Monday, 30 November 2020
Dear Friends,
Our PCC met this evening to consider how we respond to the Government guidance that would allow us to resume “in person” worship services from Wednesday 2nd December.
As with the Communion @4/Communion@3 services we held from October until the most recent lockdown, any “in person” services could still only offer limited numbers in order to remain as safe as possible.
We also considered the current local rates of infection reported by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council with data up to Friday 27th November.
Despite the fact that the Government is permitting in person worship the PCC decided that with local rates as high as they are we do not believe it to be safe or prudent to resume regular “in person” services until the DMBC region is reduced to Tier 2, or, if we remain in Tier 3, until the local rates have dropped to the levels similar to those in September/October.
We are very sorry if this news will cause you distress. We know that for some of you these services were very special and important. Your case was made very clearly in our discussions, but as a PCC we decided unanimously, as we did in September, to be cautious.
However, in addition to our online premiere of the Micah’s Gang production “Zoom around the Stable” at 3pm, we have also decided to hold “in person” Communion Services on Christmas Eve, so that those who wish to may take Communion at Christmas.
We are currently planning to offer two services on Christmas Eve, one starting at 6pm and one starting at Midnight. These will follow the Communion@3 format and will last 30 minutes. Any necessary cleaning will be done by a dedicated team. If all the places at either of these services are taken we will add additional time slots starting at 7pm or 11pm until everyone who wishes to can come. Bookings will open by 10th December on the same phone number as before .
We sincerely hope that Communion@3 on Sunday afternoons will resume soon, and we will carefully watch the local rates of infection and act accordingly.
Yours in Jesus
Stephen
