May 2020
Welcome to our What's On page. Here you will see a list of activities that are going on within and across our three churches. If an item relates to a particular church, it will be indicated at the start as follows:
CTS: Christ The Servant, Digmoor
SMD: St Michael's Dalton
STM: St Thomas The Martyr, Up Holland
ONLINE SERVICES DURING CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS
We are producing services online to help us all worship and pray from home. Visit the Services page to view what's available.
PARISH MAGAZINE
WE have set up a separate page for our Parish Magazine. Go to the page here or via the menu button.
REORDERING OF THE PEWS STM
Many of you will be aware that we have been given permission to re-order parts of the nave at St Thomas the Martyr Church. This has been a long process. We know that these are difficult times for many, but the permission we have been given means that we can use this time to raise the funds we need to complete the work which will help to revive our church by giving us the flexible space to organise many different activities and events there. It will also help with opening and running a Community Café and Post Office.
If you feel able to donate towards the cost of the work, however large or small, please complete this form. Thanks for your support, and we look forward to sharing more about our current work and plans very soon.
CORONAVIRUS ALL - A MESSAGE FROM PAUL
We are unable to offer any public worship or opportunities for private prayer in our churches whilst the current restrictions as a result of the Coronavirus remain in place. This does not mean that your local churches and parishes have disappeared or stopped serving these communities!
Each week we are planning to record and stream celebrations of the Eucharist. The first was from St Thomas the Martyr Church, the next ones will be from the home(s) of some of our clergy. These will be available from each Sunday. You can access these from the 'Video' menu on the home page of this website.
We are also inviting people to join us for Morning Prayer (9am) and Evening Prayer (6pm) each day. You can join us through the Zoom Cloud Meetings App. This is freely available through the Apple App Store or Google Play or through the Zoom website. Download the free version and then register (using your email address). When you select 'join a meeting' you need to add the meeting number which is: 8854200280 and a password 361918 It would be lovely if you could join us for Morning and Evening Prayer each day.
We are also planning to run times of prayer and worship for each day in Holy Week.
If you would like to be added to our email list for regular updates of what we are doing and how we are trying to help people during these challenging times, please use the 'Keeping in Touch' button or the 'Speak to a Priest' button (both on the home page of this website). Once we have your email address we can add you to that mailing and keep in touch with you.
Please do all that you can to keep safe by following the guidance from government regarding Coronavirus. As Christians we have a duty not only to pray at this time but to do all that we can to reduce all possibility of Covid 19 spreading.
ROSARY PRAYER GROUP.
The Rosary Group joins in prayer at 8pm every Thursday. The intention for the prayers is sent by messenger every Thursday morning and we light our candles and begin to pray at eight. We use the standard rosary prayers at the moment we are praying the ‘Glorious Mysteries’ . Full instructions for the rosary can be found on the internet.
For more details call Ela on 07814885642.
PUBLIC WORSHIP
No public services are taking place in any of our churches at this time.
CHURCH BUILDINGS
Our three churches, like others across the country, are now closed until further notice. This is to enable us to play our part in helping to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus.
All our usual events and activities have been postponed until the Coronavirus is no longer a public threat:
Please keep praying for all who are and will be affected by the Coronavirus and the measures being taken. Please also pray that the Lord will bless and support all those who get involved in offering help and support to those who isolate themselves and those being cared for through this period. Let us also pray for all in positions of leadership and authority, that the Lord will give them wisdom and strength at this time.
Paul
A message from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York (16 March): click here to read (PDF)
OUR JOURNEY TO BECOME A SINGLE PARISH
The new single Parish of Up Holland and Dalton came into being on 1st April 2020. Welcome one and all! We will celebrate properly as one when the current restrictions are over.
ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING:
Which had been planned for Thursday 2nd April 2020 as the first meeting of the new parish of Up Holland and Dalton, has been cancelled. A new Annual Church Meeting will be called when the current restrictions have ended. Until that meeting takes place all the Church Officers will remain in post. PCC Members will also remain in post until the new Annual Church Meeting is held,
NEW PARISH, NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Our new single parish means that all posts are up for reappointment when the Annual Meeting takes place (date to be announced in due course). This includes:
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4 Churchwardens
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2 Deputy Wardens
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1 PCC Secretary
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1 PCC Treasurer
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5 Deanery Synod reps
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15 PCC reps
Please consider standing and helping with the leadership and development of our single parish and three churches. Nominations forms will be made available when our churches reopen.
ELECTORAL ROLL
If you would like your name adding to the Church Electoral Roll, you will be able to complete an application form when our churches reopen.
REGULAR GIVING ENVELOPES 2020-21 STM
Envelope boxes are now available to be collected in church. However, as we head to work together as a new parish, we shall be reviewing our methods of giving in order to streamline them and make the collection of Gift Aid from HMRC more instant. More to follow on this in the next few weeks.