St Luke’s Church – Holmes Chapel: COVID-19 restrictions (@17th October):

The relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on opening church buildings for worship (see detailed Church of England guidance regularly updated) now enables safe access to St Luke’s for limited services of corporate worship and individual private prayer, subject to a full risk assessment and careful conditions being met. These include everyone entering the church following the instructions inside the church porch and on the service Link sheet about wearing a face-mask, using hand sanitiser and where to sit to maintain the required social distancing. 

Summary Situation:

• Services in church – restricted short Holy Communion service in St Luke’s at 9am on Sundays and 10.30am on Wednesdays (max number of about 30 in church). Congregational singing is still not permitted.

The church will remain open for individual private prayer until around midday after each Communion service has ended on Wednesday and Sunday mornings during August.  Unfortunately the church has to remain closed at other times after cleaning to ensure it remains virus free.

• Funeral Services in church – these are now possible on a small-scale (max number about 30)  – contact our vicar, Canon Rob McLaren for more information.
  
• Access to St Luke’s for individual private prayer – now only possible after the services on Sundays and Wednesdays until around 12 noon (to allow for necessary cleaning etc.)
• Church Hall – regrettably this will remain closed for meetings and any hiring but the Church Council continues to review whether limited opening may be possible. 
• Zoom Sunday morning service  – this continues at the later time of 10.30am for parishioners with internet access: Zoom ID 856 031 5150 password 902272
• Zoom Morning Prayer services – these continue each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9am and a Prayer meeting on Thursdays at 9.30am.
  
  [Note: Information about our Zoom meetings and other Church activities is sent to parishioners on our email list; if you are local to Holmes Chapel and would like to be added to the list, please contact secy@stlukesholmeschapel.uk ]
• Daily Bible readings for each week and links to other devotional materials are posted on our website and Facebook page.
• House Groups and other Teaching Groups are continuing using Zoom – contact our vicar, Canon Rob McLaren, if you’d like to join one of these groups.
• Updates and notices will continue to be available through emails, our website and Facebook page.
• Parish Magazine – an interim electronic version is available through the website whilst printed copies are no longer produced.  
• Our Prayer Network partners are keeping in contact by phone and socially distanced conversation with those parishioners without internet access.
• We continue to support village initiatives to help those affected during the emergency whilst complying with government movement and social distancing restrictions.

Although we do our best to ensure that the surfaces and door fittings etc. likely to have been contacted by people in church are carefully cleaned after each morning opening period, we cannot eliminate all risks involved in coming into the church during the pandemic.  Everyone entering the church building is advised to take special care, particularly with regard to the risk to others entering or already present in the building.

Government guidance still strongly recommends that people deemed to be at particular risk of severe disease from COVID-19, including the over-70s as well as those with serious underlying health conditions, should minimise their risk of infection by continuing to follow the current stay at home and social distancing guidance.

The continuing COVID-19 pandemic remains a challenge for us all but helps us remember that the Church is the people of God, not a building or a particular meeting.  We encourage you to keep trusting the Lord, spending time in the Bible (through which our soul is refreshed) and in prayer (presenting our requests to the heavenly Father who cares for us like a good shepherd).

Canon Rob McLaren – Vicar (tel. 01477 668695 or 07591 730255) email: vicar@stlukesholmeschapel.uk )

Alastair Cragg, Jayne Weaver – Churchwardens (email:  warden@stlukesholmeschapel.uk )