Greetings to all, and as a member of St. Paul’s I must say that I have missed you. On March 17, 2020 the board and the elders made the difficult decision to cancel Worship services due to the threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision was made to revisit this decision as the pandemic risk decreased. Shortly after we made the decision to suspend Worship, the Province of BC came to the same decision and demanded that all public gatherings be suspended. We have been in a quarantine and waiting mode ever since.
As of May 19, 2020, the Province of BC has moved into Phase 2 of its restart BC protocol. Phase 2 allows for gatherings of up to 50 people, as long as social distancing can be maintained, and sufficient disinfection practices are undertaken. The Board of Directors and the Elders held a meeting on May 19, 2020, to discuss the possibility of restarting Worship services. The decision was made to restart Worship services, with several rules and restrictions for the safety of all, and to keep gatherings under 50. Although social distancing recommendations are for 6 feet, it was felt that an even greater distance may be necessary due to the length of time we gather together, and the potential for the far spread of droplets from vocal activities such as singing.
All details of the restart of Worship are listed below. Please read all of the details as they pertain to all of us, since we won’t be able to come every Sunday:
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Worship will restart on June 7th
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There will be only one service on Sunday, held at the normal time of 10:30 AM
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To keep the numbers gathering under 50, members can only attend every other Sunday.
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The Sunday that you can attend is organized by your offering collection number. Even numbered offering envelopes on one Sunday, and odd numbered offering envelopes on the opposite Sunday. A brief calendar is indicated below:
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June 7th – families with even numbered envelopes (e.g. 2,4 6,8……)
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June 14th – families with odd numbered envelopes (e.g. 1,3,5,7….)
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June 21st – families with even numbered envelopes
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June 28th – families with odd numbered envelopes
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This cycle continues to repeat into the future
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The above schedule will continue until we are permitted to have gatherings greater than 50 people, or other arrangements are approved (e.g. multiple services).
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The worship service or the sermon will be recorded and can be viewed online for those who can’t attend.
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Hand sanitizing station will be placed inside and outside the church. Please sanitize when you arrive and when you leave.
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Face masks are required for the first while. These restrictions may be relaxed as the pandemic subsides. Please bring a mask if you have one. Masks will also be made available.
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Communion will be held every Sunday. Communion practices will be altered to ensure the safe distribution.
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Ushers will assist with seating, and will dismiss the congregation one pew at a time to maintain social distancing.
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There will be no hand shaking.
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There will be no coffee fellowship for the foreseeable future.
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If you are sick, Please stay home. We all need to do our part to ensure that we don’t spread the virus to others in our church, and the community in general.
