Dear All
You may have seen on the news that the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced the suspension of all church services. This is unprecedented - but then so are the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We're not given any room for discretion: we have to follow orders on this one.

I'd have liked to be able to call an emergency PCC meeting, but that's the very opposite of what we should be doing. So I'll be meeting with the wardens tomorrow, to discuss our options. We may propose keeping the church open during the day, perhaps giving people the opportunity to light a candle. Any of you are welcome to send in suggestions of ways we might try to mitigate this closing down of our services.

I'm also meeting the leaders of our two councils on Friday, to see how we can work together to support each other within the wider community. It's easy for individuals to slip through the net, so we'll work to coordinate communication throughout the SUN villages as well as our more widely-flung congregation.

Above all, let's resolve to follow St Paul's advice, to 'pray without ceasing'. I won't narrow your range by suggesting the petitions you should offer up: a friend of mine talks of 'drenching the world with prayer', and that is what we'll need to do.

You'll hear more news as soon as it becomes available.

I'll finish with advice that the Bishop of Oxford has just sent to all the clergy: 'Please continue to watch over yourself and your family, as well as watching over others and being available to them.'

With love and all good wishes

John Paton - Rector