Sunday Notices – 29 November

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year! Today is Advent Sunday and marks the beginning of the church’s year – and we begin by looking forward with hope to Jesus coming.

You can catch up on today’s service here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g2KlSnI59UdGsdowxgQXVPP2ZR0nwEmc/view?usp=sharing

Notices for the week are below: 

Churches Re-opening for worship
Following the end of the national lockdown on Wednesday this week, churches are able to open again for public worship. You will be able to join us, if you want to, at St Matthew’s at 9.30 or St Stephen’s at 11.15 from next Sunday 6th December. We must still follow the guidance that helps us keep one another safe. Please wear face coverings unless exempt, and follow directions about social distancing. In Tier 3, no interaction between households is permitted to minimise the risk of infecting one another – this means you’ll be asked to take your seats as soon as you arrive, and leave promptly at the end, rather than mingling or chatting. 

We will still be livestreaming our service at 11.15 online at www.ststephensbd5.org.uk/live. You can watch via Zoom and chat with others afterwards if you want to by using the link here http://ststephensbd5.org.uk/sundayzoom/

We have decided to open just for Sunday services, for Midnight Communion on Christmas Eve, and for Christmas morning worship – our family services and youth/children’s provision will remain online or through home deliveries during December due to the significant challenge of delivering these without interaction between households, to be reviewed in January. More details to follow. 

Lockdown Daily Prayer and Advent Weekly Prayer
We’re still gathering each day at 6pm on Zoom to pray, the final time will be on Wednesday 2nd December. On Thursday we will then begin a weekly Advent short prayer gathering every Thursday until Christmas at 6pm on Zoom, using the same link. On the other days, you’re encouraged to use the Advent videos (link below) to help you to pray.

Advent Prayer Videos
There will be a video available each day during Advent to help us to pray for our communities, find them here: https://www.youtube.com/c/movementdayuk

Woodman food and toy appeal
A reminder that you can drop donations of non-perishable food, hygiene products and toys directly at the Woodman, or at St Matthew’s Vicarage, to help our local pub in their Tears for Tiers campaign supporting our local community. 

A prayer for today (thanks Sam for sending this in!)Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake.
Amen. 

See some of you next week in church, or as usual online – praying everyone has a good, safe, hope-filled week.

Hannah

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