May Advance This is the regular publication containing news of events and our church life. You could help by sending content to advance@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk Also if you have both a printer and nearby members that a print a copy that would be their only means of reading it. Ensuring you avoid any possible contamination in doing so by using disposable gloves for all stages including posting it through the door. Here is a version with coloured pictures & cover for reading on line or printing Here is a version with pictures & white cover for printing

Covid -19 latest news: We are currently open More Here on What is happening next week

Please Note we are unable to hire out any rooms due to covid-19 restrictions.

Opening for Individual Prayer and Online Service and live Services The church is open at 10:30 and the online service or live service will run from 10:45 and finish before we close the church again for the necessary cleaning required at 11:30. • The idea is to avoid too many people arriving at once. You must stay outside St John’s until called forward and stay two metres apart from others waiting to enter. • You must not enter the building if you have any of the symptoms of Covid 19 or feel unwell. • You will need to have a face-covering on at all times, from just before entering the church, until you are outside again. • There will be a one way system to ensure social distancing of two metres is possible. This will be marked by arrows. • You will enter the left hand doors and turn left to enter the sanctuary (there will be hand sanitiser available). • As required by Government for church premises, we will ask you to sign a form to say you agree to our keeping your details; once signed, we will keep that whilst we are operating the church in this way. We will then take your details: See example of the Form below which says we will only keep a note of the date and time of any visit for 21 days. This is to provide the necessary details for NHS Track and Trace, and whilst not compulsory, the elders would urge you to provide this information. • A steward will direct you to a seat which will be socially distanced from others. • There will be no singing possible and you are requested not to engage in conversation with others until you have left and are outside the building. • You will leave the sanctuary via Room 1 as guided by a steward. Despite all the above, we would really love to see you if you can visit safely. If you wish to know more about a Risk Assessment please email the Church Secretary From the Elders of St John’s Consent form for places of worship To support the NHS Test and Trace programme, we are taking contact details (name and telephone number) for all visitors, as well as recording times entering and leaving St John’s URC Ipswich. We do have a QR Code to scan. In line with guidance issued by the Department for Health and Social Care, we will keep your details safely and in compliance with GDPR legislation. We will keep your visit details for 21 days before securely disposing of or deleting them. We will only share your details with NHS Test and Trace, if asked, if it is needed to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. We will not use your details for any other purposes or pass them on to anyone else. Thank you for your understanding. If you agree to providing your information for this reason, please complete the following form: Name Tel. No Signature Date

May 2021 Dear everyone who is part of and has made me feel so welcomed into the pastorate, in what has been a very different year than anyone could have imagined. When I first met David Rees in early 2020, before any of the restrictions we have been in were even thought about, we had been planning quite a different year. Little did any of us know that we would be told to “stay at home” for a major part of my placement nor did I imagine that I would only be able to preach in the church buildings 10 times in 9 months! However, there have been several opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible, leading online worship or helping to lead a pastorate wide bible study or an even wider Lent course. I have even had the chance to work by the waterfront and take walks around the various Ipswich parks more so than if I was driving around between meetings. There have been many positives in these challenging times for all of us. I take comfort in these times from God’s message in Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. I have a real excitement about the future, I have enjoyed seeing the Ipswich and East pastorate coming together as well as welcoming Leiston in at the start of my placement. I have seen members of the church congregations supporting others in finance or helping each other get onto Zoom or be able to broadcast or receive services. There are so many possibilities happening that will help the church grow stronger in faith if we come together across church congregations and even denominations as we come closer to God and serve the Lord our saviour together. But now I have to come to the part where I say goodbye, it only feels like a few months I have been here! But now I have received my call north, I need to pack up again and move. I would however like to take this opportunity to say thank you to David who has supervised me and offered as many opportunities as possible while being very busy himself. Thank you, David, for all your support. Thank you also to Ernie who has been open to having conversations and the odd coffee when restrictions allowed, your friendship has been a great encouragement. My congregational companions (Elaine and Sue) for your friendship, support in assessments and feedback on various aspects of ministry. To the Elders across the pastorate for allowing me to observe their meetings. But most importantly to every member of the five churches who has made me feel so welcomed and for all the laughs and conversations when we have had the opportunity to meet. May God Bless you and your ministry in the days, weeks and years ahead. Every blessing, Adam