Trinity Newsletter

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Dear Friend

Ever since we resumed public worship after the lockdown, we have had to do almost everything differently in Trinity Church. Looking ahead to forthcoming weekends, we are planning to hold our first Communion service since the beginning of March on 1st November, and, as you might expect, we will do this differently. Each service – one at 10 am to be streamed live and the other at 11 am – will be no longer than previous weeks, the liturgy will be simple and careful safeguards will be in place to remain Covid-safe. It will be a new style of Communion service for Trinity.

On 8th November we will observe Remembrance Sunday differently, too. There will be acts of remembrance in both the 10 am and 11 am services, but neither will occur at 11 am and the commemorative wreath will be placed at the front of the church not at the war memorial. If it is important to you that silence is kept at precisely 11 am, you may want to share in the national cenotaph service on TV.

We are in the High Risk tier of restrictions, so we must politely ask you to be diligent in not engaging in unnecessary conversation in church and by leaving promptly once the service is over. This will seem unnatural and non-pastoral, but it is the pastoral thing to do. It’s how we look after each other.

For your continued reassurance, I remind you of the precautions we have taken in our effort to keep the church free of Covid-19.

A comprehensive risk assessment has been carried out on behalf of the Deacons and can be found on our website.
To allow for appropriate physical distancing, every third pew will be in use and this means that we have reduced capacity.
The entrance will be through the south east outside door, into the coffee area.
Hand sanitisers will be used on entry.
We will be pleased to welcome you, but not with a handshake.
There will be designated routes around the church, including for Communion.
The exit will be through the south west and the vestry doors. Special arrangements will be made for any wheelchair users.
There will be a comprehensive single-use paper order of service for each person, which you will be asked to take away with you.
There will be no singing, but there will be organ music with Stephen at the console.
There will be no crèche or Junior Church but children of all ages are actively encouraged to attend and will be welcome at any of the services.
A toilet will be available.
There will be no coffees and teas following the services.
Between each service, the toilet and touch points such as door handles, stair rails and pew backs will be cleaned.
You are invited to place your offering in a common receptacle at the back of the church either as you enter or as you leave.

Finally, I remind you that

face coverings are now required when attending places of worship. I, however, will be barefaced when conducting the service so that I am not muffled.
we will record your attendance for test and trace purposes
you should not attend church if you are showing any of the symptoms associated with the virus

Yours,

Revd Dr David Dickinson

Worship on Sunday 25 October - Bible Sunday

Church services this Sunday will be held at 10am and at 11am. Seating is limited on account of Coronavirus restrictions, but in the preceding weeks no-one has been turned away for lack of space. Please remember to bring a face covering, which is now mandatory for congregations in churches in England. Our services will be led by our minister, Revd Dr David Dickinson.

The Scripture lesson will be Colossians 3: 12-17.

Deacons on duty are Ruth MacLaren and Selamawi Zere

The organist is Stephen Haylett, B Mus, ARCM, ARCO.

Worship at home on Sunday 25 October

Please see this page of the church website and join in worship at 10.00am led by our minister online.

Christian Study - At this page on the church website you will find links to both the Junior and Adult webpages from Roots on the Web, a resource used by some departments in Junior Church.

Our minister's review of 2019-2020

In lieu of the postponed Annual Church Meeting, Dave has prepared a statement reflecting on our current circumstances and the effect they may have on Trinity Church. You can find a video of his statement on the Church Meeting page of the Trinity website.

Please note that the Church Meeting page is restricted to web site members. If you have any difficulty accessing it, then please visit the "becoming a Trinity web site member" page for instructions on how to log in, or to reset your password, or to sign up for web site membership.

The clocks go back on Saturday night ...

... or, to be more precise, at 2.00am on Sunday morning. This is when British Summer Time ends and when we revert to Greenwich Mean Time as the common standard for telling the time. 2 o/clock becomes 1 o'clock and we get an extra hour in bed.

Coffee and Chat

As we continue to abide by Government guidance, our church services will remain unable to include an opportunity for chat over coffee. So the Coffee and Chat group continues on Zoom on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm.

If you would like to join some familiar faces you would be welcome. Please contact John and Deborah Wroe 020 8642 9064 or john.p.wroe@gmail.com.

Dial a service! If you know anyone who would like to be able to listen to our recorded services, but who doesn't have internet access, we now have a solution for them too - please let them know! Simply phone 020 3319 1332 at any time and listen to hear a recording of the most recent service at Trinity. The cost is that of a local call, which for many people will be free.

Call after 1.00pm on Sunday by which time that morning's service should be available.

Bible Sunday and Bible Study Materials

This Sunday is Bible Sunday. A number of people at Trinity use the International Bible Reading Association Bible reading notes 'Fresh from the Word'. Contributors come from all over the world and give a global perspective to the daily Bible passages. One book covers the whole year. Usually I arrange a bulk order but in the changed circumstances of 2020 I suggest people make their own purchases. 'Fresh from the Word' can be ordered through a bookshop or bought online from several websites including Aslan Christian books and Eden. If you prefer to read an electronic version this can be bought through Amazon. If anyone has difficulty in obtaining a copy please contact me at deb.e.wroe@gmail.com.

How to order your Christmas Cards

Traidcraft Christmas Cards

If you wish to order Traidcraft Christmas cards please use a Traidcraft catalogue from the back of the church and email your order to Sheila Greenslade (sheilagreenslade@hotmail.com) by 15 November. Then post a cheque to Sheila at 12 Village Row, Mulgrave Road, Sutton SM2 6JZ, payable to "Trinity Church Traidcraft".

Action for Children Christmas Cards

If you wish to order any of the Action for Children Christmas cards detailed below, please email Malcolm Booth on m.s.booth@blueyonder.co.uk with your order and send a cheque to him (payable to Malcolm Booth) at 37 Sherwood Park Road, Sutton SM1 2SG by 15 November. The cost of the cards is £3.50 per pack of 10, the cards are 121 x 171mm.

Star at Night Nativity

Three Wise Men Shepherd

October Ecotip

This month concentrates on travel:

Cycle, walk or consider using public transport (in line with current government guidance) for a journey you would usually make by car.
If you have to drive somewhere, plan ahead to combine tasks. See if you can do all your car-based jobs once a week.
Change your driving patterns to be more fuel-efficient. Shift into the higher gears as quickly as possible, don’t brake hard, keep tyres correctly inflated and keep your car well serviced. Drive lightly!
Look at www.seat61.com to discover how you can travel overland to places you thought were only accessible by plane.

A reminder here of the three websites featured in the last three editions of the newsletter this month.

Methodist Church in Britain - Black History Month
United Reformed Church, Legacies of Slavery
Black History Month

And, at the end of October, a final thought on "Why do we need BHM?" Here is an article reflecting on the journey so far by Karen Campbell, the United Reformed Church Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries, who wonders what people are doing to mark it

News from Churches Together in South London

The Big Gathering
Wednesday 4th November
7 pm - 9 pm on Zoom

How can we encourage greater racial diversity in leadership? Is the ecumenical space less racially inclusive than other Christian gatherings?

Twice a year CTSL arranges "Big Gathering" meetings which are open to members of churches in South London which are affiliated to the Churches Together organisation. You don't have to be an office-holder or a church representative to attend. For the first time, the next Big Gathering will be by Zoom. The following invitation comes from Claire Crowley, the Ecumenical Officer for South London.

Join us to consider these questions, and to hear from our two speakers:

Chine McDonald, Head of Community Fundraising & Public Engagement at Christian Aid, author, and Trustee of Greenbelt, Christians Against Poverty and Christians in Media
and
Richard Reddie, Director of Justice & Inclusion for Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, author, commentator and researcher

We will discuss the issues in break-out groups and outline steps we can all take to improve racial diversity in both church leadership and in churches together groups.

To register for the meeting, please email Claire at this link who will let you know the relevant meeting number and passcode.

Feedback

We would welcome your feedback with ideas, suggestions for improvement, constructive criticism and questions - simply reply to this newsletter.

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