Coronavirus (covid19)
In the light of the advice from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York all public worship has been suspended until further notice. There will therefore be no public worship at St John’s this Sunday.
This means there will be no communion or other public service in the coming Sundays or during the week. This coming Sunday we will be livestreaming an act of worship from the vicarage at 10am and this will be available online throughout the day. To access the live stream go to www.stjohns-hydepark.com on Sunday morning and click on the Facebook link.
St John’s, Hyde Park is now closed and no longer available for private prayer and reflection. The clergy will be praying regularly for all who are sick, anxious or isolated as well as for our national leaders, medical staff and researchers, along with all those whose lives have been affected by this crisis. We will also have in our thoughts those members of our own congregation who are particularly at risk and are in isolation.
The clergy will be leading Evening Prayer by livestreaming video link Monday to Thursday at 5.30pm. Orders of service for both Sunday and throughout the week will be downloadable from our website.
If you would like to pray with a member of the clergy, please call 07801 476 474 or email or WhatsApp one of the clergy team directly to arrange a convenient time.
Need help or just want to feel connected?
Call the office – we have a simple message: Ring! Ring! Ring! We hope to set up some virtual groups via WhatsApp and Zoom over the coming days but in the meantime, anyone who is shut in and needing help or just wanting to chat, please give us a ring and Steve, Bryan, Dan & Andre will do our best to help.
Virtual Collection
Several people have inquired about how to make their weekly donations now that there is no service and consequently no collection. For those of you who would like, you can send your donations directly to our bank account. Our bank details are:
Sort Code: 40-11-58
Account #: 80108251
Even though the church is closed for now, we still have bills to pay and your contributions are very much appreciated.
Change Your Clocks
Remember that Saturday night we go onto British Summer Time (or went onto, if you’re reading this on Sunday). The clocks go forward one hour so Sunday’s service is effectively at 9am. Make sure you’re up in time to catch it.
Vicar’s Coffee Morning!
Steve and the team would like to invite you to grab a cup of coffee and join us on Zoom for a quick get together on Wednesday morning at 11am. Please download Zoom onto your pc, laptop or mobile phone before hand. Please also text the Vicar your e-mail address on 07801 476 474 before 9am. He will then e-mail you a meeting id number which you can click on to join the meeting.
Spread the Love
At this time of increased anxiety for so many people and with much that is unknown, we want to reassure all the members of our community that they are members of the St John’s family and we encourage everyone to stay in touch with one another by telephone, social media, e-mail or text. Encourage one another, make each other laugh and be there to listen and help where needed, but let\s learn to be the body of Christ in a new way that enables us all to stick by the government guidelines for social distancing while we are unable to meet together.
Help Hogg Help the Vulnerable
Hogg & Son, our local chemists in Kendal Street, are looking for volunteers to distribute medications. If you can help, please contact them directly either at 37 Kendal Street or by phoning 020 7262 7169.
New Assistant Curate
We are delighted to announce that Georgina Elsey will be joining us in July. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Georgina’s ordination has been postponed until September. The present plan is that Georgina will still become a member of team St John’s in July and move into Archery Close, but she will do so as a licensed lay reader. Georgina is training for ordination at Cranmer Hall, Durham and a flyer introducing Georgina is available in the porch.
Rainy Day Appeal
Raised: £38,136
Target: £40,000
Two years ago we undertook some very essential repairs to the roof, gutters and parapets. If you look up on the outside north or south sides of the church, you’ll notice the beautiful new stonework. To fund the works, however, we had to borrow £200,000 from the Diocese of London.
We are now 95.3% of the way to our goal of raising £40,000 to cover this year’s repayment commitment and interest. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. Please see Bryan Sollenberger if you can help us raise that last 5%!
A Big Gay Night Out
Dick Whittington (an adult Panto) December 2020! There’s nothing like planning ahead – and tickets for this year’s panto at Above the Stag are now on sale! If you are interested in coming to the Panto on Tuesday 8th December 2020, please contact Ian Smith [ipas@hotmail.co.uk] asap. Tickets, £28 a seat, sell fast (even this far ahead!).
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Stay and Play
The community playgroup which usually meets weekly in St John’s on Thursday mornings from 9.30-11.30am will not be meeting while public gatherings are discouraged by the government.
