Hello everyone

The sun has been shining brightly for much of the week and it has been so very hot. The plants have been wilting and we have joined them. How welcome is the rain and a drop in temperature. How have you fared? We hope you have had a good week?

It has been a busy week for many of us. Schools have started their much-needed Summer holidays, and the teachers, pupils and parents can now have a welcome rest after a very challenging year of ups and downs. Many families will have headed away on holiday this weekend if the volume of traffic on the roads today is anything to go by. The Olympics have begun in Tokyo and will offer a wonderful illustration by athletes of resilience, determination and achievement, and in some cases of disappointment, which may rather symbolically reflect our own life journey these past Covid-19 months.
From last Monday, we all face another season and another goal with the 'unlocking' at stage 4 of the roadmap. How we proceed is now up to 'Personal Responsibility' but in our churches, we also recognise a corporate duty of care for those who come to church. We must look out for each other and protect the vulnerable. Each church PCC has met to discuss the situation and each PCC agreed that for now we will move forward cautiously and will continue to follow existing guidelines:
Those attending church will continue to be invited to sanitise hands on entering the church, to use the NHS Covid 19 QR code or to list their names for track and trace purposes and to wear a face mask, and there will be opportunities to socially distance. We will not yet sing in church but the situation will be reviewed regularly.

Sadly, infection rates in Central Bedfordshire continue to be very high at present with 177 new daily positive cases 1542 over the week, representing an increase of 24.9%. Taking this into account, our churches will move forward cautiously, keen to protect each other and to keep the 'flock' safe.

Our Services this Sunday:

Chalgrave Church 9.30am Holy Communion Service, in church, led by Rev Nigel
Harlington Church 9.30am, Holy Communion Service, with the baptism of Evie, led by Rev Linda
Toddington Church 11am, Holy Communion Service led by Rev Linda
Westoning Church 11am, Holy Communion Service led by Rev Nigel
Tingrith Church 3pm Holy Communion Service led by Rev Nigel (and Linda)
The Upper Room, 6pm Zoom Service - with the theme ' A lot from a little' - Zoom access code available from Linda or Nigel

Services and events this week:

Monday 9.30am Morning Prayer at Toddington Church

Wednesday 10am Holy Communion Service Harlington Church

The Annual World Day of Prayer Service on Friday at 2pm (see poster link)

The Toddington Branch of the World Day of Prayer are meeting together on Friday 30th July at 2.00pm to honour the Women of Vanuatu with the Service that had to be postponed in March. As limited numbers are able to attend we invite family and friends of our local Churches to join us by Zoom and YouTube.

Join Zoom Meeting ID: 958 7305 4251. Passcode: available from Tricia, Rev Linda or Clive.

The service will also be streamed to YouTube on both the Harlington Methodist Church Channel and the Churches Together in Harlington Channel.

with love in Christ

Linda and Nigel