13 June >>>>>>
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Greetings
This is becoming a regular news bulletin from the Wardens, Ministry Team and I! We do wish you well, we hope you are healthy and still staying safe. We do thank you for your continued support during this difficult time and for staying connected. If you’d like me to remove you from the distribution list, please just let me know. Also if there is anybody you would like me to pray for or light a candle for please just message me.
Starting to plan
From the news that is coming to us from the House of Bishops and with Bishop Paul’s endorsement we are being asked to engage and plan for the reopening of our buildings. This is subject to government guidance, the local environment, and a detailed risk assessment and of course in discussion with the other local churches of our Deanery. It is quite a complex process and has a lot of conditions to be met. We have been in the fortunate position in having Jean our verger as our nominated person to go in and check our building regularly.
As we plan to reopen, I wonder if there is anything you would like to retain from our daily offering of worship from these last few months? It would be great if you could let me know.
Finance
We would like to express our thanks to those who have been able to support us financially during this time- no gift is too small. Our Church and our diocese are struggling financially. There is a lot of information on our web page - https://www.allsoulschurch.co.uk/giving/ about a variety of ways to give.
News across the parishes
- There is some building working happening in All Souls, a heating system in the back rooms of church and the flower vestry and the vicars vestry floor is been restored, pictures when possible.
- St Marys church porch had some damage to its roof when somebody attempted to remove the lead from the roof. The damage has had a temporary fix and we are waiting for the insurance to reply so we can complete the work.
- Daily church morning prayer remains at over 30 people most days.
- The dedicated phone number 01513173050 has been used over 200 times over the last 30 days to catch up on worship.
- CYP (Children and Young People) service is approaching 25 people each week.
- 11.30am connects to around 45 homes each week across St Mary & All Souls Parishes
- 6.30pm night prayer has remained popular too with around 25 people
- Even when Zoom went down a few Sundays ago we managed to limp on, thanks for your patience.
- I have heard of three job opportunities coming up at St Barnabas Penny Lane – Kids & Families pastor, Social transformation coordinator and an administrator if you are interested let me know so I can point you in the right direction.
Feedback and Contact
- If you would like me to pray for anybody or light a candle in church, please just let me know
- If there is something you are missing like the magazine, please let me know. I do know you will all miss being together physically now
- If there is anything you are liking from our online offerings, please let me know
This will help us in planning!
EVENTS
10 June – The Marie Curie Party Raised over £1100.! A big thank you to Jan Hewitt and Pauline Begley and the team for making this a memorable and delicious virtual tea party. Also a big thank you to all of you who took part and contributed to Marie Curie Appeal so generously too.
L19:Messy Church & Who Kept the Dads in! There are lots of resources on their Facebook page and are also using Zoom to have virtual sessions. L19:Messy 20 June and L19:WLTDO 27 June.
Camino at Home Rev Paul and John Rowlandson were going to walk the Camino de Compostela in September, It is a pilgrimage from France across the northern coast of Spain, to Santiago. Its only 480 miles! We were hoping to do this in 5 weeks. We are going to do this next year now. But Paul has been encouraged (by the church wardens) to walk the Camino at home as a fund-raising project across our churches and he is happy to do this. He will be walking the distance -at a more leisurely pace around 12-15 week across this summer. If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the heating fund and follow my virtual trial along the Camino let me know. STOP PRESS John will be walking with me and were going to try and include you more details to follow in the next few days.
WEEKLY WORSHIP
We have been trying to make our worship accessible to as many as possible, by streaming our worship on ZOOM or posting a recording of it on Facebook, our Website or on phone number 0151-317 3050. We have realised that listening to our longer services on the telephone is difficult, so it’s only the shorter services that are posted there (Max 10mins).
SUNDAY - 8am Morning Prayer (Facebook and our website & 0151 317 3050) from All Souls
10am live zoom Children's Early Service (Recording on Facebook & Website)
11.30am Live zoom Sunday Morning worship (recorded on Facebook, Website)
6.30pm Live Sunday Reflective Night Prayer Service
We hope to have a recording of this on Facebook, our website &
0151 317 3050 by 7.30pm.
MONDAY-FRIDAY - 8am Morning Prayer (Facebook and website & 0151 317 3050)
SATURDAY - 8am Morning Prayer (Facebook and website & 0151 317 3050)
7.30pm Night Prayer (Facebook and website & 0151 317 3050) from All Souls
Do not forget we have an online Zoom coffee break Monday- Friday at 10am for 20-30 mins just to catch up – you would be very welcome to pop and say hello!
Prayer Points
- Please pray for those who have lost loved ones
- Please pray for our NHS and those who are ill at the moment
- Please pray as things return to normal and the lockdown is eased
- Please pray for the healing of our world as justice as racial tensions rise
- Please pray for those who have had to change Wedding and baptism plans
- Please pray for each other
- Please pray for our church buildings as we plan to reopen them
- Please pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit
Take care and stay safe from Paul and the team
15 May >>>>>>
Update following PM statement
There has been a lot reassessing of the impact of slacking the lockdown and its implications for us and our church
- If the coronavirus containment the soonest our church building can begin to be used is 4 July
- Although the Bishop has now allowed clergy to go in alone offer prayer and communion
- We will be continuing our online and recorded methods of worship (See below)
Some dates for your diary
- Ascension Day 21st May – there will be zoom service at 7pm
- Pentecost Sunday 30 May
- Between Ascension Day and Pentecost, you could sign up for short daily readings from the Church of England Initiative ‘Thy Kingdom come’.
News
- Daily church morning prayer has increased from about 5 people to over 30 most days.
- The dedicated phone number 01513173050 has been used 166 times over the last 30 days to catch morning prayer and at weekend night prayer recorded services
- CYP (Children and Young People) service approaching 30 people each week, many share a connection.
- 11.30 connections remains strong each week
- New 6.30pm night prayer about 25 people
- We're struggling financial and thank you for those have been able to contribute, the diocese to are struggling with finances too.
9 May >>>>>>
Keeping in touch
A special welcome from The Churchwardens, ministry team and I, we’re trying to stay connected and keep you updated with news and technology where that’s appropriate. I am sorry this can be more frequent we continue to work on that, but if I can help in any please do give me a ring
We hope you are all well and have enjoyed the VE Day Celebrations probably in a very different way than usual.
There is a gentle move and it is gentle to begin to engage with our church buildings. We are thankful for Jean our verger and husband Alan for looking after them. The bishop of Liverpool has emailed with this piece of news…
From Monday May 11 those of the clergy of this Diocese who so wish may re-enter your own church buildings for activities such as streaming of services or private prayer, as long as you carefully observe the practical advice given in the attached document.
Carefully note it is to clergy and designated staff only. But there follow a three-phase plan to open as directed by the government and house of bishops when things are safe to do so, it won’t be overnight process. So we continue to offer…
WORSHIP
We have been trying to make our worship available to as many as possible, by connecting to live and streaming our worship using ZOOM or picking up a recording from Facebook, our Website or catching the recording on 0151-317 3050 , we realise that listening to the service on the telephone for 20-30 minutes is difficult, so its only the shorter services that are posted there (Max 10mins).
SUNDAY - 8am Morning Prayer (Facebook and audio on website & 0151 317 3050)
10am Streamed Children's Early Service (Recording on Facebook & Website)
11.30am Streamed Sunday Morning worship (recorded on Facebook, Website)
6.30pm Streamed Sunday Reflective Night Prayer Service (recorded on Facebook,
Audio Website & 0151 317 3050)
MONDAY-FRIDAY - 8am Morning Prayer (Facebook and audio on website & 0151 317 3050)
SATURDAY - 8am Morning Prayer (Facebook and audio on website & 0151 317 3050)
7.30pm Night Prayer (Facebook and audio on website & 0151 317 3050)
Ongoing support and contact
We are trying to support and stay in touch with you all, that is the heart of this. We are in touch through phoning, writing, and emailing where we have a contact details. We are in touch with many through our funeral services. Current funeral restrictions make it harder for bereaved families so we offering each the option of coming into church to remember their loved one with family and friends when the lockdown is over but please do prayer for bereaved families. We are in touch via the local councillor’s distribution of meals to our community. We are in touch with a soup and cake run too. We are in touch through prayer, praying for our city, our community and for all key workers and our NHS!
Don't forget we have an online coffee break Monday- Friday at 10am for 20-30 mins just to catch up - you'd be very welcome to pop and say hello!
GIVING
We have launched various way of giving to church while our buildings are closed and through the website or using The Parish Giving system gifts can be given on the telephone see our giving page for more. Even small gifts are very much appreciated. I can give further details on these or collecting envelopes, or setting up our account for online bank donations.
NEWS
We have new pages in our website with news on them
Just to end stay well, we all miss you very much and look forward to our buildings opening again, although one or two like to zoom into our worship from the comfort of the armchair or even bed! - Take care God Bless. Rev Paul & the Team
18 April & Updated 24 April>>>>>>
Hello everybody, I hope you will forgive this round robin. It is a way of trying to stay in touch with you all. Can I begin by wishing you God’s blessing this time.
Even while we are in this season of lockdown, normal life events continue, things like birthdays, anniversaries, special seasons like this Easter and course funerals as well as sicknesses and health. So, I am hoping that you are well.
Our Church – Our church is open and now meets online each Sunday 11.30am for worship. You can catch up by listening to a recording of this on telephone 0151 317 3050 (also morning prayer each day) or going to our website www.allsoulschurch.co.uk where there are audio and visual recordings. We have a Family/ children’s /young people gathering using Zoom at 10am on Sundays too. Please join us if you can.
NEW WORSHIP (26 April) Sunday at 6.30pm I am adding a reflective Night Prayer Service this week 'Breading Bread'.
We are endeavouring to ‘keep in touch’ – if you have not had a letter or phone call from us please do let me know that Norma, Rita, Heather, Neville, Hazel and others are trying to keep in touch. Also, with the Cressington Councillors we are helping supply meals to families and there is also a regular soup run, let us know if you might benefit from this. Each weekday morning 10am several of us share a coffee break albeit online, again let me know if I can connect you to that.
Our Church Building must remain closed for the time being – the heating is off and so are the electric appliances. Our building is regularly checked to ensure it is safe. There is to be no access to it now.
We are obviously suffering financially now and have created ways to give to St Marys remotely. All these details will be on our website on Monday. Basically, we will be able to receive gifts through card transaction, telephone via the Parish Giving Scheme, or simply ring me and I can point you in the right directions. We are thankfully for all yours gifts, but the standing orders and Parish Giving Scheme and Gift Aid are helping us now. It is possible to easily set these up too.
Over the last few weeks some of our congregation have suffered with COVID-19. Some of our known members have also sadly died too. Please can I ask you to pray for the families who have been touched with sadness at this testing time.
If we can help, please let us know. We are looking for a return to normal for the time being we need to stay at home.
With love and with God’s blessing
Thanks
Rev Paul and the Wardens
9 April>>>>>>
These greeting are from our church wardens and I we hope you and your families are well in these strange times.
I am sorry this is a round robin (email) and we are trying to keep in touch, please do let me know how you are doing, We pray for you often and miss you all. I know there are many who we've not managed to contact so if you are aware of anybody please let me know. Some of you will have connected online/facebook and zoom, it was great to see you there
KIP- Keep in touch
Thank you for all the people who a ringing around, writing emailing, or texting to see how people are, that is brilliant thank you for your care and support of our congregation its just what we need.
WORSHIP
Easter worship- for those without internet access, you can use your phone to hear the latest worship on 0151 317 3050 - please pass this number on to those you speak too, it is update with a different message twice a day (about 8am and 7pm). We are endevouring to use our own website just in case you dont use facebook, please keep checking it.
- Online streamed worship - were are using a product called zoom , its the same sign all the time and today we have worship at 7pm, tomorrow at 10,30am and easter Sunday 11.30am - if you can join us that would be great. We are hoping to try a Childrens craft and song session at 10am for 15 mins (more to follow)
- EASTER-
- On 7pm maundy thursday please bring a small drink (wine, juice, cordial) and a chunk of bread - as we break bread.
- On 10.30am Good friday please bring a nail to hold through the service or your palm cross.
- On 11.30am Easter sunday - over next few day make a little easter garden and send me a photo of (with you name on) so we can show them on Sunday - (Google simple easter garden some lovely ideas)
Please take care and know we pray, thank you for your help in keeping in touch, we're still finding our way so please do give us patience.With our love - Paul & Sharon, Maureen, Colin, Jo and Tony and Carol
6 April>>>>>>
These are difficult times and you may be aware by now that our Church building must remain closed. This means that we will not be able to hold any services in our building or even open for quiet prayer as your safety is so important to us.
This does not mean, however, that the ‘Church’ is closed. All Souls is still active and are looking for ways to keep in touch as we remain as much as possible in our homes.
We are
- Chatting to folk over the phone
- Using an app called Zoom to have video calls (its easier than it may sound!)
- Weekday Mornings at 10am we are having Coffee Time using Zoom
- Zoom Online Sunday Services – meeting at 11.30am for around 20mins
- Sharing via our Facebook page
- Using our Email circulation list
- Using texts, Whats App etc.
If you have any ideas or ways, we can keep in touch then please do let us know, we are enjoying the innovation that is coming through and maybe this could lead into new ways of ‘being church’.
Don’t forget if you are able to and feel the Lord prompting you please sign up as a NHS Volunteer
Please could you pray in your own homes remembering:
- the vulnerable
- key workers who continue to go out to work
- the nation’s mental health - those worried and upset
- those with young children
- those with financial concerns
- those poorly with Covid 19
- the dying and the bereaved
Thank you so much!
Please know that we are with you and are praying for you. Please do let us know if you have a specific need or prayer.
You can email me (Rita Hayes) back on this email address. ReaderRitaH@gmail.com It would be lovely to hear from you.
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you His peace