A Message from St Andrew's Church

These are very difficult times, especially for those who have been told to stay indoors. As a church community it is difficult to stay in communication with each other. We have put in place some ways in which we can stay in touch with those who are on their own and if you need any support, either by phone, shopping or prescriptions then
please call 01829 740354. The phone is staffed 9.30 -11.30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, (by Barbara or myself), with an answer phone at other times.

There are some technical ways we can stay in touch, with access to our Facebook page from the church website, www.tarvinparish.co.uk. If you have Facebook account yourself then you can like our page and receive updates straight to you own account. If don't have a Facebook account you can still visit our Facebook page through the Church website, www.tarvinparish.co.uk by clicking on the blue "f" symbol link on the
right-hand side of the home page and it will take you straight to it.

We are also uploading services to our YouTube channel and this can also be visited by clicking on the red "You Tube" symbol on the right-hand side of our website. It is proving a challenge to get all the technology working when needed, so please bear with me as we get this sorted.

Marian Nicholas has kindly put this list together of other places you can source spiritual nourishment;

Sunday RADIO 4 FM Sunday Worship 8.10 am,

Wednesday RADIO 3 Choral Evensong 3.30 pm,

Every Day RADIO 4 Long Wave (198) 9.45 am- service, lasts 15 minutes. If anyone is awake at 9.45 am!

Every day RADIO 4 FM, prayer for the day, lasts about 5 minutes.

TV- Songs of Praise BBC 1 on Sunday, usually 1.15pm and last week they did a service (a repeat) at 10. 45am also on Sunday.

We have been told we are unable to now put any leaflets through doors. This means that our April Grapevine has been cancelled. This will be reviewed monthly but at this stage it is unlikely there will be a May edition. The do's and don'ts from the Church of England are changing daily and we are adapting to all the new measures as they arrive.

A service to use over the weekend from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday at home can be found here. I have also included a service sheet to use if someone you know has died and you are unable to attend the funeral. There have been recent restrictions on who is able and not able to attend, and churches are currently not open for any service to take place, including a funeral.

It is important for us to follow the government guidelines and only go out when necessary, to stay in and to keep a distance of 6 feet from each other, with whom we do not share a house with.

As a church family I ask you to keep in touch with those by phone, for whom you are able to, and to keep a daily time of prayer for this world wide situation and also for ourselves, also that God will keep us safe and those who are caring for those who have this terrible virus.

I have been asked about church donations during this time, and Bishop Keith is encouraging all of us who can to remain faithful to our giving to church and to other charities we support, (as much as we are able). Although we are not meeting together in person, we are still a church and functioning in a different way still costs us money.
For those who give by standing order, if you are able to maintain or increase your giving please do so. For those who give by cash or through our gift aid envelope scheme, if you are able please place your weekly collection to one side.

When we are able to come back into our church buildings, we will have a service of thanksgiving for coming through this crisis and will receive these monetary gifts as part of that.
Anyone unsure about this should contact either Church Warden- David on 741192 or Peter on 781788

The Annual Meetings within the church have been postponed and will take place before the 31st October. Everyone in current elected positions will stay the same until we have our annual meeting. We will make sure that there is plenty of notice given before the meeting date.

Please also remember in your prayers all those who are ill in other ways at this time, for whom surgery has been cancelled or treatment has been halted and for those who are caring for them.

It is time for us to practice God's love in the world, in recognition that we also need to feed ourselves spiritually through prayer. Anyone who would like someone to pray with them then please call 01829 740354 and someone will be able to call you back.

I look forward to the day that we can come back together in our churches and recognise together our freedom to worship God.