Service Times
Regular Service times in the St John's Parish are as follows:
Sundays - Communion Services:
10.00 am St Luke's Church - Black Road in Otatara (vaccine pass required)
10:00 am St John's house church at Rod Jordan's (please wear a mask)
Diary of Coming Events - 7th week of Easter
Monday
Tuesday
10.00am Home Study Group at Irene's - phone Linda 213 1472 for details
Wednesday-
9.30am Mid week Eucharist service at Holy Trinity church in Windsor
noon Lectionary Study at First Church on Tay Street (please wear a mask)
Sunday
10.00 am Praise & Worship morning prayer - at St Lukes, Otatara (please wear a mask)
10.00 am Morning Prayer at House Church (Iona Chapel at Peacehaven is closed during Orange Traffic Light)
7.00 pm Night Church at All Saints, Gladstone - every 1st & 3rd Sunday (vaccine pass required)
For Spiritual Counsel - contact Rev'd Liz Cheyne 03 217 0225
Tuesday
10.00am Home Study Group at Irene's - phone Linda 213 1472 for details
Wednesday-
9.30am Mid week Eucharist service at Holy Trinity church in Windsor
noon Lectionary Study at First Church on Tay Street (please wear a mask)
Sunday
10.00 am Praise & Worship morning prayer - at St Lukes, Otatara (please wear a mask)
10.00 am Morning Prayer at House Church (Iona Chapel at Peacehaven is closed during Orange Traffic Light)
7.00 pm Night Church at All Saints, Gladstone - every 1st & 3rd Sunday (vaccine pass required)
For Spiritual Counsel - contact Rev'd Liz Cheyne 03 217 0225
Covid-19 update from the Dunedin Anglican Diocese website re public worship - please have a look at our online connections @ the Called South website
What else is coming up:
12 May - 10am celebrating Harvest Festival at St Lukes - please bring some goodies from your garden or supermarket for sharing with South Centre
COVID-19 Protection Framework Red Update
Bishop Steve Benford — February 17, 2022
We are Red by Called South
We moved to the RED setting from 11.59 pm on 23 January 2022 due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading in NZ. We are updating our advice on the Traffic Light System as new information comes to hand.
Updated Diocese of Dunedin Response to the New Zealand COVID-19 Protection Framework ("Traffic Lights")
________________________________________________________
Highlights for the Red Setting
- All churches and faith communities advised to look at contingency plans
- Limit of 100 people at Vaccine Pass Only Services
- Limit of 25 people for Mixed Services
- Face masks must be worn at all gatherings
- Strongly advising communion in one kind (bread) only
We are Red Called South
________________________________________________________
As already indicated, under the Red setting, we are limited to up to 100 people at Vaccine Pass only Services
For Mixed Services (no vaccine pass required) the limit is 25 people.
We are now being advised that face coverings need to be an actual mask that covers your nose and mouth properly. These must be worn in all gatherings such as church services. This applies to Vaccine Pass Only services as well as Mixed Services.
In the Press Conference on 25 January, the Prime Minister indicated:
These changes also won’t apply to non-public facing workplaces, swimming pools, and gatherings where you have the exclusive use of a premises. We really do encourage all workplaces, though, to think about mask-use policies that protect your workforce, and I know many businesses are already doing so....All workers who are legally mandated to be vaccinated must now also wear a medical-grade mask—for example, a Type IIR or a Level 2 mask or above—while working in public-facing roles. So that includes, for instance, the widely available blue medical-grade masks that many are already wearing.
Again, please review our updated response and adjust your provision of services accordingly. I'm asking that all people in any service wear masks as outlined in our Guidance, and I'm also strongly advising that communion be only given in one kind (bread only) in all services.
Some may be concerned about "what if" scenarios: what if I get sick or need to isolate, what happens to regular worship if I can't lead or do this?
I'm encouraging all Parishes and churches to have this conversation and look at what contingencies can be put in place (just as we are being asked to do for ourselves at home: we have included some resources at the end of this article on this). If an authorised person can help run a service of prayer or you are able to move on-line for prayer, please do this. There continue to be regular on-line opportunities for prayer and we will continue to review this if the situation changes further.
Please continue to hold our country and each other in our prayers during these very uncertain times. It is tempting to be fearful and afraid when we face real uncertainty like we are right now, but we hold fast to the words of the the apostle Paul:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 6-7)
I'm confident that nothing can separate us from the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and our task to to continue to show this love in every way we conduct ourselves in whatever lies ahead.
Bishop Steve
Please note: Capacity limits are based on the maximum number of people who could occupy the space if each person was 1 metre apart. People do not have to keep 1 metre apart at the venue. In some cases a maximum number is also specified. The limits include everyone, including children, in a defined space, except workers).
Life at Red — Image by: NZ Government
Locate Peacehaven's Iona Chapel- main entrance off Tweed St
Locate St Luke's, 10 Black Road, Otatara on Google Maps
