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Returning into the church buildings

6/4/2021

We are moving back into our church buildings for our services from 18 April, at the earlier time of 10am. There are a number of guidelines which must be followed by everyone attending a service and these are set out at the end of this note. Before attending a service, please read and follow these carefully as they are for your own and everyone else’s protection.

While we still need to be very cautious of gatherings, and numbers are restricted, a service recording will be available later on Sunday here and as audio recording (on request). Participating in a service online, or through a sound recording, is worship just as much as doing so in a church building. We hope we can approach this new phase with our usual good humour and helpfulness.

Guidelines for all attendees at in-person services

These guidelines apply to everybody, no matter if you have already received a Covid-19 vaccination or not.
In order to comply with social distancing, we regrettably can only accommodate a limited number of people in a church building at the same time.
If you would like to attend a service, please call Paul Sales on 01620 811260, by Friday evening. We will give preference to members without internet access. If you would like to attend, and the service is already ‘booked out’, we will offer you a space in the next available service. If you do not call ahead, we regrettably cannot guarantee that there will be a space for you on arrival. We sincerely regret that we currently need to operate within these restrictions, but they are the only way to keep us all as safe as possible.
To assist the NHS test and protect system, we are required to take a contact name and phone number for everyone who attends a service, which will be confidentially kept for 21 days. Please arrive in good time for the service, to allow enough time on arrival for your details to be taken down.
Please only attend in person if you are not currently in quarantine or isolating because of a risk of covid, do not currently have any symptoms of the illness or have tested positive for it, or if you live in a simple or extended household with someone who falls into any of these categories.
Everybody is required to use hand sanitizer on arriving at and leaving the church. Everybody, with the exception of those with underlying health conditions, and children under the age of 5, are legally required to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose while in the building.
In order to enable social distancing, stewards will guide you to a place. We are sorry if we can’t offer you your usual favourite spot. Please do not move closer to people from other households.
Singing is currently not permitted in an indoors communal setting. Our organists are however looking forward to welcoming us back into church with beautiful tunes.
We can’t currently use communal Bibles, hymn books or service sheets. If you would like to use a Bible in the service, please bring your own.
Handshaking at the door, and other physical contact, are not currently possible. If you would like to speak with the minister about any questions or issues, please give her a call instead.
If you would like to make a financial offering, please consider doing so by bank transfer. Otherwise, please place your offering in the plate provided in the church on arrival or before you leave. We are not currently able to collect the offering during the service as usual.

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