As from this Sunday 10th January there will be no public worship in St Helen's
Hall or the Church Building. Although public worship has not been suspended
under the new lockdown regulations, each parish has the Bishop’s permission
to decide on the best way forward for them. This decision has been taken by
myself and the churchwardens Christine and Dipak. As the situation
nationally and locally changes we will review this decision in line with
officially published guidelines and statistics.
Because of the rising figures of Covid-19 nationally and the well above
average for this in Brighton and Hove and the South East, together with the
new transmissibility of the virus, we felt that the safest way forward for us at
this time was to suspend public worship. The good news however is that our
worship will continue to be live-streamed from the vicarage and St Helen's
will remain open for individual prayer.
In an email to all clergy and churchwardens earlier this week Bishop Martin
has requested a PCC resolution on this matter of temporary suspension from
those parishes that choose this way forward. I will therefore be writing to the
PCC next week about this. Meanwhile I hope that you will be able to support
the action taken at this point.
Back in March and under the first lockdown I wrote , `although separated we
still look for ways of relating, loving and caring.' This never changes.
Please keep checking the parish website and facebook page for updates and
please contact your clergy, churchwardens and each other as before, and
maybe even more than before!
I'll be writing soon with some ideas and suggestions for Lent! Until then, my
prayers for you all.
Fr Keith