Outdoor Service plans for Sunday 25th July

THIS SUNDAY, we’re holding another outdoor service, starting at the later time of 11am. We’re still asking people to book in the usual way (booking(at)thebarn.org.uk), so we know how many chairs we’re going to need to set up. Now regulations have changed you won’t be allocated labelled seats. The chairs will be in rows, evenly spaced, with a bit of distance between them. Please feel free to pull the right number together to form your family group!

The service will be suitable for all ages. We are not running separate kids or youth this Sunday. It will have a similar format to the last outdoor service and will last about an hour.

The weather forecast at time of writing suggests rain is a distinct possibility. We do intend to carry on outside (unless the rain is heavy), so we suggest you bring an umbrella, just in case. That worked fine last time, and the electrical equipment is under the marquee!  This week's revised government guidance means we are adjusting how we will run our services over the next few weeks, to accommodate the range of views on how 'unrestricted' we should (or shouldn't) be.  As part of reviewing appropriate ways to protect everyone in this new situation, we do not feel a sudden change of location (i.e. moving the service inside at the last minute) would be appropriate. So, if that rain is heavy, we will either stick with the plan to meet outside or cancel the service (or indeed postpone if we’ve already started).  

If we do decide to cancel ahead of time, we will send a message out on social media at 10.30 am. If it rains at 10.59, (or even 11.15!), we’ll make a decision there and then. With apologies, there are no perfect options that fit the variances of the English summer weather!

PICNIC: After the service, we are inviting people to stay for a picnic. To minimise complications, we are asking everyone to bring their own food and drink, please. If you forget, Co-Op and One Stop will be open! So, once the service is over, we can shuffle our seats and, weather permitting, enjoy a time catching up with our friends and church family. We’ve certainly missed that!

Please be aware, though, that not everyone feels ready to receive that long-awaited hug! So, do continue to respect other people’s personal space and maintain appropriate habits like regular hand-sanitising. And if you feel more comfortable wearing a mask at any point, please do so without any fear of judgment.

We hope you’ll join us on Sunday morning at 11. The car-park team are looking forward to welcoming you!