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Golders Green Parish Church – Newsletter

23 September 2020
 

Greetings to Everyone. How good it is to keep in touch again.

It was so excellent to see some of you face-to-face (with face masks on of course) on Sunday when the church was re-opened from 10.00am to 12noon for prayer. Some of us felt quite emotional about being back after so long. The church, sparkling clean, looked beautiful as the sun shone brightly, with so much space to sit in and pray and the Taize music setting a prayerful atmosphere. Tony and his team did such a great job of ensuring all the requirements were in place to make sure it was a safe environment in which we could pray and meditate. It would be so good if more could come this Sunday and join together.

This week’s newsletter has some important information regarding the consultation process we are undertaking with you regarding the appointment of a new incumbent.
You will find the questionnaire below which we would like you to complete giving your views on (a) what you feel about church life; what you would like to see developed and (b) what you would like to see in a new incumbent. The questionnaire is also being sent to you by a separate letter for ease of completion.

We would appreciate it if you would give it some thought and fill it in in any way you find best. Please return it by 2nd October either to the church office or to: churchwardens@gg-pc.co.uk If there is anything you want to discuss please don’t hesitate to contact: Sally or Tony.
You all know the church so well and each of you is a valued member of the congregation so it is crucial your views are included. They will help us build up the Parish Profile
that we have to start compiling very soon. With many thanks.

Consultation on a New Incumbent

Please insert your answers and thoughts as appropriate and Return to the Church Office by 2nd October 2020 or to Churchwardens@gg-pc.co.uk

If you have any questions, please contact Sally or Tony.

1. How would you describe GGPC?
2. What does GGPC do well?
3. What would you like GGPC to do differently?
4. What would you like GGPC to do that it doesn’t already do?
5. What else would you like applicants to be our vicar to know?
6. What qualities and experiences would you like our new incumbent to have?
7. What specific gifts and abilities would you like our new incumbent to bring to help the parish develop further?
8. What would you like to see the new incumbent develop within and across the wider community?

Annual Parochial Church Meeting: 19 October at 7:30pm.

This is a note to let you know that the Annual Parochial Church meeting is due to be held in the evening of 19 October at 7:30pm. The Vestry meeting will also be held on the same day before the APCM, as usual. Formal notice will be given at the appropriate time, but this is forewarning to all our friends that this will be happening. It is proposed to hold the meeting via Zoom. There will be telephone access for those who are not comfortable with using Zoom.

At these meetings it is proposed it is proposed to elect two Church Wardens, and up to 5 new PCC members. Currently 2 PCC members are being nominated for the role of Church Wardens. They will become ex-officio PCC members. They along with 3 'retiring' PCC members should be replaced and or re-elected to the PCC. So if you are interested in being a PCC member, please let Sally ,Pamela or Simon know, via the Church Office (on 020 8455 1873) or via churchwardens@gg-PCC.co.uk.

All the other usual matters for the APCM will also be done. The PCC would crave your prayers as we move into the period of the Interregnum. The running of the Church will fall largely on the PCC, the Church Wardens and the Church Secretary. There will be two new Church Wardens and Secretary so your prayers are even more important and vital."

Jenny has offered two reflections:

The opening of schools and “The Season of Creation”

Thank God for Our Schools

Many of us will know children, teachers, and other staff who have recently returned to their schools, or children who have gone to school for the first time. Many children and staff won’t have been at school since March, and for all of them the new term brings new and different challenges as well as a lot of excitement and, perhaps, anxiety. The Church of England’s service on Sunday focused on schools, and is worth watching if you can. https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/recognising-teachers-and-school It celebrates teachers as unsung heroes, and there’s a wonderful theme throughout of how schools can be, and have been, a way of putting love into action. It's a really important reminder of the commitment and sacrificial service of teachers and other staff in our schools, those who kept on going into schools during lockdown to support the most vulnerable children, and those who kept school going online. Thank God for all of them! It would be good if we could pray for them, and for the children in their schools, and for parents who may be anxious about sending their children to school.

Season of Creation

Every year churches around the world mark the Season of Creation, which runs from 1st September to 4th October. It’s a time to celebrate God’s wonderful creation and to think about all the different ways in which human beings are damaging it, and how we can each care for it. Some of us might have watched the recent David Attenborough programme, ‘Planet Earth: a Celebration’ (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000m7wj/planet-earth-a-celebration) which is fabulous reminder of the wonder, beauty and interconnectedness of creation and an urgent encouragement to all of us to get serious about protecting and nurturing it. We might also have watched his latest programme ten days ago, ‘Extinction: The Facts’, with a similar challenge to protect and nurture the biodiversity on which we all depend: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000mn4n/extinction-the-facts.

For churches, there’s a lot of material on the Season of Creation website, including a short video introduction from the Archbishop of Canterbury, here: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/policy-and-thinking/our-views/environment-and-climate-change/season-creation, and Bible studies, prayers and reflections that we can use on our own or with others. Here’s a prayer to get us started:
God
Creator
Of the Universe
Of the earth and sea
Of the earth’s fruits and flowers
Of all humans, habitats and creatures
Help us to value and care for your world
In all its beauty and fragility
In trust for you
Creator
God.
Amen
Helen Mason   2018 Women’s World Day of Prayer

Daily Hope - The Church of England Phone line church service - is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.

Please continue to pray for those who have asked us as a community to pray for them Okey Jnr, Margaret, Yvone, Anna, Jason, Ian, Eva, Juliette, Ivor, Myfanwy, Tim and Dorothy.

We at Golders Green Church will continue to offer a number of ways we can and will keep in contact though emailing and phoning each other, the use of Facebook and the website, sending out updates by supporting those who need shopping, prescriptions fetched, letters posted and anything else you may need if you are isolated at home, whether you are in the over 70-year-old age group, or, have underlying health conditions.

The important thing is, PLEASE LET US KNOW. We are drawing up a list of volunteers we can call on to help. If anyone wants to add their names to this, please email churchwardens@gg-pc.co.uk
 

Radio, Television and Online Worship

You may wish to join in worship during this time through television and radio.
Check online, in the Radio Times and elsewhere for details:
Songs of Praise BBC 1, Sunday afternoon, variable times
Sunday Worship BBC Radio 4, Sunday, 8.10am Choral Evensong BBC
Radio 3, Wednesday Daily Service
BBC Radio 4 (Longwave only), weekdays, 9.45am
Big Sunday Service Premier Christian Radio, Sunday, 7am, 8am, 10am Easter Sunday Eucharist A service is usually broadcast on the BBC on Easter morning
Free 24 hour telephone church service 0800 804 8044
Online resources Church of England Daily Prayer https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-dailyprayer
https://mailchi.mp/b9d86a4acdc7/coming-up-from-st-pauls-cathedral-1274047?e=377e26b1db St Paul’s Cathedral have a number of resources available for us to use.
Church of England Online Resources during this time https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronaviruscovid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
Go On-line to " ps://www.achurchnearyou.com", put in Area or post code and find a local church that broadcasts Worship.
Prayers from Christian Aid https://www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/churches/coronavirus-prayers
https://pray-as-you-go.org/ Pray as you Go (a short service each day in the Jesuit Tradition)
LICC have some great resources on their website https://www.licc.org.uk/
Especially on Covid-19 https://www.licc.org.uk/ourresources/prayer-journeys/presence-pressure-purpose/