New 2021 Lockdown Information **Updated 10th January**

**Update 10th January 2021**

Given the recent news about the increasing number of infections and deaths caused by the various strains of COVID-19 our PCC passed the following resolution to temporarily cease face-to-face public worship but to move exclusively to offering a range of other stay-at-home communal worship experiences. More details of what is available on the front page of this website. Here is the resolution we passed unaminously;

Starting from Sunday 10th January we the PCC retroactively support the cessation of face-to-face public worship in the parish of St Michael and All Angels, Cherry Burton until the lifting of the recent COVID-19 Lockdown restrictions. This is not an easy decision but one which we make with the well-being of all in our care in mind. We will continue to provide a wide ranging worship provision via our website and other media platforms, providing printed material and online resources as appropriate. We will also do our best to provide good pastoral care for the wider community and to work in partnership with other individuals and groups to provide this care. The building can still be used for administrative purposes, fabric repairs and maintenance, the recording or broadcasting of worship services and other pastoral provision under the further guidance of the PCC and its Standing Committee. The building will not be used for any public gathering including the use for private prayer as this would constitute face-to-face pubic worship. We remain committed to our mission statement to know God, show God and to share God and believe this proposal is a challenging but tangible way to demonstrate this within our communities. Agreed upon unanimously by the PCC of St Michael and All Angels on 10th January 2021.

If you have any questions or suggestions about how we can help support you spiritually or otherwise please do get in touch with Revd Richard via rector@stmichaelscherryburton.org.uk or via the Wix app available through your preferred App Store.

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Dear All,

Last night’s news of a new National Lockdown was in some ways expected but the swiftness of its implementation has come as a surprise to me and I am sure for many of you. Nobody outside of the government knew that we would be having to isolate and make significant changes so swiftly and so I write this with a certain degree of uncertainty as to the possible advice and guidance we might yet receive from our Archbishop and diocesan office. My prayers are with them as they wait for more information and then discuss how we can implement this across a large and varied organisation such as York Diocese.

In the meantime the Standing Committee here at St Michael’s have been discussing online the initial plans for our public worship and pastoral response to this Lockdown. We are keen to remain open for public worship at 10am each Sunday as we have been and will be broadcasting this via the link on our website as usual. This is being done with the firm caveat that nobody should feel compelled to come along physically in person but the opportunity is there to do so carefully and with extra stringent precautions. If you do wish to be there physically then I will be encouraging a robust adherence to hand sanitation, social distancing, not mixing before or after the service, ventilation through the building as well as keeping to the one way system in the building. Other items we are putting in place or planning are;

- additional liturgical and prayer resources for worshipping at home, which will include activities for children. These will be both available via our website and the church porch in due course

- a phone based pastoral care provision like we had in place during the first Lockdown. A chance to sign-up for this will be accessible via our website along with more details soon

- further coordination to ensure those who are shielding, isolated and/or living alone can have shopping and other necessities provided via a named person they can trust

- easy to access online corporate worship and teaching via the church website. This will continue to include Morning Prayer from 7.30am each weekday and 10am Sunday worship every Sunday as well as the House Groups meeting on Thursdays online to pray and study together. This will also include an online Alpha Course starting late January, online Office Hours every Sunday and Wednesday with myself via Zoom, and other initiatives and opportunities to connect, learn and worship.

As soon as I have more firm information I will let you know but in the meantime be safe, sensible and kind.

Blessings,

Richard