Updated 23 May 2022

There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. The government suggests that you continue to wear a face-covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet. 

 Social distancing in a place of worship is now a personal choice.

In all our buildings we still welcome the wearing of face coverings.

 

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PREVIOUS UPDATES

Updated 1 March 2022

There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. The government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet.

Social distancing in a place of worship is now a personal choice.

From Thursday 3 March:

• In our Church building (and whilst singing) we recommend the wearing of face coverings.
• In St Michael’s Centre (and whilst singing) we still welcome the wearing of face coverin

Updated 25 February 2022

Despite the lifting of Government restrictions around Covid-19, we are still currently advising the wearing of face-coverings at all our services and celebrations. The leadership team will review this going forward.

Updated 26 January 2022

The Current Situation…

For places of worship, it is up to individual churches to decide the precautions they wish to take – based on their own risk assessment – to protect others and themselves.

Within the Church we believe that everyone is known and loved individually by God, and that as many members within one body we are called to be responsible to and for one another, respecting the more vulnerable whose suffering is our suffering (1 Cor 12:12-27)

At St Michael’s…

From Thursday 27 January:

• In our Church building (and whilst singing) we strongly recommend the wearing of face coverings.
• In St Michael’s Centre (and whilst singing) we recommend the wearing of face coverings.

We suggest that you keep testing regularly to stop the spread, and if you do test positive with a lateral flow or feel ill, please do not attend.

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Updated 16 December

We are thankful to still be able to meet in person for our Christmas services and events.

Face coverings are a legal requirement in our buildings (unless you are exempt).

In line with government advice, even if you do not have symptoms, please take a lateral flow test before attending any of our services or events.

If you do test positive with a lateral flow or feel ill, please do not attend.

When available, you can order lateral flow tests online here.

We look forward to worshipping Jesus together, in-person and online.

Updated 10 December

We are thankful to be able to meet in person for our Christmas services and events.

Following the latest government announcement, face coverings are now a legal requirement in our buildings.  This is something we were already strongly recommending.

Please keep your face covering on at all times unless you are exempt

We suggest that you keep testing regularly to stop the spread, and if you do test positive with a lateral flow or feel ill, please do not attend.. We look forward to worshipping Jesus together, in-person and online.

Updated 3 December

The arrival of a new variant of the Covid-19 virus, Omicron, has prompted the government to introduce some additional precautionary measures as they assess its potential impact.
 
For places of worship it is still up to individual churches to decide the precautions they wish to take based on their own risk assessment to protect others and themselves.
 
Within the Church we believe that everyone is known and loved individually by God and that as many members within one body we are called to be responsible to and for one another, respecting the more vulnerable whose suffering is our suffering (1 Cor 12:12-27). 
 
The current situation, means we are being asked to take even more personal responsibility, than when we were compelled to adhere to Government restrictions. 
At present, news of the newly emergent omicron variant of the virus is causing concern and uncertainty. It is, however, too early to say what impact this new variant will have on the pandemic in the UK. There is likely to be fuller information within a few weeks and we will have to exercise both patience and caution until then.

At St Michael’s we strongly recommend the wearing of face coverings in both the centre and church buildings, and whilst singing.  We suggest that you keep testing regularly to stop the spread, and if you do test positive with a lateral flow or feel ill, please do not attend.

Updated 4 November

We all need to look out for each other. Please keep testing regularly to stop the spread, and if you do test positive with a lateral flow, isolate and take a PCR test promptly. 

At present, incidence of the virus is high, though Government statistics tentatively point to it beginning to decrease.

Largely due to the success of the vaccination programme, hospitalisations and deaths remain at a much lower level than at similar points during the pandemic, but the continuation of this will be dependent on a good uptake of booster vaccinations.

However, vaccination cannot be the sole means of containing the spread of the virus: hand and respiratory hygiene, social distancing, face-coverings and good ventilation are also important factors in lessening the spread of the disease. While these are not mandatory, they are still important public health mitigations to help minimise risk.

We  recommend face-coverings in enclosed and crowded spaces, and ask that you remember to wash your hands regularly. 

We will continue with a one-way system for our coffee time after the 10.30 Celebration, and encouraging people to move outside or back to the auditorium after picking up their drinks.

Updated 27 October

As cases of covid-19 continue to be a concern, we are committed to following guidance and reviewing our processes.

The wearing of face-coverings continues to be expected in the Church building. Feel free to wear face-coverings during the 10.30 and Evening Celebrations, as well as whilst moving around  St Michael’s Centre.

From this Sunday, we are introducing a one-way system for our coffee time after the 10.30 Celebration, and encouraging people to move outside or back to the auditorium after picking up their drinks.

Updated  9 September

The core leadership team has come to the decision that mask-wearing in the auditorium and St Michael’s Centre is now optional and down to personal choice.  

As you may know, the centre and especially the auditorium, is very well ventilated and this decision brings us in line with government and Church of England guidance on mask-wearing.

So as of today please feel free to wear or not wear mask at your discretion during worship and whilst moving around the centre. 

Ventilation in the church building is less efficient, so we (strongly) recommend that worshippers continue to wear masks during the 9am and for other services in the building. 

You can find full details on our Sunday Worship here

Our services and celebrations will still be live streamed, and you can find them on our youtube channel

The days are gradually beginning to lengthen and the optimist in me is looking out for the first signs of Spring – let me know if you see any!

I am one of four siblings, and surprisingly three out of the four of us are ordained in the Church of England. My parents scratch their heads in bemusement as to how that happened!

My eldest sister, Clare, is chaplain of an Oxford College and has recently published a lovely book of forty reflections called ‘Unveiled: Women of the Old Testament and the choices they made’. I’ve been using it as my daily reading this month and, with a character a day, it’s been moving and inspiring to reflect on their lives and to learn of their strength and faith.

So many of these women are portrayed as marginal figures in scripture, written as supporting roles in storylines dominated by men. It’s safe to say gender equality wasn’t quite the priority it is today. But even though women like Miriam, Tamar or Jephthah’s daughter (you’ll have to get the book to find out who she is) are written as small parts in the grand story of scripture, that is of course not how God sees them, and it’s not how he sees you or me. 

To Him, the bible says, we are front and centre stage. It says He sings over us as we sleep (Zeph 3.17) and that we are ‘the apple of His eye’ (Psalm 17.8), which is another way of saying that such is his love, he can’t take his eyes off us. What a comforting thought. 

Below are some pictures  taken from ‘Unveiled’ which you may find interesting. They are painted by Clare’s son Micah, who is an artist. He has painted 40 beautiful portraits to accompany each character. These are a few of my favourites-  I hope you like them. You can get the book from most good book shops!

Clare and Micah are coming to St Michael’s to speak about their book at the next Saturday Breakfast on 12 February. Do come and join us if you can.

Be assured that you are regularly in our prayers.

Warmest regards,

Revd Tom Benyon, Associate Vicar

This November Gift Day supports the ministry and mission of St Michael’s Church. 

Click here to go straight to How to give

Every Person Counts Every Pound Makes a Difference

..see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

2 Corinthians 8:7

Our vision is living to make a difference by being a Christian heart at the centre of our communities.

This vision is realised through Learning & Growing Together, Sharing Jesus Together and Serving Together.

To make our vision happen, we hold 2 gift days a year. One in May to support our resources and buildings and one in November to support day-to-day ministry.

Giving Thanks

Our gifts make this vision possible. This year, we’ve:

• Supported our Mission Partners.
• Moved swiftly to respond to Covid-19 pandemic by enabling livestreaming of Sunday worship, investing in new technology and staffing.
• Begun new Life Groups and Forest Church in New Housing Areas, and established a new service in Stoke Gifford Retirement Village.
• Held a significant Summer Club in our Church Centre.
• Restarted Messy Church and Light Parties.
• Developed student outreach partnering with the university.
• Continued our day-to-day ministry.

Thank you for joining us on this adventure of generous giving that enables our vision to become a reality.

Key Priorities for 2021/2022

Wellbeing Coordinator

To work with existing agencies to resource our response post Covid, in education settings and community.

New Housing Areas

Strengthen community links in Cheswick, Harry Stoke and Scholars Chase, which all sit within our parish. Call people to move into New Housing Areas to begin new Life Groups.

Coffee Shop and Catering

Strengthen the ministry of the Old School Rooms Coffee Shop with additional resource. Engage external consultancy for our overall catering requirements across our ministries and that of the Centre.

Youth & Children’s Ministry

Invest in our teams to resource the expanding ministry and lead our amazing volunteers.

Young Adults

Develop our students & young adults ministry to meet the specific needs of this generation in the current climate.

Worship

We have already begun to build on the development of worship teams and to strengthen and enhance our musical worship.

Other costs will include:

• Alleviating last year’s agreed deficit budget of £75k.
• Refurbishment of our Church building: This year and next, we aim to transform the inside of our Church building.

Who?

Our ministry is resourced from the generous giving of our church.

Financially, we receive no contributions from the Church of England. In fact, we contribute around £150k per year back to the Church of England in Parish Share to support the wider ministry of the Church in the Bristol Diocese.

If you are new to St Michael’s…

Have you recently joined our church? We invite you to give monthly to enable our vision to become a reality.

If you’re not yet giving…

Some of us haven’t yet been able to support our ministry and mission. Could now be your time to begin giving financially?

If you can give more…

Like any charitable organisation, we are impacted by inflation and other factors that mean our costs steadily increase each year. Could you increase your giving?

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart togive, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Next Steps

Our Gift Day is 21 November 2021. 

We’re inviting everyone to complete this simple online Response form 

Gathering our responses helps us to be able to plan next steps.

Please click on the button below:

For ways to give to St Michael’s PCC click here This includes options to donate via card.

You can also download this webpage in a pdf leaflet format here

Throughout the pandemic we have produced pastoral/worship packs for around 80 -100 people who are either not in a life group or who don’t have online access. Each pack contains a letter from one of the leadership team. This time it’s the turn of Simon, and he has lots of news to share…

Greetings from St Michael’s Church! This message comes with my blessings and prayers as we head into the autumn season.

I have been reading this Bible verse; “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43 verse 19)

Despite the impact of the pandemic and the effects it has had, God is still doing a new thing. This verse suggests that it is God’s responsibility to do the new thing. We are simply called to perceive it and follow Him. Out of the wasteland, streams will flow. At our Newcomers Lunch recently, we welcomed 64 people! 48 of these were brand new to St Michael’s during lockdown. Jesus is alive and His Church is growing.

It has been so lovely to begin to reconnect as a Church community. The Over-65s Sunday afternoon tea on Sunday 3 October was a particular highlight. So delightful to connect together with old friends and meet new ones whilst enjoying a cream tea! Julie then led a wonderful service of Evensong in Church.

We have also restarted our midweek communion service in Church. The next service is Wednesday 20 October at 10am in the Church building. Please come and be my guest at this simple service. Vicky will be leading us.

Friday Film Club has also restarted. The next one is on Friday 22 October at 2pm in the church centre, a bargain at £2 with tea and biscuits are included.

Finally, we will be having a wonderful All Saints on Monday 1 November at 7.30pm in Church. This simple service enables those who have experienced the loss of someone they love, to give thanks and remember their loved ones before God. If you have been bereaved in the recent or distant past or maybe know someone who is still struggling with ‘loss’, why not invite them to come along? An invitation is included with this letter.

May the Lord make a ‘way’ in the wilderness for you.

 

God Bless