1 Good News! St Luke’s can now open for individual private prayer on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings
After careful consideration of the recent relaxation by the Government and Church of England of the COVID-19 restrictions on opening churches, we believe that it is now possible to allow limited safe access to St Luke’s Church for individual private prayer, subject to careful conditions being met. These conditions include everyone entering the church following the written instructions inside the church porch as to the use of hand sanitiser, where to sit, and maintaining the Government guidance on Social Distancing.
As a trial, the church will be open for individual private prayer between 9 am and 12 noon each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, starting on 22nd June.
We have carried out a full Risk Assessment and are ensuring that the surfaces and door fittings etc. likely to have been contacted by people are carefully cleaned after each morning opening period. However, necessarily we cannot eliminate all risks involved in coming into the church during the pandemic and individuals are advised to take special care, particularly with regard to the risk to others entering or already present in the building. Government guidance still strongly recommends that people deemed to be at particular risk of severe disease from COVID-19, including the over-70s as well as those with serious underlying health conditions, should minimise their risk of infection by continuing to follow the current stay at home and social distancing guidance.
We very much hope that this limited opening of St Luke’s will allow individuals a chance for a short period of private prayer in a peaceful place where countless Christians have worshipped before them.
2 Small funerals can now be held in church
The relaxation in restrictions on church opening also means that small funerals can be held in church, but again subject to restrictions including only a small number of mourners permitted to attend – please contact Rob for more information.
You may find the attached Simple Reflection Sheet helpful for you to use at home on the day of a funeral you can’t attend.
3 Church Groups
Since Christmas, the number of small groups for Bible study, prayer and fellowship has gone from one to four. The Monday Housegroup now meets weekly on Zoom. The Christianity Explored group, started after Christmas, is now a Sunday evening, Jesus 100 Group, meeting on Zoom. The Thursday morning daytime group is waiting for restrictions to be lifted before it can meet again. The new Tuesday evening Growth Group on Zoom is going from strength to strength. This week we start a new series of short studies in the Book of Philippians and so it would be a good time to join. Contact Rob, timfryer74@gmail.com or yvonne_janvier@hotmail.com if you would like to know more.
4 Planned Giving and Church Finances
Although the church will now be open for individual private prayer, it will be unattended and so you won’t be able to leave your regular envelope donation in church until corporate worship can resume. It would help our financial situation if you could donate by cheque now, payable to the PCC of Church Hulme to cover your weekly donations. You can send this cheque to the PCC Hon. Treasurer, Mr William Hall at 37 Balmoral Drive, CW4 7JQ. Alternatively, you could consider donating by standing order and do without envelopes altogether. Please contact Jayne Weaver for details.