Dear Friends,

It has been wonderful how many people are being supported and kept in touch by our online services, the zoom coffee on Sunday and the Wednesday Study. We are also able to keep in touch through phone calls, careful walks and chats in the park. 

We have been preparing for reopening the church for services. One children's group has restarted - Sign and Sing on Saturday mornings, but without any singing. And we are going to welcome Lauren Wilson and Ross Michie for their wedding on November 21st. 

However with Covid-19 infections on the increase again we are not going to hold weekly services in church just yet, the restrictions about no singing, sitting apart, sitting throughout, no gathering to chat etc. are quite off-putting. We are preparing for gathering again however, and the most recent Kirk Session meeting agreed to prepare the equipment necessary to provide for live-streaming. Alex and I learned about some of the technicalities recently during two live-streamed mid-week services. More about that in the next few weeks.

We have also been considering how to include folk who are not able to view or hear the Sunday services online. A significant number of people don't have broadband or the facilities to share in the broadcasts. So to include them we are going to print out copies of the sermons and prayers and post them out to anyone who wishes. You who are reading this message don't need that extra help, but perhaps you know someone who does. Contact me, ministere@stockbridgechurch.org.uk, for information about this.

your friend,

John

Rev. Dr John Cowie