PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP
People
pray in church before the Eucharist. Please respect the quiet before the
service begins.
AFTER THE EUCHARIST
Please
feel free to socialise in the churchyard,
maintaining the necessary distance.
WELCOME
BACK TO CHURCH
We
are pleased to welcome back parishioners to St John’s and hope that everyone
finds themselves and their families safe and well. Please observe the following
guidelines to prevent any contagion while the threat of the coronavirus
persists:
- Sanitise your hands upon entering the church and register for track and trace; your data will be protected as per GDPR guidelines
- Pick up a service booklet from the table at the back of church
- Follow the one-way system, keep 2 metres apart, and sit where indicated by the signs (families may sit together)
- Wear a mask throughout the service, except when receiving the Eucharist. Children under the age of 11 are not required to wear a mask
- There will be organ music, but no singing except by the cantor
- Exit via the door next to the Lady Chapel
- Please don’t socialise in church, but feel free to chat outside in the churchyard, maintaining social distancing
- Please do stay at home if you are feeling unwell
HARVEST FESTIVAL
This
year, we will be celebrating Harvest Festival on 11th October. As usual, we’re
asking everyone to bring donations to the Sunday morning service, where they
will be added to those from our local church school. Once again, we will be
sending all donations to the Manna Society, a London-based charity that works
with homeless people and others in need. Harvest Festival donations are of
critical importance to the charity, providing about 70% of their food for the
year. NB. In addition to tinned food, pasta and rice etc, other items such as toiletries
and clothing are also needed.
FOOD BANK
We
also welcome donations for the local food bank. Please drop off any items in
the basket at the back of the church, or see the church wardens.
SERVICES
Now
that the church has reopened, we’ll resume our services at 10am on Thursdays.
As with the Sunday Eucharist, everyone attending will be asked to adhere to the
new rules as listed in this newsletter. For the time being, there will
be no Friday services.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Given
the persistence of the pandemic, it is extremely unlikely that this year’s
Remembrance Sunday service, which typically involves a mass meeting outside the
church, will go ahead in the usual way. We are awaiting guidance from the
diocese and British Legion as to what alternative arrangements may be made.
100THBIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
We celebrated Joan Jeal’s 100th birthday on Friday 21st August with a service at St John’s, presided over by the Very Revd Dr John Hall. We all wish Joan a very happy birthday and hope she will see many more to come.
JUNIOR CHURCH
We
were happy to see many children returning last Sunday and look forward to
welcoming more in the coming weeks. Junior Church has been organised along the
following lines:
- Parents, please register your children for track-and-trace
purposes
- Sanitiser is available near the door to Junior Church
- Junior Church is now split into ‘bubbles,’ with children sitting
at tables to observe distancing guidelines. Please locate your child’s name and
sit with them
- Keep to the bubbles. If your child hasn’t been allocated to a
group, contact Alberta or Hannah. New children will be allocated once a
registration form has been filled in (see Alberta for a form)
- It is important that children bring in their own pens, pencils and
reading materials for now
- Please ensure that Junior Church toys are wiped down after use.
There will not be any cuddly toys
- Exit via the double back-doors near the staircase. To regain entry
into church, parents will have to come back via the main entrance
- If in doubt about any of the guidelines, please see Hannah or
Alberta
SALE OF VICARAGE
We
are sad to announce that the diocese has decided to sell one of the two
vicarages in the parish – that at Sowerby Close. The diocese still has a second
property at King’s Orchard, just over the road from St John’s, where the new
incumbent will reside when he or she is appointed.
WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH COMMUNITY
We welcome Lyu Lee and his son; also Mohan Krishna-Murty and Ellen Stone, with their daughter Connie Grace. St John’s is very happy to have you with us.
PRAYERS
During
our prayers at the Sunday Eucharist, we pray for all those with a birthday just
gone or coming up. Please let Alberta know of anyone to be included. We also
pray for loved ones who have passed on, and whose year’s mind we keep. There’ll
be a list available to make any updates in the coming weeks. Thank you.
THIS WEEK
We pray for
Our local churches: Emmanuel Church in Sidlow Bridge, the Church of the Good Shepherd
in Tadworth, and St Peter’s in Woodmansterne; for the bishops, priests and
people of those places
Churches abroad: St Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in Tanzania
The International Day of Peace, which is celebrated on 21st September. It’s a day devoted to
strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence
and cease-fire around the world
Diocesan personnel:
Ruth
Martin, diocesan secretary, and her deputy Jackie Pontin
Wendy
Robins, director of press and communications
David
Loft, director of human resources
Colin
Bushell, diocesan surveyor
And
all supporting staff at Trinity House and the diocese’s area offices
Those with birthdays: Dorian Woodward
Those who recently died: Jumoke Wright, Dr Ulric Jones and Leslie Nelson-Williams
Those whose year’s mind we keep: Eleanor Macauley and Jessie Lee
Parish Eucharist
27th
September 2020 at 10am, 16th Sunday After Trinity
Readings:
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-end; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32
NEXT WEEK
Please send any items for inclusion in next
Sunday’s news sheet to Amanda
Jordan at amanda.jordan@virgin.net by Wednesday
morning. Thank you.