Opening up: As I write this, we have just held our second service of public worship in Hoxne church following the government’s easing of Covid-19 restrictions. We are of course delighted that after three months of closure churches are able to reopen for services, subject to careful precautions. For the time being we are taking things step by step and for that reason we cannot yet confirm our schedule of services for August and September. Keep an eye on church noticeboards and on facebook.com/WingfieldChurch as well as your local church page on achurchnearyou.com for news. Meanwhile, during July Hoxne church is holding a regular service at 9.30am each Sunday. Everyone is welcome, although if you or any of your household has symptoms of the coronavirus, you should stay at home. Redlingfield and Horham churches are also open for private prayer one day a week, as follows:
Redlingfield: 10am-4pm Tuesdays
Horham: 9am-5pm Sundays
Services also continue to be streamed on Facebook at facebook.com/WingfieldChurch, including recordings of the services held at Hoxne, for all those who are unable to get to church or who prefer to stay at home for now. Messy Church is also available on the first Sunday of the month at facebook.com/HoxneMC. We want to learn from the experience of lockdown for the future. In particular, we want to make our services accessible to a wider range of people and to stay in touch through a variety of means. Please let us know what you would like to see in terms of future services, both in church and online. Let’s keep the love and care for each other which we have seen during the lockdown as restrictions are eased. So it’s not just opening up our churches, but opening up to each other and, most importantly, to God.
Looking for a new rector: We have been advertising in the Church Times for a new rector. At the time of writing we have had no applications, but that may have changed by the time you read this.
Online giving: Our churches rely on donations from parishioners to fund our work. If you are able to contribute, the Hoxne benefice is now offering an easy option of online giving with a debit or credit card. This is suitable for weekly or occasional giving. To use this option, go to your parish’s page on achurchnearyou.com where you will see a ‘Donate’ button that takes you to the site where you can enter your details. It’s very easy to do. Any support that you may be able to give is most gratefully appreciated.
Can you help keep our churches clean? As our churches are gradually opened up – for private prayer, for weddings and funerals, and for services – we need to keep them as clean as we can. This does not mean men in protective suits with disinfectant “fogging” sprays (unless someone with Covid 19 turns out to have been in a church). But it does mean a high standard of general cleanliness. Much of the cleaning in our churches is normally done by volunteers who fall into an ‘at risk’ group for the virus and should not be asked to clean at this time. So we need more people to lend a hand. Could you help? You should be under the age of 70 and in good health. All that is required is ordinary cleaning, without harsh chemicals. Masks can be provided. If you are willing, please get in touch with your local church contact or with Revd Eleanor.
Support: Your churchwardens are available locally but If you need further help or just want to chat, please contact any member of the clergy:
Revd Eleanor: eleanor.goodison@gmail.com; 07876 143579
Revd John: vj.mccracken@gmail.com; 07876 507288
Revd Eleanor Goodison
Associate Priest, Hoxne Benefice
Tel: 07876 143579