Dear friends
I am sure that like us, you will all have heard the new directives from the Government this evening. This is clearly a major stepping up of the policies which are designed to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus and were I suspect inevitable following the failure of people to follow the guidelines over the weekend.
In view of the new directives all churches must take the following action.
- All activities in the church must now stop. Churches may no longer open for prayer, or for any other reason for that matter. Only vital community activities such as food banks etc can continue.
- All cleaners, caretakers etc should be advised to remain at home. No one is using the church, so it won’t need cleaning.
- The circuit office will remain closed until we are advised it is safe to reopen it. Rachel will work from home and can be contacted by email only.
- No weddings or baptisms can take place.
- Funerals will continue but will be conducted at the Crematorium or Graveside except in exceptional circumstances. Only immediate family will attend. In due course we will look to provide a memorial service for families who are affected by these rules.
In the midst of all of this we must still remember to be church. We must watch over one another in love and make sure that our most vulnerable members, and the vulnerable members of our communities are cared for through the crisis. A telephone call to someone who lives alone and has to remain indoors for potentially twelve weeks will be so appreciated. As St. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2 verses 1-4
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
In the coming days we will be in touch with churches to discuss the pastoral arrangements that you have in place, but please remember, keep contact by telephone, not in person.
I conclude by reminding you that these are unique and trying times in which we are living. We have never in living memory had to close church buildings like this before but remember that the building is not the church, we are. Take this as an opportunity to be church in the community. If you are able to please join in with community initiatives which seek to support those worst affected, and if there isn’t one start one. Most of all look after yourselves and those around you.
If you are on Facebook, please follow the circuit Facebook page Western Fells Methodist Circuit as this will be one of our main tools for distributing information. If you do have any questions, please email or telephone and we will try to answer them.
God Bless
Paul and Kina