The New Reality

[Ernest]

The Government has now released the guidance for the reopening of Churches or Places of Worship, meaning those for all faiths, not just Christianity. The terms of the guidance are clear and in some cases a bit vague in terms of what constitutes worship practices for instance sacred parts of worship i.e the sacraments, which sound strange to our ears.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... troduction

There is also separate guidance for the conduct of weddings (in secular and faith settings).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... troduction

The CofE is about to issue its own guidance based on the government guidelines, which we as a parish are waiting for to assess the ways that we can take to make church "Covid Safe" but it will possibly take several days for the extensive guidance already issued to be updated.

But what is obvious is that gathering for worship or private prayer or other activities will require substantial adjustments to what we have done so far, and it is obvious that the burden on Incumbents, PCC's and Ministry Teams and volunteers will be substantial. And there will be much reliance of younger, people (as those over 70 are advised that attending or volunteering will be a conscious choice they make, against the advice in the guidance). I wonder whether our insurers will refuse to cover people (like me) as we are going against the guidance?

I await developments with interest to see, what if any, effect this will have on my own public ministry and worship, let alone that of others. What is obvious to me is that online worship will have to continue alongside B&M worship for the for some time to come. No going back, because it will exclude so many.

What do others think? :

[Joyce]

Whar do others think ? I think stay online.
Jumping through hoops to set up a limited access to a place isn't worth it until it's known what's going to happen with the virus. Lockdown may come back. OTOH we may beat the virus and get back to normal. Some congregations for now might just have to 'Wait yer hurry' as they said in the place where I spent my other childhood.

[Pam]

Whar do others think ? I think stay online.

Good plan, Joyce!

As far as i can see, getting the average church ready for 'socially distanced' services is extremely difficult. Most Dioceses are assuring vicars they are under no pressure to go back quickly. I can understand some people's keenness to get back into church, but the average age of attenders and those who usually help has to be taken into account. Better to go slowly and work out what's viable than rush into it and have to go backwards to lockdown, IMO.

[Ernest]

Yes, we plan to stay online. It is likely that we will only have one service on a Sunday in the church. Our seating capacity is 240 people, but that will reduce to perhaps 42 in the nave, particularly as we have a choir, who will have to occupy the front pews. I am told that the choir members have established a social bubble to come into force when rehearsals can restart, which at the moment is out of the question, but they have been rehearing online together, also as they are doing the RSCM courses, they need to continue to develop their musical knowledge at whichever stage they are at. At the moment, singing, shouting or speaking loudly to other people is on the forbidden list in church and as far as I can see, outside as well.

We have a sound system which can play CD music or can use a plugin USB disc to broadcast music, so we will have to learn to listen and to discourage the congregation not to sing along.

Our BCP services have small congregations, so could possibly proceed. One 8 am and one midweek and Evensong once a month, said only.

But our main services are normally Sung Eucharist, so this will have to become a said service with music played in the service.

We used to do Morning Prayer in our Lady Chapel during the week, which had a maximum of six attending. This could continue as there is sufficient space in the lady chapel for social distancing that number, alternatively we could use the nave pews, socially distanced if needed.

Morning prayer is particularly important as it is the Ministry Team meeting for it, and I and we really miss this opportunity to pray together. The issue is that we apart from the Vicar, are all over 70.

I am still waiting for the Covid19 Safe risk assessment to be completed, which won't be before 4th of August as the Vicar and his family are shielding due to one of their children receiving Chemo. And we only have one Church Warden, who is a Police Officer and necessarily engaged in his main role. The PCC are the ones who will have to do most of the work and preparation, again, most of whom have day jobs and are back at work.

None of this is insurmountable, but it will take the will and commitment of a wider range of the congregation to make us able to return and to worship safely. My prayer is that we can do so, if God wills it.

[Joyce]

Some congregations for now might just have to 'Wait yer hurry' as they said in the place where I spent my other childhood.

I thought on re-reading the above I'd better explain, in case anyone thinks I was behind bars or something.
Many wartime children sometimes refer in later life to having 'had two childhoods' because they were evacuated for up to as long as five years and had two totally different experiences. I'm too young for evacuation to have happened to me but I'm one of those whose parents halfway through their childhood took children to live in another area after they'd played with neighbours, been to a local school, learned the three Rs and established friendships and habits. How one copes with moving to England from India or China like many of the children I've taught, goodness knows. To me it was like being uprooted rather than transplanted and I'd only moved from Wales. A cousin of mine who moved in the other direction, I eventually learned,felt similarly. To my parents it was their home town so they hadn't a clue. It was only when I was grown up that I realised, from certain gestures she made, that a teacher, Miss Widop, understood. One thing she did was give me a Scottish new girl to take under my wing : only now do I wish I'd had more skills to have made a better job of that.
Change and newness isn't always as good as a rest. I'm thinking in some cases disruptions over the last few months must have happened to children and families that could have an unsettling effect. Going back to school to a wholly different way of doing things from what they remember may suit some more than others. One child's excitement is another's fear. For children who'd find the new ways of classroom management disturbing, if they've got used to home schooling it might not be a bad idea to continue down that home education route for a while. It's quite legal so long as parents go about it the right way.The Education Otherwise website can advise on procedure.There are lots of non-school-hours ways to socialise in person and to learn how to take instruction. Remember, today's young are accustomed to interacting with their friends over screens on phones and not all of them find it weird at all.

[rogerjames]

Our "Group" is starting the thinking process ahead of the PCC meeting early in September. One of the big questions will be:
“What will gathering for services look like, as we begin to move back into the buildings?” They say:

"Some of the questions we will need to answer include:
· Will you come to a service in the building if we have one?
· Do we have Communion (with all its restrictions) or Morning and Evening worship services?
· The timings of online and gathered services?
· Midweek communions?
· Do we have services in all our buildings or just some (if so where)?"

I have started lising my thoughts but keep coming back to the issue of how others may feel in this discussion. We have a talented team ministry led by a exceptional Rector with a great group of clergy and lay members in support. They need to feel we all understand where they are coming from and how anxious they are to be flexible and push forward and do the right thing. It is quite an imaginative setting here with a lot of "Churches together" opportunities, so there is tremendous scope for coming up with promising and appropriate ideas.

However, as you will understand, not all these promising ideas will be viable or acceptable. Difficult times.

I shall watch this thread for your thoughts while I struggle with mine!
Benisons.
Roger

[Ernest]

For many churches the questions were similar to yours. For us, we settled for what was possible in our context with the resources available. We deliberately chose to ask younger people to come forward to take up roles formerly done by over 70's and fortunately, enough came forward to make opening viable from 2nd August.

This belies the work that went on in the background to prepare the church for opening, including many people who were not formal members of the church, but volunteered to be involved to help to prepare.

I was not involved, but an observer in this process, because I am over 70 and have an underlying health condition, in addition, my wife had a stroke in July, which took my full attention as she needed me most at a time, when I was only able to see her in hospital via video calls.

We have settled on a service pattern of two said Holy Communion services a week for now, one on Sunday and one on Thursday. This is a reduction of the many other services, including Morning and Evening Prayer and the numerous Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals held in church during the month. But given the circumstances (these services are live streamed via facebook) are enough for now, with the hope of the resumption soon of our choir and maybe, longer term, congregational singing.

There are numerous other questions to answer. This Saturday, we had our first Baptism in church, restricted to 30 attending We have a wedding taking place again on a Saturday in September and at least one more in October. This reduction from the six weddings we had booked in June, July and August at the start of the year.

Church finances, normally a matter for the incumbent and the PCC, have figured prominently in our considerations. We faced the cliff edge of no income apart from Regular giving via banks, but surprisingly, people have been generous in their giving via our facebook page appeals and we can survive, just but the resources for wider mission and ministry will be depleted until we are able to reopen our Church Hall and have regular weddings and funerals in church, which raise funds to sustain us across the whole year.

In the end, we appreciate that this is God's mission, given to us to work out in our place, and our outreach which was good locally before the virus, has now blossomed because of, not despite it. New members who have never been to a service, albeit they might have family connections to the parish, have renewed their commitments and even applied to be on the electoral roll.

Only God knows where he is taking us but we have to have hope that his will is discerned rightly by those with the responsibility to do so, but that we all join in in making it happen.

[rogerjames]

I understand this perspective, Ernest, and the similar concerns and dilemmas being faced by ministry teams, for whom congregations will be praying. I wonder though how well ministry teams grasp the pain and disorientation amongst the laity, and their take on what is going on.

A considerable part of my working life has been given to biological science, and to agricultural epidemiology too, so I am at home with the scientific deliberations that have been taking place across the year. Furthermore, I know the views of people professionally involved with the current pandemic. I am not at all convinced that ministry teams nationally have sufficient grasp yet of the risks and difficulties which lie ahead.

Speaking for myself - I am in my 70s, recently recovered from cardiac surgery with underlying health conditions too. I have been managing my exposure to risk very carefully and thoughtfully, and will continue to do so. Although it causes me great sadness, there is no way I am going to trust my health to parish CO-19 precautions unless and until I am convinced they have really got it right. It pains me to say I will not be attending any church services yet and when I do I shall not be taking communion.
It distresses me not to be able to attend services with my friends - but that is the way it will have to be for the foreseeable future. Tiny gatherings such as a well-spaced prayer meeting are the best I can hope for. Happily I have links with communities which provide contact and support at a distance, so I do not feel alone in this.

Roger

[Ernest]

It is interesting that your professional knowledge and experience is informing how you see the Church in this pandemic and going forward. I have trust in our Vicar and PCC, who have worked incredibly hard to open the Church. I attended last Sunday as our Priest in Charge was being made Vicar of the Benefice, which gives him and his family some security as the Incumbent that they won't be moved any time soon.

I am part of the Ministry team as a Reader, I used to have wider responsibilities in terms of pastoral care, on PCC etc, but last year on my 70th Birthday I went to PTO. This meant leaving the PCC as I no longer held the Bishops Licence (although PTO is the equivalent of it) and I had been on various PCC's for nearly 15 years, and I decided not to stand for election. This gave me the freedom and time to explore wider ministry. For about 10 years I had been attending regularly at a Christian Cafe locally that has a particular focus on serving the poor and vulnerable and displaced, such as migrants (legal or illegal). I had been supervised in that Ministry by an Ordained Permanent Deacon, who retired just as I reached 70, I made the decision that without her supervision, I could not carry on with what I was doing, so gave that up, although I occasionally pop in to see people I know and contribute a little financially to their work.

Before the lockdown, I was a presence in the Church daily, keeping it open for visitors and those coming to seek information of private prayer, this was run by volunteers like myself, all of us over 70. Sadly, the lockdown closed that opportunity for mission and ministry and as I am over 70 and have underlying health conditions I will not be resuming that aspect of my ministry.

It leaves me exercising a purely public ministry at services whether in church or online via two facebook groups we run and a seperate whatsapp group for people who don't do facebook. I am also on twitter as a presence for both social and connections reasons.

In the meantime, I am caring for my wife who had a stroke early in July, fortunately, she is making a good recovery and might even be fit enough to return to work in September, she is already exerting her independence and I really hope that we will get some of our life back together that we had before the stroke. Fortunately, our daughter in law and adult grand children live directly across the road from us, so I have six people to call on if I need help.

Her stroke was life changing for her, but also for me. I realise that we are not immortal and that I need to take better care of myself, so an unfortunate event has focused me on priorities. Family first, Church Second. Although the focus on God over looks all.

Life is precious and I want to share as much of it with those I love, as well with my parish, who are people of integrity and faith, which sometimes makes me think how poor mine is when compared to their life long commitment (cradle to grave) theirs is.

I just hope and pray that I have the time left to continue to make a difference in Jesus' name for others.

[rogerjames]

There has been a development here, Ernest. "This Sunday [30th August]... we are having a trial Morning worship service. It will be a simple service with recorded hymns, prayers and a chance to explore the bible readings. Singing is not at the moment allowed in church at the moment and we will need to wear masks (unless a medical condition makes it inadvisable) please follow the instructions that will be available as to safe seating and social distancing."

I have decided before I follow my own advice and instincts I shall attend that service so I understand the complete picture. Then at least I will be able to see the reality of what is being proposed and make a rational decision. I will update you on how it goes.

I fear, however, that CO-19 will become part of our epidemiological backdrop and we can expect it to offer an on-going threat for some time. It is not in the nature of effective pathogens to kill off their prey species and fizzle out - why would they? They will "want" to keep us going for as long as possible.

Roger

[Ernest]

Hi Roger

I hope that your experiment at Sunday's worship allows you to continue attending, but whatever decision you make, it will be for your own and others protection.

I will await your outcome with interest.

[Joyce]

..I hope that among all the concerns about getting Church procedures 'back to normal', and whether or not they should be carried out,some discussion goes on about how we all go forward with alternatives to just turning up when the building is open. Those who've hitherto been involved in Ministry of all kinds, but who're now excluded by the precautions,need to see a way to continue their service.They need our prayers.It's not hard to see that a feeling of diminished usefulness can lead to depression. That needs talking about.
Some ordinary pew-fillers,not to mention some who've not filled a pew for a long time plus those who've never done so before but have now joined in with the newly-minted technological ways of 'attendance',seem very much to want to carry on with the latest methods rather than the status quo ante. I know I do. Whether I watch Holy Communion going on at Deddington, follow Evening Prayer from Durham Cathedral, or take part in a twice-daily Zoom service in my own Parish, or decide to do none of those things and watch Netflix, I hope this current system's not seen as a stopgap to be jetissoned once the B & M's former function is restored.
It's only natural that remote or online worship was regarded as second-best at first. It need not remain so. Personally I prefer it. When we used to have online services here in i-church we often joked about how we could sit in our pyjamas drinking wine with curlers in our hair and a cat on our lap and no-one the wiser. Many a true word is spoken in jest, as the old saying goes. I was waiting for years for the 'Real Life' CofE to get more like the Second Life Anglican Cathedral and now it's happened,the CofE's even more interactive than the SLANGCath - at least it is where I live.
I'm glad I'm no longer on a PCC or any committee with the responsibility for chewing and jawing over this sort of thing, let alone decision-making. Any discussion on the future of an institution involves a 'free and frank exchange of views' and can be a difficult issue. Dorothy L.Sayers about eighty years ago wrote that when The Devil wants to distract us from The Cross,someone announces that ' a challenge has been issued to the churches' whereupon the focus is on the newspapers,the BBC and anywhere but Christ. There are challenges now, but from where I sit this one comes from God. To me the techno-worship has been a gift. Just about every denomination but the CofE seemed to upload a weekly podcast of their sermons until recently. The material wasn't all good. At last, everyone online can all get the beauty of sound teaching.
For years Ministry has taken place on the streets, in cafés, shopping centres, doctors' surgeries and wherever people go. Now that the Church of England has found yet another place, I pray it/she/ we make(s) the most of opportunities in front of us in addition to adapting what's behind us. To cite Dr Sayers again, we can 'go through The Cross to The Resurrection'.

[Ernest]

Thanks Joyce. As always, you bring a wider view and real experience of worship online and how this would be a missed opportunity for Evangelism, using new tools if we just revert to the previous system.

Although we are getting back to normal, our Church Services are continuing to be streamed as we've set up a tripod and Camera in one of the Pews, which is not in use due to social distancing. So, at least twice a week we are live online, with the recording available to anyone. In fact, I sent the link to the recording to about 25 people who are at home, without access to live streaming services, but are able to watch a recording. It is not a intimate as the services from the Vicar's study, but audio is clear and you get to see and hear the whole service from one static camera.

Longer term we are trying to raise the resources to provide a permanent installation rather than the "Fred Karno" system in place at the moment. Hopefully, a few of the more well off donors will help with that, our friends group have some funds which could help, but not enough at present, as they've lost the chances of fund raising with the cancellation of all fund raising events.

We are committed to continuing our online presence, and that will include weddings, baptisms and funerals in church, as limitations of 30 maximum, including the minister still apply to these services.

The thing we are hoping to restore is singing from our Choir, which is now permitted, but not congregational singing. At least we will have live music as our organ is played during the said services, which we can hum along to if we are so minded.

Lots of innovation. My previous parish with five churches has been recording and broadcasting services of the Word since the outset of the lockdown, broadcasting via you tube, and posting links via email to all who subscribe. They are introducing Holy Communion from 13th September. Again, from a different church each week, meaning people will have the choice of travelling or watching live, online.

I get the emails and it offers me an alternative to our own services weekly. They also broadcast morning prayer or compline on alternate days, using a small team of people who are involved.

Change has come to stay, and any church who reverts purely to B&M worship will suffer I believe, because people are now used to different models being available and will go elsewhere.

[Joyce]

That all sounds very helpful, Ernest. You make a good point that parishioners now have a choice.
That's very important.
Not everyone who can't get to B & M Church - or doesn't want to - is elderly or sick. Sometimes there are just other calls on one's time these days and there isn't necessarily the freedom to pole up at 10.30 am every Sunday that there used to be. Flexibility is the order of the day. Midweek services are useful where they exist, but they can't always be fitted in around work. It must be good to be a member of a Church where there are so many alternatives.

[rogerjames]

One of my favourite chapters of RSB is 72: the reading for today. I think it spells out what our approach to the Co-19 recovery should be.

Just as there is an evil zeal of bitterness
which separates from God and leads to hell,
so there is a good zeal
which separates from vices and leads to God
and to life everlasting.
This zeal, therefore, the sisters should practice
with the most fervent love.
Thus they should anticipate one another in honor (Rom. 12:10);
most patiently endure one another's infirmities,
whether of body or of character;
vie in paying obedience one to another --
no one following what she considers useful for herself,
but rather what benefits another -- ;
tender the charity of sisterhood chastely;
fear God in love;
love their Abbess with a sincere and humble charity;
prefer nothing whatever to Christ.
And may He bring us all together to life everlasting!


R

[Ernest]

I robed for the first time in Public Worship yesterday in five months. I also preached and will be preaching again on Thursday at out midweek service.

All went well, albeit serving at the Altar is off for the moment, but I am going to be more involved as things develop. All is changed and social distancing means that a maximum of 40 can attend church for services based on the risk assessments from the CofE. Our Choir is resuming later this month and it will mean they will spread out from the choir stalls to the front rows in the nave.

My stall (as has the Vicar's stall has moved to the chancel end of the choir stalls, so a different speaking position, and we use the pulpit for all preaching as services are still being streamed from church for those who are shielding, which is around 25 older people.

I am unsure of things like our Annual Parish Meeting, which has to be held by the end of October, to elect new church wardens and the PCC. It is going to be difficult to get all in, so I suspect it will be live streamed during a service.

We are also having to plan for Harvest, Remembrance and Christmas, which is difficult at best as the guidance might well change before than, or local restrictions meaning that we can't do much about any of it.

Another issue to face is Ventilation. At the moment in relatively mild weather, all of the doors are wide open during services, which is adequate, but Autumn is here and Winter just down the road. It will stretch our finances to heat the church with all the doors open. I suspect that Long Johns and Gloves will be worn by many of us.

So the Vicar, Church Wardens and PCC have a big job in front of them to get it right and to keep us all safe.

Prayers will be needed and a liberal dose of common sense to overcome these obstacles.

[Joyce]

Ernie's church and all churches facing decisions.

[rogerjames]

...Especially in the light of an apparent upturn in the rate of infection and the new advice on gatherings expected today.

[Ernest]

Just a note.

Our Vicar is incapacitated. At short notice I ran the 10 am BCP Service yesterday, as a BCP Morning Prayer. Now, in the absence of any available Priest for Sunday, I am to run the Main Sunday Service as well. I will have preached three times in eight days, having preached last Sunday.

And I am told Sunday will be live streamed. To be honest, I have not done that particular thing before, so hope that the tech is up to it.

Prayers please for an anxious Reader.

[Joyce]

Glad you are in a position to step up to bat when you're needed, Ernie.
If you weren't it would be one more thing for you to try not to worry about.
Deddington has been streaming for years. Feeling part of a service, whether live or later on youtube,is a great morale booster, I find. Judged by the number of churches who've finally ceased resisting it this year, and the varying levels of technical ability, I really don't think the present-day streaming technology requires much more than switching it on once whoever has the know-how has set it up.

Why don't you give us the link to your church website so we can watch the service and then post nice things about you in the comments ?

[Ernest]

Oh Joyce, if only.

I have described our setup as a bit like "Fred Karno" if you get the reference? It consists of a tripod in a pew, balanced and held up, steady by kneelers. A mobile phone, in possession of facebook (either Apple or Android) is clipped onto the tripod which magnifies the view and is transmitted live by upload to facebook, which also records it as a video. There are only two phones capable of this (to our knowledge) one owned by the Vicar and another by the organizer of the rota, who used it once and recorded the service sideways on.

Sound quality is patchy when in the chancel, despite wearing a throat mike. As I don't plan to use the Chancel I will set up a portable lectern in the nave, between the choir pews (which will be empty) and lead from there, going to the pulpit to preach. I will post a link to the recording (if there is one) after the service. I currently sent this via email to 25 parishioners who don't use facebook, but can view video's from it.

It will be interesting. I have heard my recorded sermons in services during the lockdown, now people will have the ability to view me in the flesh, oh dear!!

And what to wear? Cassock & Surplice &Scarf or, Cassock Alb and Scarf? choices, choices?

I will keep you posted after the event

[rogerjames]

It will be interesting. I have heard my recorded sermons in services during the lockdown, now people will have the ability to view me in the flesh, oh dear!!

And what to wear? Cassock & Surplice &Scarf or, Cassock Alb and Scarf? choices, choices?

I will keep you posted after the event

This is getting a bit exciting, Ernest - I wait with interest for an update. Do we say "Break a leg"?

Roger

[rogerjames]

Hi Roger

I hope that your experiment at Sunday's worship allows you to continue attending, but whatever decision you make, it will be for your own and others protection.

I will await your outcome with interest.

I've attended 2 services so far, Ernest - 20ish congregations - spaced out, masked and joining in in a muffled way. It has been GOOD to see everyone - but we still have a long way to go yet. We have a PCC meeting on Zoom coming up to discuss the options - but we'll have to wait and see what's brewing.

Tomorrow's service is in the Methodist chapel - that's how our "Churches Together" system works - we all go to whatever is on - but I shall give that a miss as the spacing of seating makes me cautious. They'd be better off borrowing the church. We've got these huge, underused buildings....

Roger

[Pam]

I hope everything went well, Ernie.

[Ernest]

It did.

A link to the recording of the service.




I have to admit that the sound quality isn't particularly good. As my position was necessarily dictated by the need to keep a safe distance from the congregation. And at the very start, I committed the cardinal sin of forgetting to make sure that my microphone was on. But it was short and sweet. A said service, music from a CD before and after and no choir or congregational singing. Just and example of the constraints placed on churches in the pandemic. Albeit, our Choir are back rehearsing and will be singing in two weeks time.

I don't often get the chance to be a singleton leader as most services are communion services. But my Vicar told me last evening that he had discovered that I am good at leading and we will have more service where I will have the opportunity to lead.

So, a win of sorts in a tricky worship environment.