ST GILES FARNBOROUGH - EVENTS, NEWS AND NOTICES
Resumption of Public WorshipSt. Giles is now open for public worship with regular services, see Services PageA booking system has been set-up to manage the numbers able to attend each service, as well as meet the Government's track & trace requirements. Please click https.stgilesfarnborough.setmore.com/ and select the service you wish to attend. I hope you will appreciate that with limited numbers able to attend each service this will be done on a 'first come, first served basis'. Please only contact the Parish Office as a last resort if you do not have internet access and, therefore, cannot use the on-line booking system. Click Here for a step-by-step guide to booking on-line. See also Covid Safe Services In the event of more people wanting to attend the Holy Communion services than we can accommodate on a particular Sunday then we will ask people to make their Communion on the following Sunday.. Please bear with us as we continue along this new learning curve. If we are to maintain our Church as a safe place for the resumption of public worship, communication will be crucial. So do expect regular notices and updates from the Parish Office and remember you must book in for services as detailed above.  CommentsThe following comments are to be read in conjunction with the guidelines:* Holy Communion will be in one kind, bread only. * The wafers will be consecrated in a sealed container so no words are spoken over exposed elements. * People will be asked to remain in their pews and come out into the aisle after previous communicants have returned to their seats. * Holy Communion can be brought to people in the pew. * There will be is no laying on of hands for healing. * Unfortunately we will not be able to have the use of our wonderful servers and chalice assistants. * There is no permission for the singing of hymns. Organ and piano music will be available · * People are welcome to bring their own prayer books if they have one. * The peace is not allowed to be shared. * Please place your offering in bowl on entering the Church. Thank you. * You are invited to light a candle, please bring your own matches or lighter. Single matched will also be available. * People are welcome to attend the service without receiving Communion if they would prefer. * At the Open Air service Communion will be administrated in a line so that social distancing can be maintained. * Sadly, we will not be able to have our wonderful choir or our bells rung and we look forward very much to the return of these important aspects of our Church’s life. * Sidespeople/Verger/Churchwardens will be on hand to guide and assist people in safe conduct. * Refreshments will not be served. Can I emphasise that this is something of an experimental opening to help us understand the practicalities and challenges involved in the re-opening of St .Giles. If this all goes well then I, along with our Churchwardens and PCC, anticipate the resumption of a more regular service pattern in September. Can I also emphasise that the safety of all of us is of paramount importance. I look forward very much to seeing you again. Matthew |
All Souls ServiceSunday 25th October This year there will be an All Souls service online on Sunday 25th October when the names of loved ones will be read out. Also names will be read out at the 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion services on the four Thursdays in November, but remember that you must book online to attend a Thursday service.Invitation letters with reply slips have gone out to all those who usually attend our All Souls services and the letter and reply slip are also Available Here for those who did not receive an invitation but who would like loved ones names read out.  Remembrance Sunday ServiceI am currently in communication with the Bromley Mayor's office concerning the Borough advice on holding outdoor Remembrance Sunday services. I will let everyone know what is happening this year as soon as I know.The same can be said for Christmas, I am currently exploring with our Ministry Team how we might be able to observe and celebrate Christmas under current circumstances. More information to follow. Parish MagazineAt its meeting on Sunday 11th October, the PCC decided to continue with the magazine in its current format, this will be reviewed throughout 2021.The PCC acknowledged the important part that the magazine plays in the mission and outreach of St. Giles. The PCC expressed its sincere thanks to the magazine team for their hard work in this area of church life. Please note that the yearly cost for a printed Magazine including delivery is now £30 (delivered by van within the BR6 area, and by Royal Mail outside). The cost for an emailed magazine will be £10 per annum. The cost for a one off purchased magazine is £2.00 per copy. There has been a slight change to the proposed timing of the subscriptions collection, and this will now happen in December/January. You can pay by bank transfer, cheque or cash. In our Covid-world, priority is given to Contactless payments - cash is a no-no but cheques will be tolerated. The subs form will stress the need to add reference (name) to any bank transfer. We hope the 'glossy' magazine will resume in February. Read More Singing at ServicesMore research is being carried out on whether it is safe to sing individually and within a choir. The advice is that low volume singing in large, well aerated buildings is deemed low risk.Given that St. Giles is a small building it would still not be safe for us to resume this part of our Parish life. I will of course keep you updated. Two More Bells for St. GilesI am pleased to announce that the PCC has agreed to the addition of two extra bells to our existing ring of six. We are now awaiting formal permission from the Diocesan Advisory Council through the Faculty Process.Read More |
ABOUT ST. GILES CHURCH
Charity in Focus:
Film Evenings
See Charity in Focus for detailsEvents Calendar:.
Important Note:
All Social Evenets are cancelled until further notice.
Other events in this list are subject to change or cancellation, depending on recovery or not from the coronavirus pandemic.
| Sun 18th Oct | Annual Parish Meeting Details to follow |
| Mon 19th Oct | Friends of St. Giles AGM by Zoom |
Carol Fryer
01689 855468 / 07951 725069
carolafryer@icloud.com
Toilet Consultation
Over the past 6months the St.Giles Churchyard and Fabric Committee have investigated extensively and exhaustively the viability of various solutions that the PCC have identified for the locating of toilets at St.Giles, the provision of meeting facilities and the future of the Centre.They have now produced a report that can be found in the AGM papers for 2020, available on the Downloads Page. A key finding in terms of a toilet being located at the Church is that there is no mains sewage south of the centre in Church Road and very low water pressure available at St.Giles. Any provision of toilets in or near St.Giles would have to involve an emptiable septic tank’ in the lower car park near the road and Garden of Remembrance.
Added to this the Covid pandemic has underlined the importance for spacious meeting rooms and the need for parish churches to develop ways of maximising their income streams to face what will undoubtedly be a more unpredictable and difficult future.
Having carefully read and considered the Churchyard and Fabric Teams report, the PCC, at its meeting on 21st September 2020, voted unanimously to focus on the re-development or rebuilding of the St.Giles Centre as the best way forward. The Centre would then be the location for the Church’s toilets, which would be accessible from the outside, even if the hall was in use.
As the Rector I am now of the firm conviction that this is the right way forward and I will focus my energies in advancing this. I appreciate that this will come as a great disappointment to many of you, but I believe that after almost a decade of debating, exploration and discussion the time has come for us to make a clear decision and take action.
No one could ever accuse successive PCCs of not having thoroughly looked at every option or discounting the various shades of opinion andinitiative.
I am grateful to the Friends and many others who have helped me and a number of PCCs to think this matter through.
Matthew Hughes, October 2020