Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Welcome back! We are very pleased that public worship can resume and to see your friendly faces in church this morning. We are delighted that you have chosen to join our community today. A special welcome if you are joining us for the first time this morning. You can download an order of service on the Welcome page of the website if you prefer not to use a preprinted copy : www.stjohs-hydepark.com.
We want everyone worshipping at St John’s this morning to be as safe a place as possible so to minimise the risks of catching Covid-19, guidelines have been drafted. They are on display in the porch and on our website at https://tinyurl.com/y2v4jzgm. In compliance with government guidance, we are required to have an informal community behaviour agreement and the guidelines constitute this In summary, please observe the following:
If you are displaying any of the Covid-19 symptoms – high temperature, continuous cough or a change in your normal sense of taste & smell – please do not come into church but self-isolate and arrange for a test.
Please sanitise your hands when you enter the building. A volunteer is on duty with sanitiser just inside the main glass doors or you can wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soapy water in the toilets. If washing your hands, please use a paper towel to operate the taps.
If you have not already given us your contact details electronically, please do so now. This information will be held for 21 days and only used in what we anticipate will be an unlikely outbreak of Covid-19 which could be traced to someone attending St John’s.
Seats have been set out in clusters of 2, 3, 4 and 5 chairs. Please sit in a cluster appropriate for the size of your household, filling the church from the front.
Orders of service have been printed in advance and placed on the chairs on Sunday morning by a member of staff masked and gloved. Please take your order of service away with you at the end of the service.
At the collection, a member of staff masked and gloved will circulate with a collection plate. Place your cash or Gift Aid envelope in the plate but please do not touch it.
When exchanging the peace, please remain within your household cluster. Feel free to smile or wave at those in other households but do not make any physical contact with anyone outside of your household.
For communion, please remain standing at your seat. Lower your face mask by unhooking the loop around one ear, after which your hands will be sanitised. The clergy will bring the bread to you and place a wafer in your hand. If you prefer to receive a blessing instead, cross your hands over your chest. After you have consumed the bread, reattach your face mask in place over your mouth and nose.
At the end of the service, please remain in your seats until directed to leave the church. It will be tempting to socialise outside, but please remember that you can only do so with your own household or in a group of no more than six people – and then keeping 2 metres’ distance between each of you.
At present we regret that we are unable to offer hospitality after the service.
Children and Young Families
We are delighted to have so many families with young children as members of our congregation. At present, there is no Kids’ Club so children will stay with their households at all times throughout the service and afterwards when leaving the church. Please do bring along with you anything that your children may need during the service as we are unable to make pew bags, soft toys, books or any other items available.
Toilets with changing facilities are available near the entrance of the church but remember to wipe down all surfaces you have touched before going back into church. If for any reason your child becomes restless or upset during the service, please feel free to use the forecourt as a breakout space.
Each week there is a children’s story and activity on the children’s page on our website: https://www.stjohns-hydepark.com/children. Big children as well as smaller ones will find it interesting.
Coming to church on Sunday?
https://www.stjohns-hydepark.com/ordersofservice
To help us plan, if you are reading the electronic version of these notices in advance of Sunday and intend to come to church, please click on the link above and scroll down the page. So far we have comfortably seated everyone who has come to church each Sunday, but it is helpful to know in advance if you are attending.
Keep Calm! Keep Alert! Keep Giving!
We continue to give thanks for the financial commitment of so many of you in making weekly or monthly contributions electronically or in the collection plate. Alternatively, you may feel it safer to make your donations electronically directly to our bank account. Our details are:
Name: St John the Evangelist
Bank: HSBC
Sort Code: 40-11-58
Account #: 80108251
Donations given electronically still qualify for Gift Aid as your name will appear alongside your donation. If you have any questions about giving, please speak to Bryan Sollenberger.
Wednesday Club
The Wednesday Club is a series of groups running every week on (you guessed it) a Wednesday during term time. We cycle between four areas of discipleship to encourage friendship and faith (via Zoom, 8-9pm). If you are interested or want to join in, please just email Dan (danwarnke@me.com) or follow the link below.
WED 1 - Bible study (based on the Gospel reading for the preceding Sunday)
WED 2 - Lectio Divina (reflective reading of scripture)
WED 3 - Pub theology (the convergence of everyday ethics and faith)
WED 4 - Ignation Prayer (exploring the question: How do we pray in difficult times?)
Join us on Wednesdays
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84326155018?pwd=RFhIUzMrM2xUY1pyYjRIK1ZySVUyUT09
Advent
Christingle, 13th December, 4pm
A special service for children of all ages. Come make a Christingle, incorporating symbols of Jesus coming as the Light of the World and supporting the Children’s Society at the same time.
Nativity Play, 20th December, 10am
A contemporary telling of the traditional Christmas story but in a Covid-safe way. Best of all, there is no sermon!
Nine Lessons and Carols in Covid, 20th December, 6pm
Our traditional candlelit carol service kicks off the countdown to Christmas with the choir accompanied by orchestra. This is one of the biggest musical treats of the year for all the family.
Community Carols, 21st December 7pm
Join us on the forecourt for a festive service of carols, music and readings around a Christmas tree! Your one opportunity to sing some of your favourite carols in Covid over a socially distanced glass of mulled wine.
CHRISTMAS
Christmas Eve
4.00pm - Crib Service
We build and bless the crib, hear the first telling of the Christmas story and sing Christmas carols.
11.30pm – Midnight Mass
Enjoy the first mass of Christmas in a candlelit church, with Christmas carols accompanied by strings and winds. The setting will be Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai Hob XXII:6.
Christmas Day
10am – Family Festival Eucharist
Children are invited to come along dressed up in their fairy costumes and sparkly shoes or Christmas pyjamas and to bring their toys with them if they wish. The choir sing the mass setting and Christmas carols accompanied by orchestra.
Christmas Flowers
Each year we spruce up the church with greenery and flowers and this year will be no different. Donations to help with the cost of the decorations are very welcome and can be made in honour of loved ones, with a list of those remembered displayed in the porch over Christmas. Donations can be made electronically or can be left in the collection once services in church have resumed.
EPIPHANY 2021
Festival Eucharist for Epiphany
10th January 2021, 10am
The arrival of the Magi, after their long journey following a star seeking Jesus, is one of the oldest festivals of the Christian Church. In the Eastern and Russian Orthodox Churches, this is the equivalent of Christmas. St John’s celebrates Epiphany with a festival Eucharist at 10am on Sunday, 10th January 2021 with Magi bearing Gifts for the Christ child.
Epiphany Carols
17th January 2021, 6pm
Robert and the choir, accompanied by our guest musicians, are preparing another special treat to conclude our seasonal celebrations marking the events of the Epiphany season. Featuring seasonal music and readings. A great way to beat the post-Christmas blues!
Let’s Talk about Sex
Our curate Georgina Elsey has written a blog about sexuality, identity, relationships and marriage. This is part of a new project by the Church of England called Living in Love and Faith. W e will be looking at this project as part of our Lent course in the spring. Check out the blog at http://www.stjohns-hydepark.com/news/2020/11/22/living-in-love-and-faith and find out more at http://www.LLF.churchofengland.org .
Powering Ahead with Electrical Works
Despite Covid, St John’s recently completed some essential electrical works that came to light during our last electrical inspection. We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their support in enabling us to complete these works.
Organ Works
If you were in church before this latest lockdown, you will know that there was a leak in the roof above the organ and some water had penetrated the ceiling as well. The roof was repaired in October and the ceiling repairs and decorations were completed in November. Sadly, when the organ builders came in to protect the organ prior to the roof and ceiling repairs being carried out, they discovered some water had gotten into the organ as well. The organ builders have been on site to make some minor repairs to the leather on one of the bellows and will return in January to reair one of the large sound boards. Betty is playable but it will be early January until she is sounding like her usual self. We wish to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund for providing the funding to enable us to carry out these repairs.
St John’s Book Club
St John’s Book Club met last week to discuss Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. They selected their next book, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, and will meet via Zoom to discuss it on 8th February at 8pm. For further information about the book club, drop a line to parishadmin@stjohns-hydepark.com.
Domestic Abuse
During these weeks of close proximity, the necessity to stay indoors with little opportunity to get some space can cause pressure and stress which we might normally handle quite comfortably. Relationships can get difficult at times for the best of us. Should you find things getting too much or out of hand and feel that you have been or may become a victim of abuse, help is available. Please ring 999 followed by 55. This will notify the police of the nature of your call. Don’t suffer in silence!
