PCC spent some time at our last meeting focusing on the twin issues of diversity and inclusion. We began by watching a YouTube interview by Ben Lindsay the author of “We need to talk about race.”
You can find the video if you go on YouTube and search for, “We need to talk about race—wildcard service” We started at 14:30 and watched for the next fifteen minutes or so. That led into a discussion introduced by Tony Njoroge, and focussing on what are known as “micro-aggressions” or “Paper-cuts”. These are comments made to people of colour without people realising how their words come across.
As Ben Lindsay says, “Race can be an awkward conversation to have. There is no reason to think that all people of colour will agree with everything I say. All black people do not have the same experience and do not think the same thing”. Right now we want St John’s to be part of that wider conversation.
PCC agreed that we would bring the 11am back on Remembrance Sunday. The following week there will be no 11am service to allow us to assess how it went and make any changes to the our booking in system and hygiene procedures. Keeping people safe from Coronoavirus is vital.
On Sunday, 25th November we will start to stream our 11am service. My thanks to Paul and Andy for volunteering their skills and time to help us get this new system off the ground. If anyone would like to help them overcome the streaming challenge, please email Paul or Andy c/o the Parish Office.
Sharon and Raymond are also asking for volunteers to help us with leading prayers and reading the Bible. Sidespeople are going to be important at 11am. As we have discovered at 9am, we cannot do it without you.