Dear friends,
I wanted to write to you again with an update of the current situation with regard to St Margaret’s Church and COVID-19.
Since my last email the infection rates, as you know, still remain at an alarming level and hospital admissions are very high indeed. And so, it is vitally important we continue to play our part in helping everybody stay fit and safe, whilst also, as a church, balancing people’s spiritual and emotional needs.
Sadly, therefore, we will continue to suspend our midweek services at the parish centre until there is a significant change in the situation. While this service is on hold, we will offer private individual prayer at St Margaret’s on Wednesdays (as well as Mondays) between 11:00 and 13:00, as we have been previously doing. As I also said in my last email, I would urge people to use their own best judgement about attending St Margaret’s at any time.
Sadly, at the moment, I also still can’t do any home visits.
To be on the safest of safe sides we have decided to change our usual method for collecting food for the Luton Foodbank. The scheduled date of the next collection will still be Thursday 28th January from 14:00, but for anybody who would like to give, we will now only collect the food from your doorstep and ask you to remain inside while the food is picked up. If you would like to contribute (and please don’t feel you need to, under the circumstances), please email your name and address to myself and someone from the church will come along in gloves and a mask and collect it directly from outside your front door. (For only those people who continue to attend the Sunday morning Service – we will be able to accept any contributions there this coming Sunday, but this option is not available to anyone else.)
Apologies for this, as I know people like to gather together, but I also want to make people feel as protected as they can, so we won’t use the parish centre at all during January. Rosie and I will also make a cash donation to the Foodbank. We will review the whole situation again in February.
I know church life – as you remember it – continues to be a challenge (as it has been since we started here), but regrettably it will be like this for some time to come. Please trust me, this isn’t how I want things either and it can be very difficult at times. I am doing all I can and we live in hope that life will return to some semblance of normality soon. There is genuine hope in the speed the vaccines are now being rolled out and so finally, there is a glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel.
Please stay safe, keep praying and I will contact you all again shortly.
With much love, as always,
Revd Nigel and Rosie
‘Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’
Isaiah 40:31