News and Information for 31 May 2020 Pentecost Sunday
Whilst Public Worship is suspended this Blog will take the place of the Weekly Sheet
Sunday Readings and other fantastic resources can be found on the Church at Home Blog here
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This Sunday – live-streamed worship with the Revs Paul, Mike & guests. Join us on one of our channels from 10:30am
Streamed Worship this Sunday
from 10:30am
on Facebook & YouTube 
Church Magazine
Do you have an article for the June Magazine? If so, send it to the to the email address by Tuesday 2 June.
Send any articles of interest for future editions to editor@magazine.stmaryswistaston.blog
You can access the Magazine
HERE
or at any time via the front page of our website
Zoom Invite
After Church Tea & Coffee & Chat
Time: 11:45 AM
Join the Zoom Refreshments and chat
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75021313429
Meeting ID: 750 2131 3429
After church Refreshments
After church tea & coffee will be on Zoom from around 11:45am – come and join us virtually, it would be lovely to see each other again.
We have now implemented a Waiting Room on Zoom for extra security.
Mark Tanner named as next Bishop of Chester
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner has been named by Downing Street as the next Bishop of Chester, succeeding the Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster who retired in September 2019.
Bishop Mark is currently the Bishop of Berwick in the Diocese of Newcastle, a post he has occupied since 2016.
“It will be hard to say goodbye to the North East,” he says, “however, Lindsay and I are really excited to return to Chester where I was ordained, and both of our children were born.”
Mark says: “It is an honour and a joy to be appointed to the Diocese of Chester at such a key time in the life of our communities, nation, and Church. In Christ, God offers a gift of hope beyond our imagining; there is no greater joy or privilege than enabling others to step into this freedom and life, whether in deeply practical service or beautiful wonder and worship. God is here for all.”
The Midweek
Get Together Wednesdays at 7.30pm
Each week Revd Mike invites you to join with him on Zoom for a get-together.
Each week there will be something different including a Bible Book Club, a Prayer Meeting, a topical chat or a discussion. Details will be posted on our Facebook Page on the Monday of each week. All you need to do is click on the link below to register.
This week 03 June:
Bible Book Club – we will have a discussion on the book of Galatians
If you have the time (around 20 minutes) please read the book.
Short of time? Just read 1.1–10; 2.15–21; 3.1–5; 5.1–6.18 – as these are what we’ll discuss.
More details on the Bible Society Book Club Page – click here
Please click here to register for the Zoom meeting
Limited Access to Church Buildings following the House of Bishops Statement of 5 May
Very limited access allowed to church buildings is now possible for activities such as pre-recording or streaming of services or private prayer, by ministers in their own parishes, so long as the necessary hygiene and social distancing precautions are taken.
Please note that in each parish there should be only one person appointed for this purpose, although they may be accompanied by others from their own household. Multiple people are strongly discouraged from accessing the space, even if this is done one at a time.
Please note that church buildings remain closed to the public. When a minister is in the church building to pray or pre-record or live-stream worship, the doors should remain locked. The guidance still excludes the possibility of church services, including occasional offices such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.
In the meantime, I have been checking all the buildings twice a week and for insurance purposes, I have been taking photos of them, here is a selection of them – you can click on them to see the bigger image.
Revd Mike, Rector
Funerals this past week
Joyce Dentith
Please keep their families in your prayers
Daily Hope
THE Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a free telephone line, Daily Hope, to give more people access to worship, prayer, and reflections while churches are closed.
Daily Hope has been available since Sunday and runs for 24 hours a day. It provides Church of England prayers, hymns, and reflections for those who dial in. The number is 0800 8048044.
St Paul’s Pantry News
Trust you are all keeping well, here’s our monthly data for you to share with your congregations.
We fed 294 people in April with 2,646 meals and had 2,139.79kgs of food donated. Compare this to last year we fed 125 people with 1,125 meals and had 1,760.78kgs of food donated.
We are steadily busy and are able to meet requests for food. Our shortages include tins of potatoes, vegetables, fruit, sandwich meats, meat pies, custard, rice pudding, pasta, long grain rice and sugar.
If you are able to bring items to our rear gates, we are open Mon- Fri 10-3. (Closed Friday 8th May) If you’re unable to drop off, we able to collect by ringing our office 01270 586186 option 1.
Please continue to hold us up in prayer whether in your Zoom services or in private prayer, we need them!
Take care
Cheryl Wykes & Tracey Humphries If you can’t get to the Foodbank you can help financially here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/StPauls
Our Magazine has now moved online for the foreseeable future and you can access it HERE or at any time via the front page of our website
Our May Magazine is now available!
Please send any articles of interest for the May edition to editor@magazine.stmaryswistaston.blog
The Wistaston Village Fete for 2020 has, unsurprisingly, been cancelled for this year. More details will appear on the Community Council’s Facebook in due course.
More info here: https://www.facebook.com/wistaston/
To keep in touch with the church, it’s news and updates and be kept informed of resources which you can use at home for prayer and worship, then please join our Prayer & Communication email list via this link: http://eepurl.com/gbKZ5b
Church Staff & The Parish Office
We have had to take the decision to furlough the paid church staff, that is Polly, Teresa & Derek, for the foreseeable future which means under the new government scheme as a church we can claim 80% of their wages back, we will continue to pay them 100% whilst we can.
This, of course, means the office is closed until further notice but the answerphone and emails are being checked daily.
Covid-19 and it’s effects of church life: As well as worship being suspended, we have had to cancel all events and close the Church Hall. We pray for all those who are in isolation and will be hugely affected by this.
You can view the latest information from the Church of England and the effect on its services her