Following the Prime Ministers announcement on the 23 March, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have advised that all churches must now close for private worship and public services.
They have acknowledged that being a part of the Church of England is going to look very different in the weeks ahead. Our lives are going to be less characterised by attendance at church on a Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service we offer each day. We may not be able to pray with people in the ways that we are used to, but we can certainly pray for people.
On Sunday 22 March the Archbishop of Canterbury led a special service for Mothering Sunday from Lambeth Palace. To view the service online you can go to https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/online-church
The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich have been live-streaming services from across the diocese;
Morning Prayer from the Bishop’s Oratory at 8.30am, Monday to Saturday
St Edmundsbury Cathedral currently outlined as (please note these times may change):
- Evening prayer/evensong at 5.00pm Monday to Friday
- Evening prayer/evensong 3.30pm on Saturday and Sunday
- Eucharist at 12 noon on Monday
- Sunday Morning prayer at 8.45am
- Sunday Worship at 10.00am
They invite everyone to join them daily in prayer. The services are live on Facebook at;
St Edmundsbury Cathedral Facebook
Bishop Martin and Bishop Mike Facebook
or for those without Facebook, you can visit their website where they have added downloads of the most recent services (where possible) – https://www.cofesuffolk.org/bishops/broadcasting-live-services
St Augustine’s church in Ipswich are producing ‘Church Online’ and ‘Sunday Church Online’. Church Online is available each day from Monday to Saturday at 8am and includes prayer, bible study and a ‘living well in isolation’ tip. Sunday Church Online is available at 10.30am and this will be a fun, contemporary service with songs, prayers and content for all ages. These services are available at http://staugustinesipswich.org.uk/churchonline/ and https://www.facebook.com/staugustinesipswich
For families with young children there is an All Age Worship with Nick and Becky Drake, accompanied by their Children. They broadcast on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm for 30 minutes and they include bible teaching and fun for all the family. They can be found by going to https://www.facebook.com/worshipforeveryone/
Television programmes
- Sunday Worship for Passion Sunday from Bangor in North Wales, Sunday from 11.30-12 on BBC 1
- Songs of Praise Sundays at 1.15pm on BBC 1
Radio programmes
Radio 4
- Prayer for the Day daily at 5.43am
- Sunday Worship Sundays at 8.10am
- Daily Service Monday to Friday at 9.45am on Radio 4 Longwave and DAB
- Lent Talks Wednesdays at 8.45pm
