Coronavirus updates

Coronavirus and our community

Following the prime minister’s announcement that places of worship are able to open again, we have been gathering advice, hearing from church members and preparing plans and appropriate risk assessments etc in order to open our church buildings as safely as possible.

We met as a PCC to decide on our dates and plans for reopening our church buildings.

From 12th July there will be a weekly service at Emmanuel Holcombe at 11am.

From 19th July there will also be a weekly service at St. Mary’s Hawkshaw (10.45am) and Emmanuel Church Centre (9.30am).

We understand that different people are in different situations around the need to keep away from other people and/or their sense of when they might be ready to return to our church buildings for worship, so we will continue offering our online services over the summer, and using parts of them in the worship in the buildings during this time. Please do join us online or in church this Sunday for worship, and if there is anything else that we can help you with, please do get in touch.

Please take a moment to fill in our survey to let us know where you are up to in this unusual season.

Here’s a prayer…

Lord Jesus, when you walked on earth
you healed the sick and stilled the storm;
We look upon our world and see its frailty and weakness.
We ask that you would look kindly on us,
Please help all who are sick and all who are confined
Please help all medical teams and care workers,
Please comfort the afraid, and those worried for their loved ones
Give us all faith above fear.
As we weep at sickness on earth,
May it remind us we are made for a new creation with you.
Amen. 

 

UPDATES

This page will be updated with the latest information regarding how Coronavirus will affect church life and the actions we are taking in response to this.

The opening of Holcombe Church on Sunday 21st June 2020 2pm – 3pm for private prayer :

To ensure visitor safety we are taking steps to meet the safety requirements laid down by the Government and the Church of England. Social distancing will have to be observed  and there will be restrictions on where you are permitted to sit.

Everyone will be welcome to attend. There will be no set service, just a quiet place to pray and reflect and you will be able to come and go as you wish. We will be very pleased to welcome you.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of 23rd March we have been instructed that churches must now close both for private worship and public services.
Churches will not be open this Sunday.
This Sunday (22nd March 2020), please visit the website at 9:30am to ‘Watch & Worship’ with Rev. Sumsion
This Sunday (22nd March 2020), all 3 of our centres for Worship will be open for private prayer:
  • St Mary’s Church Hawkshaw will be open for private prayer 10am to 3pm.
  • Emmanuel Church Centre will be open for private prayer  9am to 11am.
  • Emmanuel Church, Holcombe will be open for private prayer 10am to 3pm.
This weeks Government advice encouraged significant social distancing. There are some immediate implications for us:
  • All public worship is suspended at the direction of the CofE. 
  • Midweek groups have all stopped for the time being.
  • Congregation members are self-isolating appropriately either because of age, because of symptoms themselves or in their households, or being vulnerable.