Announcement regarding Tier 4 and our Christmas services

The announcement by the Prime Minister that large parts of the South East are now under the new Tier 4 restrictions is going to have major implications for life and work into the near future. Although there was a brief remark to places of worship staying open, it has been left to parishes to make a decision; we feel whilst we are in Tier 4 there will not be public acts of worship.

I feel very sad having to say that the Christmas services are cancelled, and I am very grateful to everyone who has already worked very hard to make the church ready for the Christmas celebrations.

As we have gone through this period of coronavirus, the constant in church life is how can we best keep each other safe. I feel that in this new level of restrictions it is not advisable to put anyone in an environment where the levels of risk, at the present time, seem higher.

The church will remain open for private prayer and this will allow access to the parish pantry. Likewise, please do get in touch if you would like to talk about the present situation. I imagine we are all feeling worn down by the news developments and sad as we reflect on the implications of what this will mean in the coming weeks.

With best wishes,

Jonathan