Good Evening!
I hope you are well and keeping safe. I promised to write again when I had more details about the resuming of public worship.
As I mentioned in my last email, from Sunday 2nd August 2020, public worship will resume within St. Michael’s Parish Church. Our pattern of services has been adjusted to allow for our reduced capacity. Services will take place at:
Sunday, 8am – Quiet Reflective Service (BCP on the 3rd Sunday of the Month)
Sunday, 10am – Traditional Service with recorded music
Sunday, 6.30pm – Contemporary Service with recorded music
Wednesday, 10.30am – Mixed Traditions with recorded music
To begin with, our capacity is at 36 people from 24 different households or bubbles. We are asking people to book to attend a service so that people don’t have to be turned away at the door. You can now book for services happening in the first 2 weeks of August. You will notice the number of tickets available is less than our capacity and this is to allow space for those not on the internet to be able to book in for a service. You can find the booking system on our website at https://www.bramhall.church/worship-1#
Following the first 2 Sundays, we will open the booking system for the following Sunday on the preceding Monday. So booking for Sunday 16th August will open on Monday 10th August. If you find all the tickets for the service you wish to attend have been taken by the time you get there, please email the office on office@bramhall.church or phone on 0161 439 3989 and your name will be added to a priority list to fill gaps and for the following week. You will be required to book each week, rather than making a block booking.
If you know of someone in our parish who is not on the internet, please can you forwards their name to Karen in the Parish Office, so that they can be contacted to see if they would like to attend a service.
To give you some reassurance about the safety of attending worship at St. Michaels the following things have been implemented or are being encouraged:
Hand Sanitizers have been installed near all doors and in the toilets and we are requesting people clean their hands on arrival and as they leave
Chairs have been spaced at the required social distance from each other
As part of the booking system we are asking for people’s contact details so that we adhere to the government Track and Trace Programme
The Church of England national guidance has been changed in the last couple of days to say face coverings are strongly encouraged for those attending worship.
Where possible the doors of the church will be left open throughout worship to help with air circulation
Large TV screens have been installed to project the liturgy so that prayer books are not having to be given out.
Holy Communion will be celebrated once on a Sunday and this will rotate around the different services, and it will be celebrated on alternate weeks at the midweek service. There will be a new system in place for the distribution of communion which will be explained during the relevant services. There will not be a communion service on Sunday 2nd August, because for many of you, there will be enough new things to process.
If you have any problems with booking to worship, or concerns about joining us for worship, please be patient, but also do get in touch. I do intend that some of our services will be streamed live to the internet, so that those who cannot attend in person, can still participate in some way. I’m still working out the technology on this one, so will tell you where you can watch this when I know myself.
Next week I intend to share daily reflections on why I think worshipping together as a church is important, and I am very much looking forward to worshipping alongside you again very soon.
With anticipation and excitement!
Calum