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5 December 2021  –  Second Sunday of Advent 
9.30am            Holy Communion
10.30am          Coffee in the Hall (Paula William’s Home Group)
11.15am           Morning Prayer                                                                      

          ————————

EVENTS NEXT WEEK        6 – 11 December 2021

Monday 6     10 – 11.30 am   Bumps & Babes at Church                                                Tuesday 7     10 – 12 noon   Crafts and Coffee/Tea  (see below)                                    Thursday 9   10 – 12 noon   Tea/Coffee at St Mary’s                                                      Thursday 9    10.30 am        Holy Communion                                                                Friday 10        7.45 pm         Bellringing Practice 

                                                                      

BIG CHRISTMAS CARD
The children at the Craft Day have made a wonderful BIG card which
anyone is welcome to sign as a greeting to everyone in our congregation (instead of sending individual cards). Please donate the money you save to the charities that we are supporting through our offerings this Christmas (these will be decided at the PCC meeting on Tuesday).

CHRISTINGLE SERVICE – SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 2.30 pm:   All are welcome to join us at St Mary’s Church for this service which raises money for the Children’s Society, followed by tea/coffee in the Hall.

CRAFTS & COFFEE (OR TEA) TUES 7th DECEMBER, 10.00 – 12.00   The monthly craft group is the first Tuesday of the month. Each month a new craft will be demonstrated and available to make. You may bring crafts from home to work on or purchase a craft to do on the day. For more information, contact Lynne on 353655 or lynne@lateralflow.co.uk

CONFIRMATION SERVICE – 12 DECEMBER – 3pm  –  ST MARY’S HIGHAM FERRERS  Please pray for those from our church who are being prepared for Confirmation in December:  Kaylee Stock, Linda Wilson and Tracey Cave.

CAROL SINGING AT RUSHDEN LAKES – 12 DECEMBER from 3pm  The local churches will again be singing carols at Rushden Lakes as a witness to the real meaning of Christmas.  Come join us on Broadwalk next to the big Christmas Tree.

CAROL SINGING AT NEWTON – 20 DECEMBER 7.30pm                                          Newton Church will be carol singing at The Swan Newton. Please come and join us.

CHURCH OFFICE:     The Church Office will be open Tuesday – Thursday this week from 10am -12 noon and otherwise by arrangement.  Notices for next week’s notice sheet, should be sent to the Church Office by 10am on Wednesday by placing in the letter box outside the office, phoning 01933 412235 or emailing: stmaryschurchoffice@btinternet.com

PLEASE PRAY:
For those who are Ill: Linda, Colin, Alma, Michelle, James, Glenis, Iris, Mel, John & Ruby.

For the recently bereaved family and friends of: Margaret 

For our Partners in Mission:  Langham Partnership                                                           Langham have helped one of it’s graduate Scholars, from Thailand, to write a theology book for Christian leaders in his country. Also he has assisted a Thai Christian publishing house to publish it. Thai believers make up 1% of the population, and frequently meet with opposition for “betraying Buddism”, Please pray that God will use this theology book to help them grow in understanding and be encouraged in their faith. 

For Mission in our Local Community: The Homeless
Pray for the homeless in our community as the weather gets colder and for the staff and volunteers at the Rushden Homeless Accommodation who support them.

 

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Covid Restrictions

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as per Rushden St Mary’s Risk Assessment March 2021

Preparation of the Church Building

  • All soft furnishings have been removed from the pews.
  • All pew bibles have been removed.
  • No books are distributed at the back of church.
  • No papers are to be distributed.

Entering and Exiting Church Building

  • The North Door is open as the entrance to the church building.
  • Tapes mark 2 metre intervals on the floor of the porch and the path outside to enable social distancing. 
  • Signs asking everyone to wear face masks are visible.
  • Signs asking everyone to sanitize their hands upon entrance are visible.
  • Signs asking everyone to maintain social distancing are visible.
  • Bottles of sanitizing gel are available at tables just inside the door.
  • Masks are available if needed. 
  • Lists of those attending each service are made by a Church Warden or another appointed person.
  • Church Wardens and Sides People point out the requirements. 
  • No books are distributed.
  • Every other pew is taped off to provide 2 metre space between rows.
  • Pews are marked with signs where individuals/family groups are to be seated.
  • Signs are ‘green’ when a space is available.  Once people have sat in that seat, they are requested to turn the sign over to ‘red’ for that space to be cleaned before being used again.
  • The back of the church is blocked off by a bench.
  • Any offerings are placed in an offering plate at the back of their church, available either upon entrance or exit of the building.
  • Church Wardens and Sides People point out how the congregation are to go to their seats. 
  • The congregation is encouraged to make their way to their seats by going towards the front of the church down the north aisle, across the front and towards the back by either the central or south aisle.
  • The West Door is opened as the exit to the church building.
  • Church Wardens and Sides People point out the flow of people after the service to the West Door.
  • Doors are kept ajar as much as possible to ensure ventilation in the building.

During the Church Service

  • Clergy and those reading stand behind a Plexiglas guard
  • Those speaking or reading may remove their masks for the time that they are speaking.
  • There is no singing during the service
  • There are no greetings by touching or shaking hands
  • Words of liturgy, etc. are projected on the large overhead screen
  • When prayer books are used, they are placed out before the service by sanitized hands and then left in the pews for collection afterwards. 
  • During communion services, the celebrant will sanitize his hands before distribution; wafers alone will be used, the celebrant placing the wafer into the communicant’s hand.

In between church services

  • If the church is closed 72 hours between services, no cleaning is necessary.
  • In between services where there is not a 72 hour window, all surfaces are sanitized, following the cards which have been turned over to ‘red’ for the purpose of showing where seats have been used.