CORONA VIRUS UPDATES

We are currently in Lockdown which means there will be no services in the church building until further notice.

On Wednesdays the church will be open for Private Prayer

between 2pm and 4pm   **Please note change of time**

Sunday 8th November 2020

10.55am Service of Remembrance via Zoom.

Please mute yourselves as you join this service.

3pm Iona Communion service via Zoom

2nd November 2020

Dear All

As you will be aware the Prime Minister announced on Saturday evening that England was going into a second lockdown that would begin on Thursday 5th November. This means that everyone is encouraged to stay at home except for school, work if you can't work from home, essential shopping, medical appointments, supporting a vulnerable person and escaping dangerous situations like domestic abuse.

It also means that from Thursday all churches and religious buildings will have to close except for Private Prayer and funerals. Private Prayer will be at the earlier time of 2-4pm on Wednesdays.

This means that all our services will need to return to being on line and we will need to make sure that we keep an eye on our neighbours and family members, particularly if they are vulnerable. As it is the winter season it will also be harder for people to get out in their gardens or go for walks so it is important that we look after our own mental health and others in the community. I will arrange for the pastoral care team to make sure that everyone we have contact details for will be contacted to check that they are ok.

We have been looking at increasing the number of small groups that meet and would love to hear from you if you would like to join one. If you could let either myself or John Brown know if you would be interested in joining a group at this time (they will have to be via zoom, face time, Teams or Skype at the moment but if you would be interested in joining an `in-person' group in the future then please let us know that too). Bishop Steven has written a short 4 week course on Philippians - a church struggling through a difficult time too, which would be appropriate for us to study).

The lockdown also means that despite all our plans for Remembrance sunday we will now have to re-arrange the service to be on Zoom. I know this will disappoint many and may mean that some are not able to participate in a local act of remembrance this year as they cannot cope with or don't like zoom. There will be a Diocesan service - the details for which will be on the Diocesan website https://www.oxford.anglican.org/coronavirus-covid-19-2/livestream/

I understand that the BBC are planning to broadcast the ceremony of Remembrance from the Cenotaph at 10.30am on Radio 4 and probably on TV too. More details of our Act of Remembrance will be sent out later this week.

The school are planning an Act of Remembrance for staff and children when all those connected with North Leigh will be remembered.

This is going to be another difficult period for many - particularly those who have been shielding, vulnerable and lonely. If you know of anyone who is struggling (or if you yourself are finding things tough) please do get in touch with me by email or phone. Let us look after each other.

As Bishop Steven says,

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43.2)

We need to hold firmly to our faith and hope in Christ at this time and care for our communities with all the love which God supplies.

21st July 2020

4th July 2020

We have successfully opened the church for private prayer on Wednesdays from 4-6pm.

Adhering to present government guidelines, we are beginning to have trial services but can only accommodate limited numbers.

This will help us gauge how we might be able to resume regular services in church in the future.

Zoom services, every Sunday at 10am will continue.

30th June 2020

The church will be open on Wednesday1st July, and subsequent Wednesdays, from 4pm to 6pm for Private Prayer only, for a limited number of people.

Please read the Risk Assessment below, which has had to be completed in order for us to be able to open the church.

This has taken much time and hard work by just a few people and we should be thankful for their time and hard work in making all this possible.

For the safety of you and others, please abide by the guidance.

Also, please watch the video so you know what to expect when you arrive at church.

NHS Test and Trace scams:

The NHS Test and Trace service plays an important role in the fight against coronavirus and it’s vital the public have confidence and trust in the service. However, we understand the concerns people have about the opportunity for criminals to commit scams.


What you need to know:

Contact tracers will only call you from the number 0300 013 5000. Anyone who does not wish to talk over the phone can request the NHS Test and Trace service to send an email or text instead, inviting them to log into the web-based service.

All text or emails sent by NHS Test and Trace will ask people to sign into the contact tracing website and will provide you with a unique reference number. We would advise people to type the web address https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk directly into their browser, followed by the unique reference number given to you, rather than clicking on any link provided in the message.

The NHS Test and Trace service will never:

• ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to them (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone  
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you live in Scotland, please report directly to Police Scotland by calling 101.