Our plan for resuming worship
at St Gabriel’s, St James’ and St Michael’s
at 4th August (a revised version of the plan announced on 7th July)
During August, we will continue to do four things:
1. We will provide a fresh Sunday Worship video each week in partnership with West Lane Baptist Church
This is accessible from the front page of our churches’ websites by a single click, and the audio of the most recent service is accessible by a normal rate phone call 01535 286387. There are also some mid-week reflection videos, a ‘Breathing Space’ on-line prayer group, an on-line ‘Active Zone’ for young people, and our Brontë Virtual Church blog.
2. We will continue to provide set times when the churches are open briefly for private prayer (but not the first hour of the previous opening times when people did not come) and then to celebrate Communion for small congregations prayerfully and safely (which fifty different people have attended in the first three weeks of operation):
Sun – 3.00 pm open – 3.30 pm Communion – St Gabriel’s, Stanbury
Mon – 7.00 pm open – 7.30 pm Communion – St Michael’s, Haworth
Wed – 10.00 am open – 10.30 am Communion – St James’, Cross Roads
Fri – 12.00 noon open – 12.30 pm Communion – St Michael’s, Haworth
3. We will continue to plan towards opening St Michael’s for tourists
We are very sorry not to be open for this yet, but we simply can’t revert to leaving the church open and unattended. A plan for safe stewarded opening times was almost in place before the Bradford area lockdown renewal – we are now working on a new more modest plan.
4. We will work hard at listening to a whole range of people so that a fresh plan in September meets the needs of as many as possible. Is there anything you’d like to say to us about any of this?
At least half our previously most regular attenders have not yet come to worship at our new prayer and Communion times, a majority because they are cautious about any social gathering. And these times don’t meet the needs of our previously more occasional attenders, nor of those who used to come to Toddler Praise, to the children’s Friday Church, or to our All Age Worship. A major re-launch of attractive Sunday worship looks much more problematic than it did even three weeks ago – but not offering anything at all on a Sunday once September begins doesn’t feel right either so we are now likely to plan a more modest temporary Sunday programme for September.
