The Beaminster Area Team
From The Hub Covid – 19 Weekly Update Friday 17th July 2020
We continue to open our churches for worship on a phased return and following this Sunday’s services we have only three churches still to return to worship. Hopefully some of them will feel able to open next Sunday.
Services this Sunday are as follows;
Beaminster
- 08.00 BCP Eucharist
- 09.30 CW Eucharist
- 11.00 – 12.00 Open for prayer and reflection
Broadwindsor
- 09.30 CW Eucharist
Toller Porcorum
- 09.30 CW Eucharist
Salway Ash
- 11.00 CW Eucharist
Mosterton
- 15.30 CW Eucharist
Blackdown
- 18.30 BCP Evening Prayer (said)
The Government guidelines are mainly unchanged from this time last week but should there be any significant changes I will send them out immediately. I have been asked if the wearing of face masks is compulsory in churches and the government advice remains that it is not compulsory but if the 2 metre distancing cannot be maintained, the wearing of face masks in crowded areas should be encouraged. My advice is that if you feel safer wearing a mask whilst attending a service please do so.
Having held a PCC meeting in church using strict distancing guidelines, I am happy that all safety guidelines can be met. I have arranged further meetings for next week and I will be contacting Secretaries to see if other PCCs are happy to meet.
Once again, thank you for your support and patience as we try to ensure that our return to worship keeps everyone safe at all times.
David
It has been good to feel more confident back in church leading worship and gathering when we are able to. Thank you to all those who have helped make the churches as safe as possible.
Online worship returns to a more normal routine again, having had our Deanery service two weeks ago and our 10.15@Salway Ash service last week. I would love to have some more people who are happy to contribute by reading the lesson or leading intercessions. We can record you easily via Zoom. Do get in touch if you would like to be involved. Online worship is available on our website from 1pm every Saturday. https://beaminsterteamchurches.org/worshipathome/ Don’t forget we also produce our weekly worship sheet which can be copied and popped through the doors of people who can’t connect online.
Our local schools have come to the end of term this week. Many teachers are exhausted having worked through both the Easter and half term holidays, so we pray for good rest for them. Our prayers are also with all children and young people moving on to new things and particularly for those who are facing uncertain next steps. Our local businesses are also reopening, many of them also having had to adapt their way of working and becoming highly stressed in the process. Supporting our local businesses is a way of helping them weather this tricky financial climate.
We are unable to operate our summer holiday outreach project this year, but instead we are producing activity packs and resources to help keep families entertained at no cost to them. Each pack contains ideas and craft items to help them explore four different bible stories. All you need to do to receive a pack is register with us, through this website link, https://beaminsterteamchurches.org/register-for-summer-family-fun/ Do pass on the link to anyone who might be interested. If you have grandchildren who live away, they will be able to access all the activity ideas online even if they are too far away to receive a pack.
If you are interested in praying for the work of the Beaminster Team and particularly our mission and outreach in the coming months then do join us on a Thursday evening at 7pm, via Zoom to pray. Just drop me an email for the link.
Finally – I am beginning to think about Christmas. We will be doing our online Advent reflections again and we are hoping to develop some village trails with displays in windows. The theme this year will be Gifts: focusing on Jesus as God’s gift to the world. I will let you see some window trails from other communities to give you some ideas. As they will be window displays, should we end up in another lockdown they will still be accessible for people to see as they go on a socially distanced walk around the village.
With every blessing
Jo