Canning Road Evangelical Church

Back to the building, and online! 9th August

Written 08 Aug 2020

Back to the building

We are heading back to the building for Sunday 9th August, in a way that we believe will keep us all safe! We can accomodate 21 households (people who sit together), and if you’re on the church address list, you will have received a letter asking whether you think you’ll come along. If you don’t usually come along, we will prioritise trying to fit you in as a guest… even if some of the regulars have to come back later 😉

We are going to meet every 2 weeks to start with.

The key thing we want you to remember as we follow COVID measures is that we should see this as a way to love our neighbours, that is the entire community, by following the guidance well. We will be held to a high standard by the public and we should seek to be excellent in this.

Later in this post we’ll list the entire set of guidance to follow, but in short:

  • Don’t come before 10:20am
  • Wear a mask
  • Use the hand sanitizer
  • Follow the one way system
  • Sit between the crosses of tape
  • Keep your kids close with you
  • Chat outside, after the service, and keep 2m when you do!

Sunday Online

We will be filming the talk and the prayers from the service, cutting it together with the same worship videos shown on Sunday morning, and broadcasting this for you on the same day that the church meets in the morning.

August 9th Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gufuBqL2aY

You can also take a look at the Canning Road YouTube Channel

All the guidance

Before the service

  • No-one who is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 (temperature, coughing etc.) should attend
  • Those who are over-70 should consider their own health before planning to attend.
  • Those who are shielding should not attend.
  • Those who are self-isolating should not attend.
  • A record will be kept for 21 days of those attending.
  • Anyone who is ill afterwards should inform church so that other attendees can be traced.

Entering the building

  • Please do not arrive at the church building before 10.20am. We would like to limit the time people spend within the building as much as possible to reduce the risk of possible transmission.
  • At all times keep a safe distance from anyone who is not part of your household. We recommend 2m whenever possible.
  • Do not shake hands, hug or kiss others outside your household.
  • Only use the front door to enter and exit the building.
  • There will be a steward at the front door who will take your name for contact tracing purposes. If we do not have a phone number for you, we will require one at that point.
  • Use the hand sanitiser provided.
  • Wearing a face mask is a government requirement. We have some disposable ones if you can’t bring your own.
  • There will be no bibles provided in the building, please bring your own bible.
  • Please follow the one-way system in the building. Enter the worship area via the left-hand narthex glass door, then exit through the right-hand narthex door. There will be arrows on the floor to follow.
  • Please fill the pews from the front rows of the church first to keep the one-way system.
  • Only members of one household may occupy a pew. When possible please sit between the crosses marked on the pews to keep you sat away from the aisle.
  • Some pews will be roped off to keep 2m social distancing measures.

During the service

  • There will be no singing or loud responses.
  • There will be no children’s activities or toys provided, sorry.
  • Children must remain with their parents and be supervised at all times.
  • Only the disabled toilet in the porch will be open during the service. If you use the toilet please wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. The steward will wipe down door handles etc, after each use.
  • There will be no offering taken during the service. The offering boxes in the narthex will still be available for you to use if you wish.
  • No tea, coffee or biscuits will be served after the church service.
  • All doors will be propped open for the duration of the service to keep sufficient airflow through the building and to reduce the chance of transmission through the touching of door handles. Be aware it could be chilly.

During the Breaking of Bread

  • The bread will be cut and the grape juice will be decanted into individual disposable cups before the service in the kitchen.
  • The steward will wear gloves and a mask while serving the bread and wine
  • Attendees will place the used disposable cups on the pew rack in front of them or take them away from the church.

Exiting the building

  • Once the service has ended please do not linger in the building.
  • Leave the worship area in row order from the back row.
  • Exit the building through the right-hand glass narthex door following the arrows.
  • When leaving the building maintain a 2m distance between your household and the next.
  • Please use the hand sanitizer provided at the exit.
  • Don’t shake hands, hug or kiss others outside your household.
  • Once you have left the building you may chat but please, please always maintain a 2m distance between your household and any other. We will be on full view to the public and will be held to a high standard.