Services at St Dunstan's Church
and Owlswick Chapel

The Parish Eucharist starts again at St Dunstan’s

on Sunday 16th August at 10.00am.

Important information: please read carefully as updated on 8th August

The last Sunday on which we held Services at St Dunstan’s, before the lock-down restrictions came into force, was 15th March or the 3rd Sunday in Lent! So, the really great news is that the Churchwardens, Margaret and Johanna, and I have agreed that we will be ready to hold our first Service at 10.00am on Sunday 16th August. The other Churches in the Risborough Team have also begun holding Services and St Mary’s has a ‘booking scheme’ - similar to restaurants. To save you time when you arrive in church, we have a designated phone number for you to ring telling us you are coming. You will be asked to give your name and phone number and will keep that information safe for three weeks. The number is: 0790 892 1154. There will be hand sanitizer available for your use. We can safely seat 30 people or slightly more depending on the number of couples or families who attend (see 3 below.) We will update you as we hear of any further changes. In the meantime, we very much look forward to seeing you in the near future.

1. Attached is the Order of Service we will use for the foreseeable future. IF you are able, can you please print a copy to bring to church with you, take it home afterwards, and keep it for your own use? If you have it on I-Pad or smart phone, then please bring that with you each Sunday. IF you do not have access to any of these, don’t worry, there will be a few spare copies and we will give you one when you arrive. Then you can take that home and keep bringing it back with you.

2. Please enter by the south door (the ‘usual’ entrance.) Current advice is that you wear a face covering. Although we have spares, it will be a great help if you bring yours with you. Thank you.

3. Because we have to follow the ‘safe distance’ rules, you will be guided where to sit in allocated pews. (We are currently sticking with the 2 metre rule until we are told otherwise.) Those from the same household will of course be able to sit together. We will not be able to have a ‘children’s corner’ nor will the 10 O’clock Club be able to take place as the hall will be out of use for the time being. But we hope that families will still come and bring books or other things to keep young children occupied. The hall toilet will be available for use on request to the churchwardens.

4. During the Service:

a) The altar etc. will be set up as we would use it for our All-Age Services, in front of the screen.

b) We cannot sing hymns yet, but there will be organ music before, during and after the Service.

c) At the Peace, we will not be able to shake hands, but please feel free to acknowledge each other from the place where you are sitting

d) We are unable to pass around the collection bags at what would normally be the Offertory. However, there will be a plate at the back of the church for a retiring collection.

e) At the distribution of Holy Communion, you will be able to receive only the consecrated bread (the Host) and not wine. The president will invite you and include the words, “The Body and Blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.” Please note that for many years it has been understood that receiving ‘in one kind only’ is an act of full Communion. (This was the norm in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries and still is in some of their churches.) Again to maintain social distancing, we ask that you come forward a pew at a time (2 – 4 people) standing in front of the altar. The priest will place the host in your hand silently, as the words will have already been said. When all in the line have received you return to your place. Floor markings will show direction of movement.

f) After the Service, if it means not crossing over in front of each other, please exit by the north or south door depending which side of the church you have been sitting and keep away from the door to avoid getting too close to each other. At present we will not be serving refreshments.

This may all seem rather daunting, but we will soon get used to it. See you soon!!