Coronavirus Recovery Step One

Hi folks

As I am writing this blog, our First Minister Arlene Foster and our Deputy First Minister Michele O'Neill are announcing that from Monday 18th May 2020 they are allowing the country to enter the first step of the recovery from the pandemic.

From that date, Recycling centres and Garden centres are allowed to open - but for us, the better news is that we can start looking at other ways to do "church". Step One outlines that we are allowed to start a "drive-in" church. That sounds like something that you do in the summer time - but with the proper steps and equipment, it can work for us!

Our church property is ideally suited for this type of experience, with a fantastic church carpark and ample room for everyone to get in! You will have to remain in our cars, but at least we could still turn up and worship together! I wonder would we be interested in starting out this way, and coming together to worship, even in this unusual manner? If it works, we'll keep it going until we have the permission to get into the new normality!

Please pass the news around - I'm intending to start as soon as we have permission our outdoor "drive-in" church at Aghavea at 11am. If this is successful, we will keep it going - but don't panic, it will be online as well. I would like to start to blend our services to work in the best way that suits us all best! We aren't all online, and we can't all travel just as safely - but with a mix of the two, it will suit more people than already!

Get the news out! Drive-in church! We're almost there!!

God bless you all.

Regards
Johnny
Rector

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AccessNI Check process

Hi folks Please see the following pages for the process of getting our AccessNI accreditation for our Sunday School and GFS leaders and helpers. You will need to print out the pages and keep a special note of the long number provided to you by email and let me know as soon as possible. We require an Enhanced check for everyone - and use the PIN number 918066 as detailed on the first page. The second page details the forms of identification you will need to provide - one from the first group, and two from the second group. The quicker we can all get the checks completed, the sooner we can get everything back to normal and put this whole process behind us for another three years! If you can photograph yourself (by smartphone or tablet) and email (revdjohnny@gmail.com) or WhatsApp (07488371680) them to me, that'd be great. I will also be available at the Parish Hall on Monday evening from 7pm to 8pm to help you with anything you would like assistance with! If you need any help at all

Back to the BCP!!

Hi folks It’s been a long time since the pandemic started and the lockdowns - and Covid hasn’t really gone away! I had the dubious honour of getting Covid for the second time just before Holy Week, giving me the chance to think about ministry direction, both my own and in the parish. One of the original responses to the pandemic was to limit our use of the hymn books and our Prayer Books. At the beginning I produced a service sheet with all the relevant liturgy - which we used in the car park and when we returned to the church. Our “temporary measure” lasted almost three years - and it’s time to move on! Our Book of Common Prayer contains our unique identity - in fact the word “Common” doesn’t mean ordinary but that it shows our unity - the liturgy we hold in “common”. We will be returning to our BCPs from this weekend, the Second Sunday of Easter. We will be using Morning Prayer Two - and we will guide us through the service. We look forward to seeing you in church or online via Fb

Second Sunday in Lent

Hi folks Another week has literally flown by - and we've already started the new month! This Sunday's readings include the best known passage in the Bible, John 3 - the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. In this passage, Jesus sums up the whole Gospel message of love, salvation and eternal life in one verse, known to us all as John 3:16. Is this the most important verse in our Holy Scriptures? Possibly, but join us on Sunday to discuss the passage, and how it fits into the Christian life as we know it. Our service is Holy Communion Two, and our readings and passages are listed on our service sheets attached. Our service will be streamed on Facebook (all being well) and shared afterwards on our page if you can't join us live. Blessings Johnny

Aghavea Parish Church

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