Dear Friends,
Covid precautions are lifted on 19th July. For many, this is a cause to rejoice; but some are still very frightened and concerned to leave nothing to chance in protecting anyone at risk. Churches must be safe places for both and for the wide range of people who are of mixed mind on these perplexing matters of what is best practice. We must be more determined than usual to listen, respectfully, to each other; genuinely not prejudging what might be right for someone else by our own preferences, however firmly we hold to them. Only in these ways is the common good built.
The PCC meets on zoom on Monday evening, so I shall write to you next weekend about what emerged from that meeting.
Sunday School teachers are urgently needed, please, for September. We need volunteers, please, for teaching children in the Sunday School for the whole Parish, held in St Peter’s during the 10am Communion. Even if you can only offer one Sunday per month, that will be very valuable. We shall offer some basic instruction, guidelines and support. Please, have a word with me.
This Sunday, 11th July, Trinity 6, services will be as follows:
8am Communion at St Peter’s.
10am Communion: St Peter’s: The Rev’d Ruth Wells will be our guest preacher. Ruth is Senior Chaplain to BU & AUB and we hold in our prayers the work that she does, with her chaplaincy team, for students and university staff.
10am Communion: St Augustin’s: The Rev’d Dr Chris Steed.
10.45am Communion: St Stephen’s: The Rev’d John Staples.
If you follow this YouTube link it will lead you to a Worship Video on You Tube: TRINITY 6 REFLECTIONS
On Sunday, 18th July, Trinity 7:
8am Communion at St Peter’s.
10am St Peter’s: Communion: Lucinda Terry, our BTCP Licensed Lay Minister, will preach, whilst I preside.
10am St Augustin’s: Communion: The Rev’d Dr David Wheeler
10.45am St Stephen’s: The Rev’d David Lund.
Welcomers in all three of our lovely church buildings can help to give the right welcoming message, any this all assists in keeping the buildings open for the right purposes – as safe spaces for peace and quietness, for prayer and waiting on God.
Might we politely ask, please, that during these final few Sundays of the present Covid precautions, whilst the cases from the Delta variant are still rising, we continue to refrain from socialising both before and after Communion in all three churches? Masks must still be worn – unless you are exempted on medical grounds – and we should neither chat in welcoming ways before services nor linger socially afterwards. I am looking forward to being rid of these restrictions as much as anyone, but, for the moment, please, we must still keep to them and respect each other’s needs for distance.
After the Summer, we shall start Confirmation classes again for folk of all ages – do let me know if you might be interested.
Enjoy the week!
Ian
The Rev’d Dr Ian Terry: Rector
DTh, PhD, MA, FRSATeam Rector of Bournemouth Town Centre Parish,
Visiting Fellow with Bournemouth University,
18 Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 6NT
01202 554058
07733 336047