Author: Diana Wooldridge

Updated 24 March

The Church continues to be alive and active, but our buildings must close.   The country is seeing a huge increase in the number of people falling sick with COVID-19. We must distance ourselves from one another and prevent the spread of infection in order to save lives.
Therefore, as well as public worship being suspended,  St Wulfran’s and all church buildings in the Church of England are now closed.  Our worship of God and our care for each other continue but cannot be done in this building.

What we are doing at St Wulfran’s

Interactive on line Sunday Service About 35 of us participated in an experimental  live interactive service at 10am last Sunday 22 March, led by our Vicar Martin Lloyd Williams. We used the internet based conferencing app called Zoom, which enables us to see and hear each other and join in the responses. Anyone who would like to participate in next week’s service, should contact Ewart Wooldridge (ewart.wooldridge@uwclub.net) and we will send you all the instructions and provide technical advice if you need it.

Prayer Resources – “St Wulfran’s – Praying in a Pandemic . It contains: a reflective service for worship in isolation; Bible readings and Collects for Sundays; the service of Compline; various prayers; information about prayer and other services available on radio, television and the internet . This can be downloaded at: https://stwulfrans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PRAYING-IN-A-PANDEMIC-FINAL-St-Wulfrans.pdf

Ovingdean Community Support We are already working in partnership with ORPS (Ovingdean Residents and Preservation Society) to create a network of communication and support across the village for anyone who is vulnerable and in need of practical help. We are really grateful to all of you who have volunteered to be part of this network. We have helped ORPS distribute a leaflet to every house in the past week.

Whitehawk Foodbank at St Cuthman’s Church urgently needs help to support people in this difficult time to reach and care for those in most need in our community whilst considering safety for everyone involved. Donations of food can be delivered to 45 Ainsworth Avenue (leave in porch at left side of the house) and contributions will be taken to Whitehawk regularly. Urgently needed items: Mayo; Carbonara sauce; Tinned ham; Toilet rolls; Fruit Juice; Tinned fruit and veg; Tea; Rice pudding. Alternatively donate on line through: https://www.bankuet.co.uk/whitehawk -this enables you to donate a once-off or regular parcel for the Whitehawk Foodbank.

If you have any ideas about anything else we can do as St Wulfran’s and in collaboration with other local organisations, please let us know.

Best wishes

Martin Lloyd William, Vicar and Archdeacon

Pat Couchman  01273 307134; Ewart Wooldridge 01273 390206 (Churchwardens)

Our charity Soup lunch in Ovingdean Village Hall on Saturday 29th February was a great community event and raised a total of £1,225 (including Gift Aid) for this local homeless support charity. Thanks to Steve Brunto for his inspiring account of their work and Shirley Ross for organising the event ( pictured above with the Ven. Martin Lloyd Williams (left), Vicar of St Wulfran’s, and his wife Jacky (right).

#LiveLent: Care for God’s Creation is the Church of England’s Lent Campaign for 2020. With weekly themes shaped around the first Genesis account of creation, it explores the urgent need for humans to value and protect the abundance God has created. This year’s #LiveLent challenge offers 40 short reflections and suggested actions to help individuals and the church live in greater harmony with God, neighbour and nature. https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/living-out-our-faith/lent-holy-week-and-easter/livelent-care-gods-creation

For Lent 2020, St Wulfran’s will be taking up this 40 day challenge.  We will be following the #Live Lent booklets daily bible readings, reflections and actions. Although these can be followed individually, St Wulfran’s will also be holding one or two sessions to explore together how we are meeting this challenge. The next such meeting will be on Thursday 19 March at 6.30pm at 60 Ainsworth Avenue.  Further details and copies of the booklet, which costs£1.50, are available from Teresa Stirling: 01273 306261; dandtstirling@virginmedia.com

For Lent 2020, St Wulfran’s will be taking up the Church of England’s 40 day Lent Challenge – Live Lent Care for God’s Creation. This comprises daily bible readings and reflections and actions. Although these can be followed individually, St Wulfran’s will also be holding a few sessions to explore together how the challenge is working in helping us to live in greater harmony with God, neighbour and nature. The initial meeting – to which all are welcome – will be on the evening of Shrove Tuesday, 25 February, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at 60 Ainsworth Avenue, Ovingdean. Other dates will be posted once they have been decided.

There will be no Friday Meditation from now until Friday 13th Mar. We look forward to seeing new people at these 9am weekly sessions after this break.

Harvest Festival 2019