The church is not closed. The worship is not ceasing.  It is just not happening in the buildings or school or open air right now, indeed - You are the Church! 

Dear friends, 

"Our life is going to be less characterised by attendance at church on Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service we offer each day."  Archbishop of Canterbury, 17/3/2020

What does this mean for us, locally?

We are living in uncertain and fragile times but as this is being written the church bell above Busbridge Church is ringing out as a call to prayer and hope in darkness. Hope is what we all need right now. Things are uncertain and there is much fear, great confusion and many are asking deep and searching questions. This is natural. It is part of the way that God created us to be able to cope with profound change. It is also natural to think of others. This is happening across our nation right now. There are small glimpses of wonder and joy in those moments of generosity. Let us celebrate them and be part of them ourselves.

We have a phrase which is our hope for this moment in our Nation. It comes from the Bible (1 Thesselonians) 'No-one left behind'. We are going to work with everyone to ensure that no-one is left behind in and around Godalming, Busbridge and Hambledon.

Whilst we are not going to be meeting as a church to worship and our usual activities are suspended - we will be offering a new community:  We are coordinating a list of people who are willing and able to travel far and wide to offer various forms of moral, emotional and 'doing' support.  We are looking into how our small groups could be a great way to network this. If you have or know of any initiatives on what other groups (community, secular/whoever) are doing to support their neighbourhoods, please let us know via email - as we are considering how best to coordinate our efforts.  We are also liaising with the council and other local groups. 

Please keepsafe and do not put yourself or others at risk. Therefore, please do not meet as small groups or connect groups in any venue or location whether inside or outside until further notice: as we do not know the underlying medical needs of those in our groups. Instead please consider maximising your use of social media/digital platforms, such as skype/zoom/facetime and not least the good old phone call!  Many of these platforms are free and easy to use. If you're in a small group please liaise with your small group leader.  Please make sure your members are keeping in regular contact to ensure that If anyone is isolated and vulnerable we find a way to support them safely. (Please maintain social distance, keep good hand hygiene and if in doubt seek advice especially if there is a risk of infection). There are many helpful FAQ's on the BBC website.   

Things already in the pipeline: 

• Helping others: We have a charity which the church set up at least 20 years ago. It exists to give financial support to those in hardship. This might be people in the gig economy, the freelancer or the zero hours contract worker in our area. We'll be opening the charity up to accept more donations and looking at ways to past every penny on to those who need it right now.

• We'll be looking at ways to open our two churches for prayer and reflection and to bring solace and peace to people.

• We're looking at online worship and sermons.

Following the government's and the CofE's latest guidelines re: Covid-19 - we are suspending all services and church groups with immediate effect.  

Please visit: (this site has regular updates) 

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches 

The church is not closed. The worship is not ceasing.  It is just not happening in the building or school or open air right now, indeed - You are the Church! 

In the meantime, may Jesus Christ strengthen you at this time.

Yours,

The Two Rev Simon's at Busbridge&Hambledon Church