Dear Friends,

You will have seen that the Church of England has suspended public worship. Therefore there will be none of our usual services at St Thomas's for the moment. However the ministry team will continue to pray for the parish, all the St Thomas's community and indeed all affected by the Covid-19 virus day by day.

We will be trying to contact those we know are self-isolating or who are otherwise vulnerable by phone from time to time, just to see how things are going and to let you know you are not alone.

If you need to contact the vicar or ministry team urgently however, you can contact the vicar via (01253) 725551 Show email address

We will be live-streaming a short Eucharist onto our church Facebook page each Sunday morning. The service will start at 11.00 a.m. A conventional video will also appear on the page after the transmission.

If you have a Facebook account, you can find our church page by searching for St. Thomas's Church, St. Annes-on-Sea. Then take a look at recent posts to see information on how to access the live stream. If you are not sure how to do this, or would like some help in setting up a Facebook account, please contact (01253) 711794 Show email address for assistance.

The services are also available via this link:

The last few days have seen seismic changes for children & teenagers. Schools out. Indefinitely. Many young people in Year 6, Year 11 and Year 13 have suddenly found themselves leaving primary or secondary school, cancelling concerts, exams unknown. From Monday many children and teenagers are doing school at home. My 12 year old son was thrilled - he races through his tasks like a sport; my 15 year old is devastated: his world revolves round friends and structure.

Many parents are juggling work, child care, solving maths problems and setting new boundaries and routines. Some parents have suddenly found themselves out of work; some parents have found themselves with incredible demands at work.

Please give yourself plenty of slack in this time. I'm conscious that as Christians we are often super-dedicated to the cause. Mother Teresa once said: "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family". My best child-care advice as a new mum was from a nun(!) who observed how our children often reflect back our own moods to us. And anyone who has been cooped up with a toddler for too long can totally understand why tantrums break out at the worst possible times. And that's just the parent! I finished a Zoom meeting with the North West bishops yesterday then went out to play football in the garden. I enjoyed both: though sometimes virtual kids and football with colleagues is tempting.

It can be hard thinking of new ideas to engage and enthuse our children. Can I recommend our marvellous Board of Education Website and Social Media pages. There you'll find lots of resources for children, teenagers, RE and collective and family worship. Take a look at Lisa Horobin's films "Off the Shelf". You might even meet her dog.

The Children's and Youth teams in the diocese have produced some fantastic resources for several age groups. Below are links to the resources:

As you will be aware St. Thomas' main source of income is the giving of the congregation. Since the church building closed those who give by directly putting money on the plate have largely been unable to do so.

If you would like to support St. Thomas' either by setting up a monthly standing order or by simply transferring the amount you wish to give electronically, please feel free to contact the vicar and you will be sent the necessary details.

It is possible to give in this way and claim Gift Aid on it.

Please ask for details if you wish to do so.

Thank you.

Out Licensed Lay Minister Elizabeth O'Connor will be writing a short reflection each week. These will appear in the Seasonal Material section of our Downloads page.