Back everywhere!

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6 months after we were required to shut our churches to public worship, and 2 months after services recommenced in Heddington and Calstone, we are finally going back into all our churches. Look out for services in Cherhill, Compton Bassett and Yatesbury.

It isn’t possible to have services everywhere each week, so do keep a look out for where the services are each week. You can find the latest details on this website, in the Villages Magazine, and on https://www.achurchnearyou.com.

We will also continue to provide online services for those who feel uncomfortable inside with others – at least a live stream of one of the services, and a pre-recorded option where possible.

Looking forward to seeing you at something over the next few weeks.

Matt, Linda and the Oldbury Benefice

Harvest

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Harvest services in our churches will be a little different this year. Usually, we decorate the churches and invite you to join us in church for a celebration of thanksgiving. This year we are going to do things slightly differently.

Not all churches will be having a harvest service.

Those that are having one will be having it outside to ensure that as many people as possible who wish to come can do so while feeling safe. There will be no singing, but we will have a short service of thanksgiving and prayer, including a chance to donate tinned or packaged goods to the Calne Food Bank.

The dates are at the bottom of the Welcome page of this website, but in summary, they will be on Sunday 27th September:

Calstone 9.45am
Cherhill 10.00am
Heddington 11.15am

Please do come and join us if you can.

Matt and Linda

Updated advice for church services – face coverings will be compulsory from 8th August

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Wear a face mask

We have been preparing to restart public services to a limited extent in our churches. Following the government’s advice, we had made the wearing of face coverings a matter of personal choice, although it has always been strongly recommended when you are indoors with people you don’t usually meet.

However, following today’s announcement from the Prime Minister, it will no longer be optional – you must wear a face covering unless you are exempt.

While this new rule only comes into effect next Sunday, may I strongly advise you to wear a mask this week already if you are planning to attend church. We will be keeping the services short – approximately 30 minutes – to minimise the risk and to reduce the inconvenience some experience when wearing a mask.

Zoom coffee morning this Sunday

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A reminder that this Sunday at 11.30 we will be hosting a zoom coffee morning. Anyone is welcome, whether you have attended church regularly before or not. If you want to join, then please email me (mattearwicker@gmail.com) or use the contact form and we will email you the instructions for joining in.

Matt

Churches (not yet) reopening for services (update 3rd July 2020)

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As many of you know, we are allowed to reopen our churches for public services from this Sunday, 5th July.

We have decided, however, that we feel it is better to wait until 2nd August, both because the risk is still moderately high, but also because a number of our regular visitors and members of our communities are still shielding until 1st August, and we want to restart together.

Each church is doing a risk assessment, and the result of that will determine how many each church can safely accommodate at this time; which will not be a large number. It may be that even when services recommence, they will not do so in every church in the benefice on the same date, because we do not want to put people at risk.

Please do keep checking this website, as well as facebook, for more current information.

We look forward to welcoming you back to one of our services soon, and in the mean time, don’t forget that St Mary’s Calstone, All Saints Yatesbury and St James Cherhill are already open for private prayer (the last from Sunday to Wednesday each week).