turn up, we will send out more details about all 3 next week.

We realise that for some of us the advice from the government will have made us feel apprehensive about returning to church at this time, we don’t want to feel there is any pressure at all on anyonewho feels uncomfortable in attending the building to do so. Our 10.30 service will remain fully streamed and we will also include a teaching series later this month. Like I reiterated on Sunday our commitment is both to support those who now feel they want to return to worship in the building, and those who feel it is right to stay at home.

As leaders we will monitor closely the Sunday services and whether they seem to be meeting the current needs of the church family at this time and will re-jig, change etc as seems appropriate.

Further information will also follow regarding small groups and other church groups, but we currently await further information from the BU.

Let’s pray that the measures the government have put in place do stop the spread of the virus and that as a church we can continue to find creative ways of sharing the love of Jesus.

God bless,

Jonathan