REOPENING OF SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES
Dear Friends
Below you will find information (and two short videos) that will help explain how things will work with the reopening of services.
If you have any questions that are not covered below or further suggestions, please contact Brian or one of the committee members and we will endeavour to answer your questions as soon as possible.
As will hopefully be apparent, we have done a fairly extensive risk analysis as well as comprehensive planning. It may take a week or two to iron out procedures and find elements where we need to improve. But at this stage, if you attend worship on a Sunday, with all the measures we have put in place, you should be as safe, if not safer than going to a shop.
Below you will find information (and two short videos) that will help explain how things will work with the reopening of services.
If you have any questions that are not covered below or further suggestions, please contact Brian or one of the committee members and we will endeavour to answer your questions as soon as possible.
As will hopefully be apparent, we have done a fairly extensive risk analysis as well as comprehensive planning. It may take a week or two to iron out procedures and find elements where we need to improve. But at this stage, if you attend worship on a Sunday, with all the measures we have put in place, you should be as safe, if not safer than going to a shop.
OPENING THE MEETING HOUSE FOR CHURCH SERVICES:
OUTSIDE:
WELCOME: 2 Stewards will be on duty outside the Meeting House / Church:
SIGN-BOARD - Attendees will be asked to read a sign board outside with the following information:
GOING INTO THE CHURCH / MEETING HOUSE:
A One Way System in and out of the Church/Meeting House will be implemented.
INSIDE THE CHURCH / MEETING HOUSE -
Please come more warmly dressed than usual for this time of year. For ventilation of the Church, we will need to open all the doors. It will therefore be a little colder than might normally be expected.
USHER – Pews will be assigned by an usher filling up the Church / Meeting House from the far end to the entrance. Unfortunately, no-one will be able to choose a pew.
-The Usher will also be asked to wear a visor.
MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE
TOILET FACILITIES- For emergencies only.
WORSHIP SERVICES -
CHATTING AFTER THE SERVICE - Members will be asked to please chat outside the Meeting House and not in the building to avoid clogging up the aisles.
SUNDAY SCHOOL – No Sunday School will take place until further notice because of the challenges of keeping physical distancing with regard to activities that would need to take place.
TEA – No Tea will be served until further notice.
CLEANING OF SURFACES -
ONLINE SERVICES – Shorter online services will still be available for those who cannot or do not yet feel comfortable attending services in person.
OUTSIDE:
WELCOME: 2 Stewards will be on duty outside the Meeting House / Church:
- One person to dispense hand sanitiser hand sanitiser into people’s hands.
- A second person will be on duty also to welcome people and explain the one way system.
- These two stewards will be asked to wear a protective visor
SIGN-BOARD - Attendees will be asked to read a sign board outside with the following information:
- Welcome to Visitors and Regulars
- If you are sick, please do not enter.
- No shaking hands or hugging please.
- Smiles, Waves and Nods are welcome!
- Please keep between 2 metres apart as far as possible.
- IF YOU ARE NEW -
- please give the door steward your name and contact number
- for track and trace purposes,
GOING INTO THE CHURCH / MEETING HOUSE:
A One Way System in and out of the Church/Meeting House will be implemented.
- The two further-est doors will be propped open so that no-one needs to touch the handles going in or out.
- IN - on the right hand side, OUT – on the left and side door. (Signage will be needed to clearly indicate In and OUT). The central door will remain closed with sign on the outside saying “NOT IN USE”, (but left unlocked for emergencies.) Once the service has started the central door can be opened for ventilation purposes.
INSIDE THE CHURCH / MEETING HOUSE -
Please come more warmly dressed than usual for this time of year. For ventilation of the Church, we will need to open all the doors. It will therefore be a little colder than might normally be expected.
USHER – Pews will be assigned by an usher filling up the Church / Meeting House from the far end to the entrance. Unfortunately, no-one will be able to choose a pew.
-The Usher will also be asked to wear a visor.
MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE
- Arrows will be marked on the floor with tape indicating the one way system.
- Every third pew will be blocked off with tape or a sign indicating “NOT IN USE” - This means that family pews may not be available for this period of Covid-19 precautions.
- Younger / fitter members will be asked to go upstairs and occupy the pews above so that those with mobility concerns can easily find a pew at the bottom.
- No sharing of pews with members of other households, unless they are part of your existing ‘bubble’.
TOILET FACILITIES- For emergencies only.
- The toilet will remain available at the session room for emergencies only due to the difficulty posed in managing it.
- The doors leading to the toilet will all be left open. Queuing for the toilet will take place on the outside of the building.
- To access toilet facilities, leave Meeting House out of the OUT door will be necessary. Return into the Meeting House will be through the passage past the kitchen.
- Hand Sanitiser will be available on the chair outside the toilet for after use.
- Paper towels will be provided instead of a regular towel.
- A pedal bin will be placed in the toilet room to discard used paper towels.
- Liquid soap will be available inside the toilet area.
- The window in the toilet should be opened for ventilation.
- The toilet seat should be put down when flushing.
- The door should be left closed after use to prevent the spread of aerosols due to flushing.
WORSHIP SERVICES -
- Will be a little shorter than normal – Max 45 minutes. This is to minimise the potential for toilet visits as well as to minimise exposure to potential germs inside the building.
- There will be no choir until further notice.
- The Lord’s Prayer will be said by the minister only to prevent potential aerosols.
- There will be no flowers for the time being – to limit the exposure of a flower arranger through having to go out to the shops. If flowers are provided, they should be brought to church on the Sunday morning.
- No singing will take place, but 2 Hymns and a children’s song will be played over the sound system, and people could follow in the hymn books, and may be invited to do actions with the children.
- A children’s song and/or address will take place, but children will remain in their pews with their parents. Parents will be invited to bring their own colouring in books and crayons for children to avoid unnecessary movement and to avoid collecting and touching items in the building.
- A Collection basket will be placed at the exit so that no-one needs to touch it.
- The Benediction will be said only by the minister to avoid creating unnecessary aerosols in the meeting house.
- Exit of the Meeting House / Church will need to be in a very orderly fashion, starting with those nearest the exit and starting with those at the bottom. If anyone has mobility issues they could wait in their pew until the church is empty before exiting.
CHATTING AFTER THE SERVICE - Members will be asked to please chat outside the Meeting House and not in the building to avoid clogging up the aisles.
SUNDAY SCHOOL – No Sunday School will take place until further notice because of the challenges of keeping physical distancing with regard to activities that would need to take place.
TEA – No Tea will be served until further notice.
CLEANING OF SURFACES -
- Sanitising of surfaces will only be necessary in the event of the Meeting House being used twice within a 72 hour period, in line with the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) guidance that the virus only stays active on hard surfaces for up to 72 hours.
- Apart from sanitising or deep cleaning, normal cleaning will take place as necessary.
- If the building is utilised again within a 72 hour period, for example, for a funeral, the building will have to be properly sanitised in accordance with ECDC guidelines.
ONLINE SERVICES – Shorter online services will still be available for those who cannot or do not yet feel comfortable attending services in person.
WHAT TO EXPECT COMING BACK TO CHURCH...
Two short videos
Two short videos
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