National Lockdown – Thurs 5 Nov 2020

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Dear friends – as you will be well aware, last night the Prime Minister announced that with effect from Thursday November 5th, it is expected that the whole country will once again enter a period of lockdown restrictions in an attempt to slow the rate of transmission of coronavirus, to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed and in order to save lives. These restrictions will be in force until Wednesday 2nd December.

The current guidance (published yesterday) includes the following:

Places of Worship will be closed, unless they are being used for:

  • Funerals
  • To broadcast acts of worship
  • Individual prayer
  • Formal childcare or where part of a school
  • Essential voluntary and public services, such as blood donation or food banks
  • Other exempted activities such as some support groups

You can read the guidance in full here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november

With effect from next Sunday therefore, we will no longer be able to hold any currently planned services in our church buildings. This includes services on Sundays 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th November. Sadly it will also include the special service planned for Monday 30th November at Kildwick to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the oldest parts of the building.

I will consult the PCC about whether any of our 3 buildings will be open during this period for individual prayer, and will let you know. Just to remind you, I lead Morning and Evening Prayer Monday to Thursday via the KCB Parish Facebook page, 9am and 4.30pm, as well as Evening Prayer on Sundays at 4pm. Do join me for any of these opportunities for prayer as you are able.

Today is All Saints’ Day. At Kildwick this morning, I spoke about how one of the marks that distinguished the early churches was the love and care that they showed to their members, as well as the hospitable attitude that they displayed to others. This All Saints’ Day, I invite you to continue in the next few weeks in that tradition of the saints (which is what we all are, as God’s faithful people). Look out for each other; keep in touch with each other, by phone or or other means, to remind each other that we remain connected, even when we cannot gather physically. And please remember that I am at the end of the phone too if you wish to speak to me for any reason.

With every blessing

Julie

Revd. Julie Bacon
Interim Vicar, St Andrew’s Kildwick, St John’s Cononley and St Mary’s Bradley