Dates for your diary

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Sunday 30th May – KCB Morning Praise Service 11 am

A reminder that next Sunday (Trinity Sunday) we are holding a joint KCB Morning Praise service – an opportunity for a really good sing! You’re invited to bring a chair (and if necessary umbrellas and warm layers!) to the green space at the front of St Andrew’s Kildwick. We will be led by a brass sextet (thank you, Mary Peet). I know that many of us have missed the opportunity to sing in church over the last 14 months, so please get in practice during the week, and then come along.

Julie’s last Sunday 20th June

Just a reminder for your diaries that on my last Sunday in the parish there will be a single joint service at 11am at Kildwick (which should be big enough to accommodate us allowing for physical distancing).

 

Julie

hands up

Annual Parochial Church Meeting Tuesday 18th May 2021 7.30pm

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Annual Parochial Church Meeting Tuesday 18th May 2021 7.30pm

We are planning to hold this year’s APCM as a ‘mixed mode’ event – both online and in-person for those who wish to attend and cannot access the meeting in any other way. I am very grateful to Tim Whitehead, headteacher at Kildwick Primary School, for allowing us to hold the meeting in school, which means that we have access both to space for those attending in person and the necessary technology for this. In order to minimize the risk of gathering, I would encourage those who can to attend via Zoom (remember that even if you can’t do video calls, you can access Zoom via the telephone) – the access details will be provided nearer to the time.

It would be helpful to have an idea of the number of people who would like to attend in person so that the school can provide us with a suitably sized room – please, therefore, let me know ASAP if you would like to attend in person.

Sunday, Easter Day, we resume services in our church buildings!

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Easter Day

A joyful reminder that next Sunday, Easter Day, we resume services in our church buildings!

It will be lovely to see some of you in person next Sunday; I will be taking services at Bradley at 9.30 am and at Kildwick at 11 am, and the service at Cononley will be led by the Methodists.

At present and until different guidance is given, we will still be operating with our Covid-risk-mitigation measures (physical distancing, hand sanitising, mask-wearing, communion in one kind, no singing). Thankfully many (maybe most) of us have been vaccinated, and the evidence seems to be that this both reduces the risk of transmission (including asymptomatically) and the severity of the virus if it is contracted.

However, please do not feel any pressure to return to services until you feel ready to do so.

Julie

Easter flowers

If you would like to make a donation towards the lilies used to decorate St Andrew’s next Sunday, please contact  June Whitaker (01535 655320 or malcolm.whitaker@talktalk.net).

After Easter Day

After Easter Day, the plan is to revert to the pre-pandemic service pattern. Here is a reminder of what that is. In the past on 5th Sundays we have had a joint service in one church, rotating venues. The next 5th Sunday will be in May; the Worship Team will consider how best to plan for this.

1st Sunday 2nd Sunday 3rd Sunday 4th Sunday 5th Sunday
Kildwick 11am HC 9.30am HC Lay-led service 11am HC TBC
Cononley 11am Methodist-led service 11am HC 11am HC Lay-led service TBC
Bradley 9.30am HC No service 9.30am HC 9.30am HC TBC

Sunday Services in February 2021

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When the Government announced Lockdown 3, following the arrival of first one then a second virulent strain of the virus, the PCC considered deeply what we should do. The regulations, while emphasising how essential it is to remain at home whenever possible, rather bizarrely allowed gatherings for church services.

There were fairly clear hints from the House of Bishops and we followed the example of many churches and cathedrals. With heavy hearts, we decided that the doors should remain closed in order to minimise the spread of this disease. As the programme of vaccinations rolls out, let’s hope that we can soon re-assess this sad situation.

Services during National Lockdown 3

During this time, there will be Sunday services available via Zoom at 10am (with an opportunity for a chat afterwards), and Evening Prayer will be live-streamed via the KCB Parish Facebook page at 4pm.

Please request more details if required …

 

UPDATE: St Andrew’s and you – what’s your story? Kildwick 700

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Kildwick 700 – an update

We were unable to hold our special St Andrew’s Day service with Bishop Nick to mark this important anniversary. I hope that we’ll be able to reschedule a service sometime in 2021 instead, once it is possible to make proper plans. I still plan to turn the stories about the significance of St Andrew’s shared with me into a little leaflet and to draw on some of them for that service in due course.

If you’ve got a story about how St Andrew’s has been significant in the lives of you and your family, I’d love to hear it. Please spread this request far and wide – I know that there are people in America who have links with Kildwick, and it would be great to receive stories that show that Kildwick’s influence is far from simply local!

You can send your story by e-mail, or send me a hard copy (my address is 2b Nab Lane, Shipley BD18 4HB). Please say whether you would like me to use your name in sharing your story, or would prefer your contribution to be anonymous (though please ensure that your name and contact details are with your story, otherwise I won’t be able to use it).

Julie

St Andrew’s and you – what’s your story? Kildwick 700

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St Andrew’s and you – what’s your story? Kildwick 700

Earlier this year, before lockdown, plans were underway to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the oldest parts of St Andrew’s church building. Sadly, July’s proposed flower festival was unable to take place, but we would still like to mark the occasion in some way.

So this year, we have invited Bishop Nick to preach at the St Andrew’s Day service, Monday 30th November. We’re still working out exactly how the service will work and what its content will be, but I would love to include some stories of what St Andrew’s has meant to people and their families over the years. Of course, ‘church’ is mostly about people, but buildings matter too, and I know that there are many people who love St Andrew’s building and for whom it has been an important part of their lives.

Depending on what kind of response I get, I would like to use some of the stories in the service, but I’d also like to share them more widely – through KCB Churches website or even perhaps putting together a booklet.

If you’ve got a story about how St Andrew’s has been significant in the lives of you and your family, I’d love to hear it. Please spread this request far and wide – I know that there are people in America who have links with Kildwick, and it would be great to receive stories that show that Kildwick’s influence is far from simply local!

You can send your story by e-mail, or send me a hard copy (my address is 2b Nab Lane, Shipley BD18 4HB). Please say whether you would like me to use your name in sharing your story, or would prefer your contribution to be anonymous (though please ensure that your name and contact details are with your story, otherwise I won’t be able to use it).

Julie

St Andrew’s Kildwick opening update

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For more information see Julie’s newsletter

Update on re-opening church buildings

Last Sunday 12th July, both St Mary’s and St Andrew’s opened for periods of private prayer (9.30am to 10.30am at St Mary’s, and 2pm to 4pm at St Andrew’s). There were 3 visitors to St Mary’s, and at least 23 to St Andrew’s. The format for visiting each place worked well, and seemed to be appreciated by those who came. They will be open at the same time this coming Sunday, 19th July. From Sunday 26th July, St John’s will also be open between 11am and 12 noon for private prayer. This is an important step in communicating to our communities that the Church is still alive and there for all. In Kildwick, the restarting of the church clock has been another audible sign that church buildings are gradually starting to be used again!

Re-opening church buildings for Sunday worship

At its meeting this week the PCC discussed the next stage of reopening for worship. We agreed that we want to hold worship services as soon as possible, commensurate with a proper assessment of the risks involved (which the buildings reopening working will consider at their meeting next week). At the same time, we’re aware that the situation remains fluid, and could change again. As we move towards the autumn and winter, it is possible (even likely) that there will be a resurgence of coronavirus. We may see a reimposition of some restrictions – or people may just feel less able or ready to come to church. So the PCC would like us to develop other ways of worshipping alongside working towards reopening buildings.

 

Reopening St Andrew’s Kildwick

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For more information see Julie’s newsletter

Re‐opening church buildings

The government has given permission for church buildings to be open for private prayer, and now also from 4th July for regular worship – although we still await guidance on practicalities. This is permission, not compulsion! A PCC working group has been formed to think through all the issues involved in reopening our buildings. We are carrying out the required COVID‐19 risk assessments, which will inform our planning.

At present we are hoping on Sunday 12th July to open St Mary’s 9.30am to 10.30am, and to open St Andrew’s for a period in the afternoon. The plans for St John’s remain to be confirmed. This will be for the purpose of private prayer. Once the plans are in place, we will publicise them via this newsletter, the Craven Herald, the website and social media. Watch this space for more information!