Our parish has a long history of supporting the Diocese of Sudan. This August there is a special appeal by the Diocese of Leeds to help this country which is facing health and economic crises. Michael Skelton is carrying out a sponsored litter pick in Baildon to raise vital funds for the appeal. He is aiming to collect 50 sacks of litter! Could you sponsor him 20p per sack, amounting to a donation of £10? To sponsor Michael, call him on 01274 582224 or email michaelskelton46@gmail.com.
Unfortunately we have had to put Tuesday morning coffee at St John’s on hold for the time being. With new restrictions announced late last night (30/07/2020) we cannot presently accommodate this activity. We will let you know as soon as we can resume our coffee morning via phone calls, FaceBook and our parish website.
We are really happy to be able to open St John’s Church for Sunday Service from 16th August 2020. There will be a service at 9am and another at 11am every Sunday from this date going forward.
In order to keep everyone safe and to follow the Church’s and Government’s guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19, we can only admit a very limited number of visitors. We are only using pews where it is possible for people to practice 2 metre social distancing and it is necessary for you to book a seat before the service. We are offering 2 sizes of pew: 1-2 people or 3-4 people (or up to 5 if young children are in your party). You can only share a pew with someone from your own household or who is in your support bubble. Face coverings must be worn unless you have a recognised reason not to. Children under 11 are not required to wear a face covering.
To book, call the Parish Office on 01274 594941 Monday to Thursday in office hours. You may need to leave a message but we will ring you back to confirm your booking within 48 hours. You can leave a message outside these times and we will call you back as soon as we’re working again. The cut off point for booking for the following Sunday’s services is 3pm on Thursdays. This allows us time to re-allocate any available pews to parties of different sizes.
Visitors will need to observe the measures we now have in place in church such as the one-way system and hand sanitising but this will all be explained to you when you arrive. At present we are not allowed to sing but we can offer communion in an adapted form to comply with safety guidance.
Dear all
I hope once again that you are keeping safe and well. In the lines of a very old song ‘Times they are a-changing!’ For the past few months we have all been in total lockdown, all knowing what we need to do and, mostly, abiding by the guidelines. Now however, ‘times are a-changing’ and much more of the responsibility is being placed on us to know what feels safe for us as we begin to venture out. This can be quite an anxious time for some and I believe that we must all take this at our pace and not feel pushed into doing something or going somewhere we do not feel comfortable or safe.
You will be aware from the Government of two new announcements regarding churches. Firstly that, as from tomorrow, we are allowed to open for individual private prayer and secondly from Monday we are allowed to open for funerals. We were fortunate that on Monday 8th June we had a PCC meeting. At that meeting Council gave a hesitant agreement to look at what we need to do for us to consider opening St John’s. A lot of work needs to be done and at the centre of our thinking, planning and praying is to keep the community of Baildon safe.
One of the questions in this planning is whether we could have enough volunteers to staff an opening. We would need at least two people on at all times who will be trained and Ruth or myself will always be on call. Appropriate PPE will be provided. At the moment we are only considering opening one day a week from 10.00am – 2.00pm to determine the need and volunteers would only work for 2 hours.
I am now asking if you would consider volunteering if, after careful consideration and with all the planning in place, we decide to open St John’s. When considering this request your personal situation must come before anything else. If you are vulnerable or in an age bracket that until now has been self-isolation I completely understand that you may not feel able to volunteer even if in your heart of hearts you would love to.
In order that we consider this in a timely manner I would be grateful for your responses to me by 5.00pm Wednesday 17th June.
There will be a notice on our website and Facebook regarding the up to date situation on opening and if people ask you then please do point them to this.
Keep safe and God bless
Sandra
You will find all the information you need about this exciting position plus details on how to apply by following the links below:
You will Acrobat Reader to edit this form available free here or in your app store.
On Sunday 21st June we are holding a ‘Festival of Refugee Week’. Join us on our YouTube channel for the service at 10am. The theme of our worship will be people seeking refuge and asylum. This is one of the ways in which we are marking Refugee Week which starts on 15th June.
If you would like to find out more, join activities and events online, or get involved, the links below will get you started.
Refugee Week 2020 https://refugeeweek.org.uk
A Zephaniah Trust resource for schools, families, adults, and communities to explore asylum and refugee issues https://zephaniahtrust.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/refugee-week-resource-pack-2020.pdf
BIASAN – portraits and stories http://www.saltaireinspired.org.uk/biasan-humanising
Giving asylum seekers the right to work – join the campaign to lift the ban www.refugee-action.org.uk/lift-the-ban
You will be aware that recently the Government has said that churches can now open for individual private prayer and also that funerals can now take place in church. The Parochial Parish Council of Baildon (the governing body of this Parish) are considering these developments at the present time and are aware that much work needs to be completed before either of these can happen safely. At the centre of all our thinking, planning and praying is the safety of the community of Baildon.
We are therefore working to put everything in place that we can to ensure the safety of all those entering our buildings for whatever purpose. Until we have done that, sadly, our buildings will need to remain closed.
Although the church buildings are closed, the church community is very much open and alive. There is much on this website and on our Facebook page to help worship, study and prayer. Please do have a look, there is something for every age!
Here are the first prayer reflections in two series created in line drawing and word by Roy Lorain-Smith. They are based on Baildon and the surrounding area. In this time of isolation we can ponder and pray using our imagination and Roy’s art to take us to the locations around Baildon, or visit them if we are able to while taking our daily exercise. Click on the links below:
Ponder Place 1
Ponder Place 2
Ponder Place 3
Ponder Place 4
Ponder Place 5
Ponder Place 6
St Hugh’s Prayer Walk
St James’s Prayer Walk
St John’s Prayer Walk
Virtual Coffee
After Sunday Service we are all accustomed to meeting for a coffee, a chat and a catch up. We still do this but, instead of pouring into the church hall, lounge or meeting room, we now meet in a virtual environment of Zoom! Zoom allows us to meet online; we can see and hear each other in real time. Why not make yourself a cuppa so you’re ready? We meet at 11.00am each Sunday after service. Just email Reverend Sandra at sandrabenham@btinternet.com and she will send you an invitation and a link. Don’t worry if you’re not tech savvy; it’s very user-friendly and all you need is a device with a camera which is connected to the internet.
These are challenging times for anyone’s wellbeing. We are all struggling with the feelings of disconnect and isolation. Now, more than ever, it’s important to take care of ourselves and find ways to be positive. You might following links useful.