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Here’s our July 5th newsletter. From next Sunday, July 12th, we will be back worshiping in church. We will have just the one Sunday service, at 11 am. Christ Church will have an earlier service at 10 am. There will also be services at normal times on Wednesday morning and Thursday evening.

Things will be different

Some things will be different next week. Following Government guidelines, we will need to take your name when you arrive for track & trace. You will need to use hand sanitiser when you arrive and when you leave. You will only be able to sit in the designated pews and at 2m distancing from your neighbours.

There will be no singing and it will be wafer-only at the Communion. Weather permitting we will keep a door open to allow circulation of air. We won’t be able to have a brew afterwards. Once the service is finished the church will be sanitised ready for our next time together. This may seem a lot to consider but it’s all being done to ensure that it’s as safe a place as it can be for us all.

But we’ll be together. We’ll pray together, we’ll read scripture together, we’ll listen to the sermon together, we’ll share the Eucharist together.

Private prayer

In the meantime, our churches are open for individual prayer. St John with St Mark is open on Wednesday, from 10 am to 11 am, and on Sunday between 10 am and 12 noon.

Christ Church Walmersley is open at the same time on Sunday – and Thursday from 10 am to 11 am. Please be aware of the health and hygiene protocols and maintain social distancing at all times.

If you need to contact the Vicar, Dave Thompson: Phone 0161 797 7652 or e-mail:  dvjt@outlook.com

Prayer for the current pandemic:

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy, in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort, knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayers

The Vicar says Morning Prayer at 9.30 am and Evening Prayer at 5.00 pm on a daily basis. By also saying prayers at this time we are uniting together.

Please remember in your prayers:

The World – Countries of the world preparing to resume flights and welcome tourists.      

This Country – Those who have become unemployed as a result of the Pandemic.

This Parish – All other places of worship in the Parish, which are preparing to reopen.        

The Sick – Geoffrey Lay, Joan Hartley, Miriam Hamilton, Margaret Watson and Dorothy Howarth.

The recently Deceased – Pauline Andrew and Julie Cooper. Our thoughts and prayers go to all those who miss and mourn them.

Notices and updates

Individual Private Prayer continues in both our church and Christ Church this week. Church bibles and prayer books will not be available. So, if you wish to use these as part of your individual prayer time then you should bring your own. We need non-vulnerable volunteers to keep the Church open at these times and to clean the church between openings. If you would like to be involved, please contact the Vicar.

The Parish Office: is open, with the necessary social distancing! Enquiries about future baptisms or weddings, marriage banns or any other matter, should be made at St John with St Mark Church Hall, any Wednesday between 6.30 pm – 7.00 pm.

Giving: Please ensure you continue to contribute to our church funds at this time. Envelopes should be kept safe and given when able to do so. If you would like to consider donating by Standing Order, then our bank is: Barclays; Sort Code: 20-16-08; Account No: 20774774; Account name: St. John with St. Mark PCC. Please contact Ian or June Banks for more information.

August 2020 magazine: Please note the deadline for contributions is mid July and the magazine inbox is wrub@live.co.uk. Alternatively please contact the Vicar, Wardens or David Robinson.  

NHS – don’t forget to clap for the National Health Service at 5pm today. This is to mark their 72nd birthday. Remember too, all the other key workers. For more on this please press here.

And finally…

St Joseph’s Prayer Centre in Formby, which hosts our annual retreat, will be featuring on ‘Songs of Praise’ on Sunday July 26th. So, those of us who didn’t get there this year can get a top-up – and those who’ve not been before can get an idea of what you’re missing.

TAKE CARE, STAY SAFE & GOD BLESS YOU

We hope this July 5th Newsletter has been useful. Many thanks to Eugene Zhyvchik for the cover photo on Unsplash