Reopening Church Buildings

UPDATE: St Mary’s Lutterworth is now open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 12noon

We’re all delighted at being allowed to re-open our Church buildings for private prayer and contemplation, but it isn’t as simple as just unlocking the doors. Preparations are well in hand for ensuring that the buildings themselves are safe environments, following social distancing and sanitation guidelines, so as to avoid contamination by or spread of the Covid-19 virus.

We plan to open Lutterworth Church from Mon 29th June and Cotesbach and Bitteswell churches at some stage in July. However, we need help to ensure the security of the premises and the sensible behaviour of visitors. We are seeking volunteer Stewards toprovide a welcome and supervision whenever the Churches are open. The times of opening will vary from building to building, depending upon what best suits each of the three Churches, and this will be influenced by the number of Stewards that come forward. Thank-you to those who have already volunteered their services.

Our way of life has been changed by the Coronavirus pandemic: we maybe self-isolating or socially distancing to shield ourselves or some othervulnerable person in our household; we may be home-schooling or volunteering for Crisis Action; we may be ill or recuperating from illness; we may even be a key worker, working harder than ever. So, although you may have volunteered at Church in the past, this might not be possible in the near future.

Please let us know if you would like to act as a Steward when the church buildings re-open. It would be helpful if you could indicate whether you would be able to help out at Lutterworth, Bitteswell or Cotesbach and how frequently you could be available. Ideally, you would never be alone in the Church: either there will be two Stewards or there will be a member of the Ministry Team present in the building. (In Lutterworth, it should be possible to provide a socially distanced work station, if you have home-schooling responsibilities.)

The scope of our re-opening depends upon our volunteers, so we hope that you will give our invitation your serious consideration.

With our gratitude,
The Churchwardens of St Mary’s, Lutterworth, Cotesbach and Bitteswell