A Return to Candle Power.
Bishop Keith has asked that homes throughout the Chester Diocese should again, safely, place a candle in their front window at 7pm on Sunday, 29th March. The clocks will have gone forward, but as darkness gathers, they should become more obvious. Let us remember again, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it”.
Vicar’s update 26/3/2020
Dear Friends,
We have been working at ways to keep in touch with each other to enable us to be ‘together apart’.
Chris Pope has set up a WhatsApp Group for anyone in the 4 churches to join if they wish. To join you need to have the WhatsApp application installed on a phone, tablet or personal computer. Contact Chris Pope on 07771 684000 and he will add you to the group.
I have been made aware that some people without access to a mobile phone are concerned about the cost of calling mobile numbers from a landline. OfCom guidelines suggest that this should cost no more than 10 – 20 pence per minute. Some providers charge an additional 23 pence connection charge. It will not cost the £4 – 5 per call that some fear to make the kind of calls necessary to ask for help and to place orders.
Please forward the e-mails I’m sending to those you know who would appreciate it. If they would like to be added to them mailing list, I can do that if they let me have their e-mail address. Even in these strange times, we have to have regard for GDPR Data Protection regs, so I cannot add people without consent.
Another way of keeping in touch is to pray at the same time as others are praying. John Malbon has provided the attached daily prayers which he and Janet, together with those in the Thursday Bible Study Group, are using at 10.00 each day. Please feel free to join in. I am saying Morning Prayer at 8.45 each morning in the Vicarage (Friday may be later!). I will also celebrate Communion on behalf of everyone each Sunday at 11.00 am in the area of my spare room which I’ve made into a chapel.
I am also happy for people to telephone the Vicarage, and please keep in touch with each other that way, especially if you are not on the internet or don’t use social media platforms.
Yours,
Anne
Revd S Anne Lawson
Vicar of the Cross Country Parishes of
St Mary’s Acton, St Bartholomew’s Church Minshull, St David’s Wettenhall, St Oswald’s Worleston
St Mary’s Acton, St Bartholomew’s Church Minshull, St David’s Wettenhall, St Oswald’s Worleston
Coronavirus Info
A message from the Vicar 24th March, 2020.
Dear All,
I am contacting you about a number of important matters in relation to the current coronavirus epidemic.
First and most importantly, please know that I am concerned for everyone within the parishes and continue to pray for all of you. I will do my best to keep you up to date as and when appropriate, and I know that you will do all you can to support each other at this difficult and challenging time. Advice has been flowing faster than it is possible to keep up with recently, and I need to digest all the information and work out how to apply it. For now:
1. It is with regret that St Bart’s Church is closed for the foreseeable future. It will re-open in due course when Government advice suggests that it is safe to do so.
2. The Archbishops announced that all public worship is suspended until further notice. You can read more about this at: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/archbishops-call-church-england-become-radically-different-public-worship
3. I am working hard to ensure that appropriate worship resources appear on the websites as soon as possible.
For now,
• A prayer for the day at: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-daily-prayer/todays-prayer
• There are also various apps to download to help us to worship at: https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps
4. Supporting those who are self-isolating is crucial. A neighbourhood contact newsheet has gone to every household in Church Minshull which you may wish to use.
5. I would like to set up telephone circles so that we can keep in touch.
6. There are various community Facebook pages being set up to support people through this difficult time. At the moment I’m aware of a Community Facebook Page in Worleston and there is also a Facebook page which covers all the parishes at: COVID-10 Rural Support Group-South Cheshire.
7. Finally, but still important if you’ve managed to read this far, please respect the fact that I am in the vulnerable category. It is important that I stay as well as possible in order to be available when I am really needed. I am therefore restricting contact with people as much as is reasonable, but not entirely self-isolating. I will continue to work, but it will be in different ways. I continue to be available to you on the phone (01270 628864) and by e-mail revanne@uwclub.net. I will continue to enable appropriate forms of worship and appropriate forms of pastoral care. If I cannot meet your need because I am keeping myself to myself wherever possible, I can contact those who can. I would be grateful of your understanding in this. Please do not interpret it as an unwillingness to engage with the situation or as laziness on my part
Please do all you can to keep yourselves safe and to care for each other in new and different ways, and above all, please stay in touch.
In Christian love and with my prayers,
Anne
Revd S Anne Lawson
Vicar of the Cross Country Parishes of St Mary’s Acton, St Bartholomew’s Church Minshull, St David’s Wettenhall, St Oswald’s Worleston.
Coronavirus Update
In light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact,
the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice.
It is with regret that St Bart’s, Church Minshull, is closed for the foreseeable future. It will re-open in due course when Government advice suggests that it is safe to do so.
Resources to enable you to worship wherever you are, are available
in the WORSHIP RESOURCES page above.
There is also a message from the Vicar on the Coronavirus page above.
Candle Power
The churches this evening asked people to (safely) place a lighted candle in a window at 7pm and offer a prayer for anyone affected by the coronavirus.
It included those who don’t do prayer to just light a candle too!
It was beautiful to see the response across Church Minshull.
Well done everybody, may the light dispel the darkness of this virus!
Our vicar added “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it“.
To Aid with private prayer please follow these links…
For now, there is a prayer for the coronavirus epidemic at: https://www.churchofengland.org/
There is also a prayer for the day at: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-daily-prayer/todays-prayer
and there are also various other apps to download to help us to worship at: Apps
Are you Self Isolating?
St Bart’s and the Parish Council are working together for the people of Church Minshull and are forming a small support group to help people who are Self Isolating during the Coronavirus outbreak.
If that means you are feeling lonely or need a bit of help, we may have the answer.
Please phone JANE
on Mobile 0773.076.5770
or email her ChurchMinshull@icloud.com
She will co-ordinate with the group members to provide a friendly chat or arrange urgent supplies.
We aim to do what we can without putting anyone at risk and the service is free.
We encourage you to be sensible, keep washing your hands and spread only kindness!
Coronavirus Protection
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued us with the following advice in the light of the coronavirus outbreak.
It is our view that it is now necessary to suspend the administration of the chalice at our communion services. We therefore advise that all priests should:
- Offer Communion in one kind only to all communicants i.e. the consecrated bread/wafer/host, with the priest alone taking the wine;
- suspend handshaking or other direct physical contact during the sharing of the peace;
- suspend direct physical contact as part of a blessing or “laying on of hands”.
We wish to give you our thanks and encouragement and offer the following prayer.
O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude of your mercies look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen
