Welcome

Dear friends,

A very warm welcome to this service, wherever you are worshipping in the Langtree Team ministry area this morning. May the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus be with us all.

Choral Evensong tonight !

We are especially pleased to welcome Bishop Colin to the service of Choral Evensong at St Mary’s Ipsden this afternoon at 6.30pm, when he will be blessing the recently completed refurbishment of the vestry, together with the new organ loft staircase. Everyone from across the Team is very welcome to attend and join the celebrations at the completion of this exciting reordering, which adds greatly to the flexibility and hospitality that can be offered by the congregation of St Mary’s. Well done to everyone involved in this project.

Coronavirus

You will have seen in the media that the novel coronavirus has now emerged in the Reading area, so as churches we must begin to think about our own responses, irrespective of any containment actions implemented by the civic authorities. I am in communication with both your ministers and your wardens, so that together we can if necessary make quick decisions if the need arises. For the moment please assume that our churches will all continue to operate as normal until you hear directly from your clergy, or from this notice sheet. Information can also be posted instantly on both the Team website (www.langtreechurches.org on the Blog pages) and on the Team Facebook page www.facebook.com/langtreechurches .

To reassure you, in our communion services the clergy are using alcohol based hand gel prior to the consecration and administration of the bread and wine, and as a rule of thumb if you are feeling unwell you are advised to only receive the bread, or ask for a blessing.

Let us pray for God’s help, and the light of faith, to guide and guard our churches through this present crisis.

“He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him” (Ps 18:30)

Your Rector                                                    Revd Canon Kevin Davies