We've just heard that the National Churches Trust has awarded us a grant of £10000 towards removing the cement render from the church. We have to match fund this, but hope work will start later this year.A small grant from the Culture Recovery Fund has helped us start a digital project with Waberthwaite CE School. Children from the school visited the church and generated lots of questions that they wanted the answers to. This video will be used at the school next term and we hope that pupils will research some of the answers and also find out if their families have stories or connections with the church to share with us. Their findings - which will include interviews, will be used to put together a child-friendly guide to the church. We continue to work towards funding for our other priorities so watch this space and thank you if you have supported us in any way.
It was with a heavy heart that the PCC decided that with current restrictions the church would not be open for services. It is still open for anyone who wants to spend a quiet time in a peaceful place. January was always going to be a sad time as Gill's retirement gets closer. She will leave the benefice in February and we won't know for some time how or even whether she will be replaced. This is another forum to celebrate what she has meant to us.Thank you Gill for all the ways you have helped us grow:by encouraging our vision to restore and safeguard our church building,by helping us better understand, live and walk our faith,by highlighting and strengthening the Christian ethos in our school,in the way you have understood the close relationship between church and communityand, last but not least, for understanding our idiosyncrasies!Enjoy retirement Gill and David
We will be making a decision next week about whether we will be continuing services at St John's. If we do all our current precautions will continue - there will be no congregational singing, everyone will be distanced inside the church, and facemasks will be worn. Everyone will be reminded about hand sanitising, with spare masks and disposable gloves in the porch. Offerings will be put on a plate at the door. As an added precaution, there will not be communion, but instead services of Morning Prayer. Churchwardens will continue to clean before and after services and will also greet people outside the church to remind them of the guidelines including arrangements for track and trace. We continue to monitor the situation carefully and hard decisions mat still have to be taken. Please note - there will be no services in January 2021. Visit this site at the end of the month for news about February.
