Sunday services at Frome St John the Baptist & Woodlands
Psalm 122 v1: I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Following the opening of St John’s for private prayer we now have a regular pattern of Sunday services in our churches.
For the time being the pattern of services at both churches will be slightly different from that which folk are used to: Particularly in that there will be no congregational singing.
The wearing of a face covering when attending church services is recommmended unless people fall into one of the few exempt categories. Those not wearing a face covering are asked not to sing within the building.
Services at St John's will now take place each Sunday - please check the parish magazine and weekly notices to check which time(s) apply for any particular week.
Services of Holy Communion are now being held but the chalice (cup of wine) will not be shared nor will any physical exchange of the peace be allowed.
For all services at St John’s the way in will be through the main West doors and the way out through the smaller doors at the North West corner of church.
Hand sanitizer points are provided on entry and exit.
The recommended route to be taken around church is clearly marked with arrows at 2 metre separation.
There will be no passing around of collection plates during any service: A plate, box or other container will be made available for people to drop donations into it. The preferred option at present is that donations and regular giving be made online or by standing orders wherever possible - a contactless giving facility is available at St John's.
Toilet facilities may be made available for those attending services at St John’s. Hand sanitizer is provided within the toilet area. Those using the toilet need to be careful to maintain social distancing whilst moving to and from the toilet area.
There can be no provision for after service social contact within church at present and folk are encouraged to engage socially outside or virtually. Most weeks a Zoom service is being hosted at 8.45am on Sundays and details are on the weekly sheet on our website at www.stjohnsfrome.com
Recognising that some are nervous about venturing out, and many will need some time before engaging with Sunday services, we are committed to maintaining a presence online through social media and our Youtube channel ‘FromeStJohnBaptist’.
Appendix: Current Government advice on who should attend
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 (a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell) should not attend.
Individuals who are self-isolating due to a possible/confirmed case of COVID-19 in their household or because they have been requested to do so by NHS Test & Trace should not attend.
Those aged 70 or over, regardless of medical condition, are at increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and are currently advised to take particular care to minimize contact with others outside of their household. They should consider carefully whether they should attend. However, it is up to the individual to make their own decision, at their own risk. Attendees are required to wear face masks unless officially exempt.