This month sees our Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM) taking place at each of our three churches. It is a significant event in the parochial year during which the Churchwardens are elected. In co-operation with the priest in charge (or, in cases of vacancy, the Bishop), Churchwardens are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the parish. These responsibilities include various aspects of administration, plant operations, and personnel. Their work is not just the maintenance of the church building, but helping the smooth running of the church.The dates for our APCMs are: St Giles' Whittington - Sunday 30th May 11:00 in the Church Hall, St Mary's Weeford - Sunday 23rd May 10:30 in church, St Bartholomew's Hints - Tuesday 25th May 19:30 in church.Lay persons on the parish electoral roll are entitled to attend and take part. The Qualification to be on the Roll is to be over 16 (or will be 16 by the time of the APCM) baptised, and a member of CofE or of a Church in Communion with it, and either resident in the parish or a habitual worshipper during last 6 months prior to enrolment; or a member of another church subscribing to the Holy Trinity who is prepared to be a member of the CofE as well.
We are pleased to announce that all three of our churches - St Giles' Whittington, St Mary's Weeford and St Bartholomew's Hints - will be reopening on Sundays, with effect from Sunday 4th April!Services will take place as follows on 4th:9:30 St Giles' Whittington Said Eucharist led by The Revd Dr Stephen Barton. This service will be booking only by email lesleymknighton@gmail.com or telephone 01543 432050. Private prayer will be between the hours of 11:00 and 15:00.11:30 St Mary's Weeford Said Eucharist led by The Revd Canon Stephen Mayes.18:30 St Bartholomew's Hints Said Eucharist led by The Revd Val Hicks. Church will be open on Sundays for private prayer and to drop off donations to Lichfield Foodbank.We look forward to welcoming you all back for shared worship. We are of course still subject to adherence to Covid precautions including wearing masks, using hand sanitiser and social distancing in your own bubbles with restricted numbers.Going forwards, St Giles' will be open for worship at 9:30 on the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays of the month. Every 2nd Sunday will be a virtual service of Morning Prayer via Zoom.St Mary's will be open for worship every Sunday at 11:30.St Bartholomew's will be open for worship on the 1st and 3rd Sundays at 18:30. We hope there is something to suit everyone there and look forward to seeing you very soon.
TEMPORARY CANCELLATION OF SERVICES In light of the highly infectious Coronavirus variant and having consulted with the Parochial Church Council, the churchwardens have decided that all services at St Giles’ Church, Whittington, are cancelled for the foreseeable future. There will be no services until at least 31st March 2021 when the position will be reviewed. In view of the current freezing weather and the difficulty of keeping the ramp and steps safe, St Giles' Church, Whittington, will also be closed for private prayer for the time being. We hope to reopen for private prayer on a Sunday between 11:30 and 14:30 as soon as weather conditions permit. There will be some online service provision. If you do not currently receive links to online services, please email our Lay Reader, Gill Hollis, gillhollis@cooptel.net (for preference) or 01543 432107. We do not make this decision lightly and hope that you will understand that we have done it in order to keep everyone safe and to avoid the risk of putting any additional burden on the NHS. Please be assured of our prayers for you all. We will keep you updated if the situation changes at all. You can follow regular prayers and services for our three parishes at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKnuUe7DF8KzQ1tYYZN_nQ At home you are encouraged to make use of the wide range of resources on our Church website especially under the spirituality and Bible sections. http://ourvillagechurch.org.uk/spirituality/ A comprehensive service at home booklet on the what's on page of our website: https://tinyurl.com/y62e9saj Lichfield Cathedral Worship Online https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/.../join-worship-online<strong> </strong> The Archbishops and others have emphasised that we will be part of “a different sort of church in these coming months”, that “Our life is going to be less characterised by attendance at church on Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service we offer each day”. Alongside churches throughout the nation and world, let us be open to the Spirit’s leading in these unsettling and unknown times. This may be a time unlike any other when we can reconnect with God through patterns of prayer.
Our parishes are now in a ‘vacancy’ (sometimes known as an ‘interregnum’). Lichfield Diocese is just beginning a nine-month structural review called ‘Shaping for Mission’. This means that we should be prepared to wait a good number of months before we know whether we will have another Vicar or perhaps be linked with other parishes. At the moment we will continue with roughly the pattern of services to which we have become accustomed since churches reopened in July. 2021 Service Plan for St Giles’ from Sunday 3rd January until Easter (Subject to Government restrictions) <ul type="disc"> <li>Three weeks out of four (or four out of five in some months) will be physical services, and one Sunday will be a virtual service. All Sunday services will be at 9.30</li> </ul> <ul type="disc"> <li>Please note that for January only, Week 3 will be BCP 1662 and Week 4 Common Worship</li> </ul> <ul type="disc"> <li>Week 1 – Common Worship</li> <li>Week 2 – Virtual Service (as was previously Parish Praise)</li> <li>Week 3 – Common Worship</li> <li>Week 4 – BCP 1662</li> <li>Week 5 - (where applicable) BCP 1662</li> </ul>You are encouraged to make full use of the wide range of resources on our Church website, especially the prayer and spirituality sections. Website: www.ourvillagechurch.org.uk
