Following the announcement from the Government yesterday, St Michael’s Church building is now closed with immediate effect. St Andrew’s and St Mary’s were closed last week when worship was suspended.
Although we can’t meet together, the church is still in business! We each are the church in our own homes, God is with us as we pray, love, care for the vulnerable and build our communities even while we are physically apart.
Please be assured the church is still here for you. You are all very much in my thoughts and prayers at this time.
Our current plans are as follows:
Sundays
Starting on Sunday 29th we plan to make a simple video service available on our website, (https://cumnor.org/) and Facebook page (St Michael’s, Cumnor). This will be online each Sunday morning at 10:30am. It will include a sermon preached by one of the Ministry Team and on the 29th I am pleased to tell you that it will be preached by Eve Lockett. We are also exploring a way of making it available by Telephone for those who are not online.
Support for our community
We have now put in place a system of pastoral care by telephone. Everyone on the electoral roll should be contacted by phone either by their home group leader or one of our pastoral team by the end of this week for a chat, a time of prayer and to see if there are any practical needs.
If you know anyone who isn’t on the Electoral Roll then please let Sarah know in the Parish Office (office@cumnor.org) so we can include them too.
In the meantime, as usual, I am available by telephone (01865 863702) and email (vicar@cumnor.org) should you wish to talk.
If you or anyone you know has a practical need, such as picking up shopping, or posting letters, or collecting prescriptions etc., then please contact the Parish Office (01865 861541 , or office@cumnor.org).
Resources for use at home
We will be posting links to useful resources online for you to use at home including some for children and families. We will also send some of these to you by post.
Please check our our website, (https://cumnor.org/) and Facebook page (St Michael’s, Cumnor) for further updates and you can read more information about the wider church’s response on the Church of England website.
The Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading is encouraging us to be:
Calm: the opposite will lead us to do things which might impact seriously on others – like panic buying.
Caring: those who self-isolate, (those in high-risk groups, or who have been in contact with the virus) need to know that we care about them. Phone calls, messages, letters, cards, food left on the doorstep are all signs that we care.
Considerate: let’s look out for one another, and act collectively to prevent the spread. It isn’t just about me, it’s about us
And of course, Christ-like: let’s live hopefully, love generously and pray earnestly – and let’s bless each other by the way we behave.