PCC News

In Thorpe St Andrew, we have opted to offer online worship on Facebook Live, which has gained a lot of interest, but wanted to have some opportunities to talk with and check in on one another online, using one of the video conferencing platforms. We realised early on, with all that is being provided online, the familiar Anglican adage, “All may, some should, none must!”

We now follow each Sunday service with ‘After Church Coffee’ via Zoom. We trialled it midweek – with our first Zoom coffee morning on St George’s Day. Over 20 members of our community entered the Zoom room. It was great fun! No two of our coffee mornings have the same group of people. People ‘drop by’ to see if they will enjoy it. Others are regulars.

We were delighted that, at the first coffee morning, we welcomed brothers and sisters from other denominations and also from our wider community. During our time together I very gently ‘host’ things, and in the absence of being able to pour the coffee, I go around the gallery of people gathered asking them to say how they are and to perhaps give an example of one thing they have done new during this time of restrictions. Some are keen to show flowers that they have picked from the garden or something that they have crafted or a book that they are reading.

It’s a slightly clichéd comment now, but it has taken a global pandemic to help our communities connect with one another – even if we are apart. Of course, the great sadness of it all, is that we don’t get to eat one another’s cakes! If I say so myself my chocolate and ginger cake (a la Mary Berry) was pretty delicious!