March archived updates

Monday 30th March

Dear Friends,

With the commencement of Passiontide yesterday, we have moved into the most important fortnight of the Church’s year. We were moved over the weekend by the number of creative ways in which people across our Diocese came together as one Church to share services online and minister to each other remotely. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make all of this possible. Over 1500 people joined Bishop Tim for his Passion Sunday worship online, and we will share Palm Sunday worship next weekend so that those without access to services from their parish are able to join other members of our Diocesan community in prayer.

Over the weekend we have refreshed the home page of the Diocesan website - www.winchester.anglican.org- to make it easier to find resources to support you during the current situation. This includes guidance for churches and schools, worship resources and communications support. Thank you to Jess Littlewood, our Internal and Digital Communications Manager, for her work on the website. Do contact Jess (communications@winchester.anglican.org) if you need support with your digital channels in the coming weeks and months.

We have had good local media coverage about the local Church’s response and are still looking for good news stories about ways in which people across the Diocese are responding to the crisis. Please let the Diocesan media team know about what you have planned by emailing dioceseofwinchester@luther.co.uk.

Finally, the Archbishops’ Council Cathedral and Church Buildings Division has published some helpful guidance on securing and caring for your church buildings during the Covid-19 pandemic, which they intend to keep updated. It is available to download here and contains lots of helpful advice.

With our prayers for you all,

Bishop Tim, Bishop David and Bishop Debbie

And the Bishop’s Staff Team:

Andrew Robinson, Diocesan Chief Executive

Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester

Peter Rouch, Archdeacon of Bournemouth

Richard Brand, Archdeacon of Winchester

Mat Phipps, Bishop’s Chaplain 29th March

Dear Friends,

This Sunday, many of you will be holding virtual services for your parish communities. Thank you for continuing to think of creative ways to continue your ministry at this time.

In addition, or for those parishes without access to their own virtual services, Bishop Tim and his wife Sally have recorded a communion service, which can be viewed on our Diocesan YouTube channel this morning. Please do share the link so that we can still join together as one Diocese in prayer even though we cannot see each other in person.

With our prayers for you all,

Bishop Tim, Bishop David and Bishop Debbie

And the Bishop’s Staff Team:

Andrew Robinson, Diocesan Chief Executive

Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester

Peter Rouch, Archdeacon of Bournemouth

Richard Brand, Archdeacon of Winchester

Mat Phipps, Bishop’s Chaplain

28th March Update

27th March update

Dear Friends,

As we approach the coming weekend, we are once again facing a Sunday without being able to physically join our local communities. Whilst we know that the Church is not just a series of (now closed) buildings, it is difficult to not be able to pray and participate in services in one place.

However, we have been heartened by the work being done by so many of you to create ways of enabling Christian communities to meet online – whether through celebrating services on Zoom, holding pastoral Skype calls or creating social media prayer resources. Thank you for helping your communities to find ways of encountering God’s love at this most difficult of times.

Today, the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England have written to all clergy to offer some suggestions for ways in which we can continue to minister to our communities (paying attention to those with access to the internet, as well as those who do not) at the present time. You can read the letter here and we hope you will find it useful.

Ahead of this weekend, Bishop Tim and his wife Sally have recorded a communion service, which you will be able to view on our Diocesan YouTube channel from Sunday morning. Please do share the link so that we can still join together as one Diocese in prayer even though we cannot see each other in person.

In addition, Winchester Cathedral is hosting a daily video reflection and prayer, which you can access here . Each day you will find a new prayer and reflection from members of the Cathedral community, which we hope you will find helps to provide some spiritual nourishment over the coming days and weeks.

With our prayers for you all,

Bishop Tim, Bishop David and Bishop Debbie

And the Bishop’s Staff Team:

Andrew Robinson, Diocesan Chief Executive

Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester

Peter Rouch, Archdeacon of Bournemouth

Richard Brand, Archdeacon of Winchester

Mat Phipps, Bishop’s Chaplain

Dear Friends,

26th March Update

We are all trying to adjust to the new situation in which we now find ourselves. We thought you might find it useful to read some insights which David Ison, the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, has shared from a group which worked on a three-year project on trauma and tragedy in Christian congregations:

This crisis is traumatic for communities, the nation, the world. It’s not a shock-event like a fire or a terrorist attack, but a slow-building crisis – a crisis that shatters our assumptions that the world is generally safe and reliable, and that all that we’ve worked for in businesses, churches and communities will be fruitful. The loss of security and hope, the breaking down of supportive connections between people, and the fear that this crisis is overwhelming – all of these are characteristics of trauma.

Some of the wisdom that has been gained about trauma recently can help:

a) Our whole selves are affected – we may feel all sorts of strange symptoms, because our body is reacting to the fact that we don’t feel safe. Concentration and sleep may be difficult. We feel distracted, and find it hard to cope. Emotions will be all over the place in surprising ways. Knowing that in traumatic situations it’s normal to be up, down, energetic, exhausted, afraid – will help us to cope with it.

b) People react very differently, depending on different backgrounds and experiences, including past traumas. We need to be kind and understanding to others, and also to ourselves.

c) We respond best when we have clear, reliable information; when we have something practical that we can do; and when we can be connected to others, if not in person then by phone or through social media, T V and radio.

d) We make sense of things by making them part of our story – the story of our own life, and the stories of our communities and of our world. But this takes time. While the trauma is unfolding and we continue to experience the pain of losing what we once had, it’s very hard to make sense of it. We need to remember that holding on together is how we’ll eventually be able to come through and look back on what we’ve experienced.

Communities (and individuals) typically respond to disaster by first going through a ‘heroic phase’, full of energy and self-sacrifice. This eventually burns itself out, and is followed by a ‘disillusionment phase’, which may contain much mutual blame and suspicion. Only as the disillusionment phase loses its force can realistic, hopeful rebuilding take place.

This is a very confusing and draining time, a time when ordinary healthy rhythms are lost. We may be feeling in our minds and bodies the impact of trauma – feeling low and anxious one day when it’s hard to get your brain in gear, energetic the next day, and all at a time when we need to be able to change and adapt to unusual events. So taking care of ourselves and our own well-being is vital. That includes the basics of good rest, eating, and exercise. It also includes as far as possible having people we trust whom we can share with, and being in touch with them.

We pray you will know the comfort of the Holy Spirit in this difficult time, and know more of the Father’s love for us.  Thank you for all that you are continuing to do in your communities.Dear friends*

One of the things we have been hearing from many people recently is how grateful they are to be in contact with others.  We hope that, through new and different means, you are also feeling connected, both practically and in the unity of the Spirit.

25th March Update

We recognise that yesterday’s announcement about the closure of churches came as a shock to many.  The buildings in which we worship are icons of God’s faithfulness to our communities throughout centuries, and a focus of our communal life, so it is painful to think of them empty, especially at this time of year. 

There has been some confusion about this decision, in part because some government advice (now being corrected) indicated that churches could remain open for private prayer, or for the recording or streaming of services.  Both national and diocesan FAQs have been updated to make it clear that our church buildings should remain closed.  The government has requested that we all stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave for certain limited purposes.  Our responsibility as churches, leaders and as Christians, is to model that for our friends and neighbours, expressing our solidarity with the vulnerable and those who are working to care for them by taking these extra precautions.

Obviously, this is also a disappointment to those who had made plans and preparations for recording from the church buildings in which their communities are accustomed to worshipping.  Ministers are being asked to record and live-stream prayer and worship from their homes where they are able to do so.  The Bishop has given permission to priests to celebrate Holy Communion from their homes, with details in the diocesan FAQs.

Many churches have been enquiring about volunteering.  As a national programme of volunteer help for those in need begins to take shape, we encourage you again to support foodbanks, and invite willing volunteers to check this link for opportunities .

We continue to pray for you in yet another new phase of adjustments.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.

Bishop Tim, Bishop David and Bishop Debbie

And the Bishop’s Staff Team:

Andrew Robinson, Diocesan Chief Executive

Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester

Peter Rouch, Archdeacon of Bournemouth

Richard Brand, Archdeacon of Winchester

Mat Phipps, Bishop’s Chaplain

24th March

Dear Friends

Last night the Prime Minister announced a strict new set of measures to help combat COVID-19. This included the closure of all churches, including for private prayer. Today the Archbishops have written, outlining what this means for us and encouraging all of us to play our part in protecting the health of the nation.  The letter can be found here while there is also a poster to display on your church door and notice boards. The Diocesan FAQs are being updated to include these new restrictions. 

 We would draw to your attention to the following in the Archbishops’ statement: “It is also imperative that as the Church of Jesus Christ, called to offer hope and light in the darkness of this world’s ills, we maintain a praying presence for our community, though from today onwards this must happen from our hearts and from our homes.  Our Church buildings are closed but the Church must continue to support and encourage our communities making use of telephones and other forms of technology to keep in touch with people and ensure pastoral care is maintained, and as shepherds of Christ’s flock we are committed to making this happen.”

 We are encouraged by the many ways you are already making this happen. We will be working with you over the coming days and weeks to create further resources to support our mission during this period.

 With our prayers for you all

 The Bishops and Bishop’s Staff Team

23rd March

Dear friends

This first weekend without public worship was most certainly not a weekend without church. Thank you to every one of you, whether you live-streamed, said virtual prayers for Mothering Sunday, or lit candles in your windows. Whatever understandable trepidation we may have felt in recent days has been eased by these joyful stories of vibrant church life, showing what will be possible in these weeks ahead.

There are too many examples to name here. St Mark’s Pennington’s Sunday live-streaming involved not only Bishop Debbie but featured on BBC South Today, while All Saints Odiham’s Facebook service included hymns, songs, Bible readings, short reflections and times of prayer. Like many others, churches in North Stoneham and Bassett are using the video conference platform Zoom to keep people in face to face contact, and ensure neighbours stay in touch with one another to reduce isolation.  Avon Valley Churches even featured on the front page of today’s Daily Telegraph. Away from our parishes, our chaplaincies continue to offer vital work, particularly in hospitals where pressure is beginning to mount already.

Your stories are more important now than ever. Please continue to share them on social media (our handle is @cofewinchester on facebook, twitter, and  instagram) for others to see, and so we can promote them further. As ever, if you need additional support from the Diocesan Media Team, contact them directly so that they can help publicise what you are doing locally. Journalists are especially keen at the moment to hear of the different ways in which we are keeping in touch with our communities, supporting those in most need in these exceptional circumstances.

Finally, you will be aware that yesterday evening, dioceses across Greater London took the difficult decision to close church buildings, on account of the need to encourage and maintain social distancing. The National Church has today been continuing to discuss the implications of this move for the rest of the country, and we will of course continue to keep you updated.  As a church and as Christians concerned for the wellbeing of key workers and the most vulnerable, we are responding to the Government’s call to stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives.

With our prayers and best wishes

The Bishops and Bishop’s Staff Team

21st March

Dear friends

 
As we prepare for a different kind of worship, and make use of new ways to stay in touch with those who need comfort and care, the Church of England has published two very helpful new resources, on Spiritual Communion and on Mental Health and Wellbeing, both of which are now available on national and diocesan websites .

The social and economic impact of new precautions is being felt across the country, creating new worries for many.  We recognise the enormity of the challenge facing the government as it grapples with these wider implications, and we pray for our leaders in government and industry.  We are seeing extraordinary examples of solidarity in a time of crisis.  Many churches will be feeling the strain too, so we are grateful that the Treasury has indicated plans to support those whose jobs are under threat.  We will be working on plans to provide advice to parishes about the 80% wage provision promised by the Chancellor yesterday, and we ask parishes to be patient so that as churches we can model being responsible and compassionate employers.

We pray you will know the peace of Christ amidst the uncertainty of these days, and the love of Christ even as we stand at a distance from one another.

With our prayers and best wishes 

The Bishops and Bishop’s Staff Team

19th March

Dear Friends

 
In the changes occurring across the world at this difficult time, and particularly in the United Kingdom, we also seeing many signs of hope.  We are inspired by the day-to-day bravery of those who care for others, the hard work of other key workers under great pressure, the power of human collaboration in science and many other fields.  We are also recognising with increasingly clarity the capacity of every person for kindness towards others, in whatever their sphere of life or work.  We recognise this as a capacity for which we were created by God who loves us and is the source of love and hope.  “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ our righteousness,” and we pray for courage to share this hope with others.

Many of you will be interested to know that Bishop Tim has today signed a direction extending the deadline for Annual Parochial Church Meetings until the end of October 2020.  This direction also means that the term of service for churchwardens, PCC members and deanery synod representatives are extended.  A copy of the direction (with explanatory notes) can be found on the website here.  We are still waiting for the outcome of a request to delay General Synod elections, which will take a little longer.  We have also been informed today that the Disclosure and Barring Service is to allow the checking of identity documents for DBS checks by video link.  A link to the new instructions is now on our website .

In the light of yesterday’s announcement that schools are to close, we are praying for schools across the diocese, for headteachers and staff, and for students and pupils.  There will be schools working hard to provide distance learning, while others support the care of children of key workers and the most vulnerable, and we pray for them and for students facing disappointment and uncertainty about exams.  There will be additional challenges for families, and we invite families, whenever they are able, to make a place for prayer together in their homes and as they adjust to new routines.

With our prayers and best wishes
The Bishops and Bishop’s Staff Team

18th March

 Dear Friends

 We continue to pray for you.  Alongside many questions about what life as church looks like over the coming weeks, we are also very much encouraged to hear of how Christians across the diocese are rising to the challenges of mission and ministry.

 As many of us face a very different kind of week, and a very different Sunday, we encourage you to stay in touch with one another by whatever safe means available.  For many people, loneliness and fatigue will already be a concern – so we suggest phoning someone to pray with them, or participating in the continuing prayer and worship of the church by viewing a live streaming service.  There are more suggestions on the diocesan website, and more resources will follow for the National Day of Prayer and Action on Sunday.

 We want to draw the attention of clergy and lay ministers to yesterday’s updated advice on the CofE website (linked from the diocesan website).  There are answers to Frequently Asked Questions about weddings, funerals, live-streaming, PCC meetings, food banks, and other issues.  To this we have added an FAQ produced by our Diocesan Registry, addressing some issues in more detail, as well as some further guidance to explain these answers more fully.  Many more questions remain, but please be assured that we are working to get information to you as soon as it is available, seeking to address issues in order of priority.  Further advice is expected soon about baptisms, and work is ongoing in relation to Annual Parochial Church Meetings.

The news is full of people and places to pray for.  As we pray, we are moved to act.  Today the bishops have written to our older and more vulnerable clergy to encourage them and assure them of our prayers and support. 

With our prayers and best wishes

The Bishops and Bishop’s Staff Team

17th March

Dear friends

 This afternoon, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have made a statement about the Church of England’s response to yesterday’s public health guidance.  If you have not already seen it, you can read it here .

 In the bishops’ letter this morning, there was a clear indication that life in the Church is going to change.  As the Archbishops have indicated, we are going to need to adapt.  Church buildings will remain open where possible, reflecting the fact that the Church continues to pray.  Although public gatherings for worship will not be taking place in the immediate future, we are as a Church, nationally, regionally and locally, developing new ways of ensuring that acts of worship are accessible by other means.  And our love of God and neighbour will be expressed in new ways, responding to the challenge of the coronavirus, and focusing on our closest and most vulnerable neighbours.

 Knowing that these changes to our communal life raise many questions, here is a summary of how the latest advice will affect church communities:

• Communal public worship is suspended, although ministers will maintain rhythms of prayer and worship in church buildings where possible;
• Churches that are able to will make available electronic resources to help others participate in worship, whether through live-streaming or pre-recorded video/audio, or the publication of resources.  In the next few days, the Cathedral will begin live-streaming of prayer and worship about which we will keep you informed, in addition to the resources already available on the website here;
• We will pray for and give generously of our time and money to assist those most in need, remembering not only the fearful, sick and grieving, but also those that work in hospitals, emergency services, logistics and supply chains – the list of key services is limited only by our capacity to imagine those whose lives are most affected;
• We will focus our prayers during a Day of Prayer and Action, this coming Sunday, accepting the invitation, wherever we may be, to light a candle of hope;
• Weddings and funerals may take place, with a small group present and appropriate precautions to reduce the risk of infection;
• Non-essential church meetings (which includes PCC meetings without urgent business) are to be postponed, and essential meetings held with appropriate precautions;
• Youth and children activities run with schools will follow school advice, but church-run activities should be treated as social activities or meetings for prayer and worship, and therefore suspended.

 This advice will be published very shortly in an updated list of FAQs on the CofE and diocesan websites.  Further advice is being prepared to include:

• Continuing measures for safeguarding – at present the need for safeguarding training and safer recruiting for all ministers and volunteers remains unchanged;
• Licensing of music for live-streaming and recording;
• The postponement of Annual Parochial Church Meetings and arrangements for elections.

 There is a great deal to be done. We appeal to those who are able to, for the sake of those who are not currently able to. We now have a dedicated page on our website around communicating at this time. This provides a range of advice, support and resources to help you continue to communicate internally and externally. You will see there that we also want you to keep our Communications Team updated on how you are adapting and providing for your local community at this time. There will be inspirational stories that we will want to share amongst ourselves, and with the wider public, including through social media and the press.

 As a team, we have committed to a daily meeting by conference call to keep developments under review.  We plan to remain in regular communication with you.

With our prayers and best wishes

The Bishop and the Bishop’s Staff Team.