CHURCH SERVICES AND EVENTS

NOTICE FOR NORTH MARSTON CHURCH 20th June 2020

Churches Open for Private Prayer

We are delighted to have been able to take this first step towards the reopening of our churches. We can now welcome you to both of our churches, for private prayer only at present, and with some restrictions in place to adhere to Government guidance. Both churches will be open 2 days a week with 72 hours between openings to minimise the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus.

St Mary’s Church, North Marston

Tuesdays 2.00pm-6.00pm

Saturdays 10.00am-2.00pm

Various safety measures are in place:

• There is one entrance and one exit, clearly indicated;
• It is important to use hand sanitiser after entry and before leaving the building and maintain 2 metres distance from anyone else in the building.
• Seating is allowed in a restricted area, in the Lady Chapel,
• Cards placed on the pews indicate appropriate places to sit;
• The areas in use will be cleaned before and after each session with appropriate anti-bacterial spray;
• Hand sanitiser will be provided for use on entry and exit.

We hope that despite these limitations you would enjoy your visit:

Keep well, stay safe and look out for your neighbours.

MORNING PRAYERS

Petra's morning prayers are taking place via Zoom  click here to request a Zoom invitation.

A Prayer for you:

Almighty and merciful Father,

you show your love to all your creation

Thank you that we can come into our church

to offer you our heartfelt prayers.

May we know your healing

and compassionate presence with us during this time

And may we leave renewed and refreshed,

ready to serve you and all those in our lives.

We offer this prayer

through the love of our Saviour Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Keep well, stay safe and look out for your neighbours.

‘Doing Church Differently’

Since the start of lockdown in March, worship locally, at the Diocesan level, and nationally, has continued to be provided online, with clergy adapting quickly to the new circumstances. The livestreaming of services has become the norm, and increasingly accessible and professional. One advantage of this is that these services have attracted a number of people who were not regular attenders, but who are enjoying church in a different way, at home. We were delighted to be able to share jointly in a Zoom service at 10.30am on 14th June, which drew approximately 50 participants. It was particularly heart-warming to have prayers by video from children in both parishes, and piano and vocal accompaniment from Marcus and Lucy.

Online Services

You can access David Meakin’s weekly service, livestreamed at 11am, on the Schorne Team Facebook page, or later in the day via YouTube.

You can share a recorded service, produced by Steve and Sarah Flashman, designed to be watched on a Sunday evening, at www.quaintonchurch.com.

Bishop Steven’s 10.00am Sunday morning communion service can be livestreamed directly from the front page of the Diocese of Oxford’s website, with a downloadable Order of Service to accompany it (https://www.oxford.anglican.org/)

There are very useful resources on the Church of England website: https://www.churchofengland.org/

Materials for Reflection and Worship

Our ministers are providing materials for reflection and worship, which can be emailed out to anyone requesting them. If you would like to receive Janet’s ‘Candle of Hope’ reflections and readings, please email her. Similarly, if you would like our ‘Sunday Reflections’, please email Petra.

Prayers and Support

We are keen to offer all the support we can at this time, and even if we can’t visit, we are available for pastoral phone conversations. If you have particular concerns that you would like to share and talk through with someone, then please let Petra or Janet know.

In both parishes we have a long-established prayer ministry. To request prayers for family or friends, please contact one of our co-ordinators or either minister directly. Requests for prayers will be dealt with sensitivity and confidentiality.

Prayer co-ordinator for North Marston Church:

Anne Nicholson nicholsonanne759@gmail.com

Morning Prayers have been reinstated via Zoom, and are open to all. These take place on Thursday mornings from 10.00am – 11.00am. Please email Petra if you would like to join us, and she will send you a link to the meeting. You can be an active participant, or just watch and listen.

The Future

At this point in time, we still do not know what the future holds, or have any idea of the timescale which will be put in place for the return to shared worship. What is certain is that when we are allowed to come back together, it is going to be a very measured and lengthy process, perhaps with services with restricted congregations allowed first. Our priority will be to bring the members of our church back together, with the safety of all central to our thinking.

We may not be able to meet up and see each other in person, but we can keep in touch by phone and email. We realise that trying to stay at home can mean loneliness for many and, as time goes on, social isolation can have a detrimental effect on our wellbeing. Please do let us know, if we can help in any way.

Rev Petra Elsmore: 07365605412 petra.elsmore@gmail.com

Rev Janet Bayly: 670245 janet.bayly@gmail.com

Churchwardens North Marston:

Aly Perrett 670302 alysonperrett3@gmail.com

Tricia McSweeney: 670484 tricia.mcsweeney@btinternet.com

‘

St Mary’s Church is a beautiful Church in the lovely north Buckinghamshire village of North Marston. It stands on the hill overlooking the village, and can clearly be seen from the surrounding area. With its significant historical background, this is a church of today, with a vibrant community and outreach programme. Many people pass through its doors each year, be it on a church pilgrimage, or to worship and celebrate in the inclusive and open Christian church.

We are an Open and Inclusive Church, which means that -

We believe in inclusive Church - church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.

As a genuinely Inclusive Church we extend a warm welcome to everyone, and celebrate their wonderful diversity. We look forward to meeting you!

Rev. Petra Elsmore

Rev. Petra Elsmore joined the Schorne Team of Parishes as the minister of North Marston 24^th September 2018.