Parish Church of St Luke Holmes Chapel
Come to Christ, Love to Learn, Learn to Love!
Trial opening of St Luke’s for limited services during August
After consulting many parishioners, we are trialling in August limited resumption of short services of Holy Communion on Sundays at 9am and Wednesdays at 10.30am with strict safeguarding in place meeting the official guidance.
The further relaxation of official restrictions now permits certain services to resume in church buildings, but subject to strict conditions including social distancing being met and comprehensive risk assessment. St Luke’s is a relatively small church and keeping to the recommended social distancing requirement severely limits the maximum number who can safely attend to about 30 people.
The recent questionnaire consultation in the parish indicated that there would be a good take-up for such services and so the Church Council has decided to trial the services during August.
We don’t want to make things difficult for anybody. If you wish to continue shielding at home, please do that, and join in our Zoom services (note the later time of 10.25 for 10.30am from Sunday 2nd August) and use the Church website/Facebook/ phone calls to keep in touch.To safeguard everyone, churchgoers will be expected to wear a facemask (as we have to in shops), and social distancing will be required. There will be a Link guidance sheet available in church. It has a list of the ways in which we are helping one another keep safe, while at the same time finding encouragement and Christian fellowship in church.
In the meantime:
Our regular Sunday morning service using Zoom continues (new time of 10.30am from 2nd August) for parishioners with internet access, as do our short services of Morning Prayer on Monday – Wednesday at 9am and our Prayer Meeting on Thursday at 9.30am – please contact secy@stlukesholmeschapel.uk if you need access details.
Please also check our website and FaceBook page for support in your individual worship and prayer.
Read more information on the Noticeboard
Useful Links:
Sunday August 9th: 9th after Trinity – Wilberforce Sunday
Today’s Bible readings are:
- Galatians 3.26-end
- Luke 4.16-21
This morning and on Sundays throughout August, our vicar Rob will celebrate a limited service of Holy Communion in St Luke’s at the new later time of 9am. The church will be open from 8.30am and will remain open after the service for private individual worship until midday.
Our virtual service of Morning Prayer through Zoom continues to be available as usual to those who are unable to attend in church but starting at the new later time of 10.30am. [Please login at 10.25pm so that we can begin on time.] It will be followed at 11.15am with a chance to catch up informally in small groups with other Church members over a cup of coffee/tea also using a Zoom meeting.
Before either service why not watch the short video address (below) recorded for us by Rob – today using a text from Galatians 3.26ff, Rob focuses on William Wilberforce and others prominent in the campaign to abolish slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The joining details for the Zoom meetings have been sent to all our parishioners with email addresses. We’re sorry we can’t open these Zoom meetings up to everyone but if you are local to Holmes Chapel and would like to join in, please let us know by email secy@stlukesholmeschapel.uk.
This week
Resumption of limited corporate worship in church:
10.30am WEDNESDAY 5th August – limited short service of Holy Communion
the church will be open from 10am – please follow the safeguarding instructions on the notices as you enter church and on the pew Link sheet – face-masks should be worn inside church – we are limited to a maximum of about 30 people in church so that everyone can remain safely distanced.
- Bible readings for Monday 10th – Sunday 16th August are shown below.
- Morning Prayer service through Zoom continues on Monday and, Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 9am
- Special Prayer service through Zoom on Thursday starting at 9.30am
- Opening of church for individual private prayer: please note that during August this will only be available on Wednesday and Sunday after the Communion services until midday .
- Our Prayersheet to help in our personal worship in the weeks after Trinity Sunday can be viewed below – we are using it in our Morning Prayer services. You can also download a copy here suitable for printing.
Bible Readings: 10th -16th August
Monday 10th August: Psalm 44, 1 Samuel 19.1-18, Acts 1.1-14
Tuesday 11th: Psalm 48, 1 Samuel 20.1-17, Acts 1.15-end
Wednesday 12th: Psalm 119.57-80, 1 Samuel 20.18-end, Acts 2.1-21
Thursday 13th: Psalm 57, 1 Samuel 21.1-22.5, Acts 2.22-36
Friday 14th: Psalm 51, 1 Samuel 22.6-end, Acts 2.37-end
Sunday 16th, Trinity 10: Psalm 133, Philippians 3.1-11, Matthew 15.21-28
Praying Together
Praying Together at Ascension & Pentecost @St Luke’s, Holmes Chapel – to help you in your personal worship.
You can download it for printing through the link in read more.
Praying Together – when sickness is near
you can view or download this whole prayersheet here
God of compassion,
be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.
In their loneliness, be their consolation;
in their anxiety, be their hope;
in their darkness, be their light;
through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them, and restore them to health and strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For hospital staff and medical researchers
Gracious God,
give skill, sympathy and resilience to all who are caring for the sick,
and your wisdom to those searching for a cure. Strengthen them with your Spirit,
that through their work many will be restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
From one who is ill or isolated
O God, help me to trust you,
help me to know that you are with me, help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your love
revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Rt Revd Mark Tanner confirmed as 41st Bishop of Chester on Wed 15th July
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner, formerly Suffragan Bishop of Berwick in Northumberland, was confirmed as Bishop of Chester on Wed 15th July. Although now legally the Bishop of Chester, he is not expected to take up his public duties until September.
You can view some of his first reactions (and those of his wife, Lindsay) to his new appointment in this short video and also in his video conversation with Bishop Christine, the Bishop of Newcastle. You can also see his response to some searching questions about his faith from several young people from around the diocese who chatted online with the Bishop-elect recently, giving an idea of what may be in store when he starts his ministry with us in the autumn.
The virus and Easter
A poem by By Kristi Bothur
Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began, Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.
People were sick, hospitals full, Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.
As winter gave way to the promise of spring, The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.
People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen, They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.
April approached and churches were closed, “There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.
“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out, No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”
Announcements
July 2020 letter
It is a step forward to be able to go into the church building again for private prayer, but let’s remember that’s not church. This whole challenging season of closure and disruption has not just knocked us out of our routine, and made us wary of taking anything for granted. It has caused us to consider deeply why we need church.
From Monday 22nd June, an aspect of the normal use of St Luke’s church building has been restored. The doors are open for half the week and everybody is welcome to pray and ponder privately within, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. There is clear guidance to be followed to minimise health risks and enable thorough targeted cleaning. It’s not much, but it is a step in the right direction.
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MU Evening Meeting Tuesday 11th February
The speaker was Pat Riches – an old friend and member of the branch – she came to talk about the Sycamore Tree Course. Pat is a volunteer on the Sycamore Tree Course at Thorn Cross Prison. The Course is faith led and all the sessions are based on the story of Zaccheus,
Genesis update: 4th April 2020
As you know, because of the public health restrictions, Church services and Genesis are now suspended and the church and hall buildings are now closed until further notice. Further updates about the restrictions and how the Church plans to adapt during the virus pandemic can be accessed via the church website.