JANUARY 2021

                                                                                                                  REDLAND PARK UNITED CHURCH
                                                                                                                  Redland Park, Redland,Bristol BS6 6SA
                                                                                                                  www.redlandparkurc.org
                                                                                                                  Registered Charity No 1131460
                                                                                                                  Thursday 7 January 2021


Dear Friend,

Happy New Year! I hope that this year will be better than last, which shouldn’t be difficult.

You will, of course, know that England is now in its third lockdown due to the rapid spread of Covid-19, and its new variant in particular. You may also know that UK government restrictions permit churches to remain open for worship during this lockdown, and it is on this topic that I write to you today.

At our meeting last night, the Elders debated whether or not Redland Park URC’s church building should remain open for worship. With some reluctance, we agreed unanimously that it should not, so the church will be closed with immediate effect and until further notice.

In making this decision, the Elders considered a number of factors, including:
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          Our primary concern remains the health and welfare of our congregation; our watchword remains “Caution”.

• Whilst leaving it to local Elders to make the final decision, the URC Moderators have recommended that all URC’s should close for worship.
• The rapid spread of Covid-19 combined with the UK government’s instruction to leave home only if truly necessary, means that people are more reluctant to go to church.
• Requests to attend worship at Redland Park had dwindled to such an extent that recent services have been held only online.

We recognise that this decision may not be welcomed by everyone, but we do feel it is the right decision at this time. If you have any particular concerns, please raise them with your Elder. In the meantime, the Elders will continue to monitor the situation closely with a view to re-opening as soon as we feel it is safe to do so.

I can also confirm that lettings have ceased by mutual consent with those hiring our premises.

We will continue to worship online, via Zoom, every Sunday at 10:40am. Whilst worshiping online is not ideal, it is valued by a large number of people, not just from Redland Park but also from around Bristol, the UK and even internationally. If you would like to join us, I can provide you with the necessary details.

Finally, the responsibility for running our worship online is currently shared amongst a “Top Tech Team” of four, and we’d like to spread the load further if at all possible. It’s not particularly difficult; you only need to be reasonably proficient with a laptop or tablet, and the team will train you up. So, if you feel you could help, please let me know; the more people who help, the lighter the commitment will be!

With all best wishes,

Andrew Hayden
Secretary, Redland Park URC
andrewhayden@blueyonder.co.uk
07984 146 318