The yellow daisies in my garden love the sun [267]

Dear friends, writes the Rector (because Bertie is too busy practicing hide and seek with his team before tomorrow to email you just at the moment),

This Weekend

Loads and loads to look forward to this weekend… see email 266 for posters for both events…

Don’t forget Mouse Hunts at Woosehill and at St Paul’s (which is 2 to 4pm)

And don’t forget Hymns and Pimms at 6.15pm- you bring the Pimms. And a chair. And a hat. And, now I think about it, the hymn singing as well. We will offer the venue, the sunshine, the keyboard and a very warm welcome.

This Sunday

All of the usual services are happening- 9.30 at St Paul’s, 10 at Woosehill and 11 at St Nick’s. The St Paul’s OoS is the one we have been using for the last six weeks or so- if you are at home and need it then do please look back at last Friday’s email. The Gospel reading for this Sunday is Mark 6.30-34, 53-end. It’s also great to welcome Roy Burgess back to St Nick’s.

Also, if you’re not currently donating to Church by standing order, please do look out for the collection plates as you leave by the door- all three of our Churches are facing a reduction in income and donations for obvious reasons and we need to make sure that we can keep making ends meet so that we can continue to do our work and to support our mission partners.

Changes in restrictions

The national CofE is meeting with the Government today and next week to finalise what is permitted and not permitted as we move into Stage 4. We should have whatever guidance we are going to get towards the end of next week. Recently the pattern has been to thrust decisions down to the local level, which is probably right but not always comfortable for us. The two key things to keep saying are that it is vital that everyone is able to come to Church and feel as safe as is possible, and that we need to keep travelling together as Church families- we must keep making sure that everyone is welcome and included and enabled to come to worship who would like to. St Paul’s PCC discussed St Paul’s this week and there will be a meeting of St Nick’s next week so we can hear people’s thoughts and ideas and make a decision together.

In short, we will let people know the plan and their options as soon as we can. We are and will continue to work hard to find a place of equilibrium. And do please keep sending me your thoughts and comments as well so we can make the best decisions possible. Thank you.

And bits bobs

If anyone would like to fill a spare hour at any point mowing some of the Churchyard, or to volunteer on a Saturday to work alongside the Payback Team, or to help serve them refreshments when we are allowed to do that again (which is soon) then please let Louise know in the Parish Office and she will pass on your offer to Andy Clark, our Churchyard Manager. Some of the grass is being deliberately left long at the moment to add eco-diversity but other bits of it just need to be mowed and we need all of the help we can get because the pesky grass just keeps on growing as soon as you turn your back on it.

There was a lot of important information in email 266– please can I encourage you to read it again to make sure that you didn’t miss anything important? Thanks.

I was watching a dog chasing his tail and I thought “Gosh, that dog is really easily amused.” Twenty minutes later I thought to myself “I’m even worse- I’m watching a dog chasing his tail…”