| COVID-19 Full Policy |
| Information for those attending worship |
February 24th update:
In person worship is resuming on March 7th. Please phone to reserve your spot. You are required to wear a mask (covering both your mouth and nose) while in the building. We ask that you self screen before arriving at the church and if you have any Covid relates symptoms or are feeling unwell to join us for worship at home. Please read the information for those attending worship document for more informaiton.
Staff have returned to working in the office on either a part-time or full time basis. The church answering machine and e-mail continues to be checked regularly.
December 22nd update:
In accordance with the province wide lockdown in person worship is suspended until further notice. We invite you to worship with us on TV, YouTube, or by downloading our podcast. Links for these can be found on our home page.
During this time if you need to contact our administrator please call the church. Our minister will be working from home. His regular hours are Monday-Thursday 9-5, or by appointment. If there is an immediate pastoral need you can also call him anytime. His cell phone number is 226 230-2424.
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- September 9th Update- The board amended the policy below - wording update clarify that the doors open on Sunday morning include the door with the ramp near the elevator.
RECOVID-19 Policies and Updates
Updated, September 7, 2020
The Official Board of Grace United has taken steps to minimize the risks associated with the current pandemic. This has included creating a committee that has been carefully studying local health unit, provincial, and our regional council guidelines and helped guide our church in how to resume in-person worship. This committee will continue to monitor current health guidelines, to update policy, and to keep people informed.
Together we strive to love God, love our neighbour as we continue to worship together and protect one another’s health.
If you have any questions or concerns about these policies please contact:
Pat Blackmore at 226 434-2134.
Resuming In-Person Worship at Grace United
Beginning on Sunday September 27th in-person worship will resume in our sanctuary.
Prior to Attending Worship:
Sunday Morning:
Self Screening For Attending In-Person Worship
We ask that you do not attend in-person worship if:
(Source: www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/Portals/0/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/COVID19/COVID-19_Screening_Checklist.pdf)
Continuing Worship With Grace United Church
At Home
We celebrate that God’s Spirit draws us together in worship and community even if we are physically apart. Worshiping at home is not a secondary form of worship but another way to share in celebrating God’s presence and share in community. You can join us for worship from home in the following ways:
TV: Wightman TV at 8AM and 3PM
Eastlink at 5PM every Sunday.
YouTube: Search for Grace United Church Hanover or visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC38PQoLtKpnKBxo_lIEw65w
The Church Building Outside of Sunday Morning
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Please find below a message from our treasurer about ways to financially support the church during this time.
In person worship is resuming on March 7th. Please phone to reserve your spot. You are required to wear a mask (covering both your mouth and nose) while in the building. We ask that you self screen before arriving at the church and if you have any Covid relates symptoms or are feeling unwell to join us for worship at home. Please read the information for those attending worship document for more informaiton.
Staff have returned to working in the office on either a part-time or full time basis. The church answering machine and e-mail continues to be checked regularly.
December 22nd update:
In accordance with the province wide lockdown in person worship is suspended until further notice. We invite you to worship with us on TV, YouTube, or by downloading our podcast. Links for these can be found on our home page.
During this time if you need to contact our administrator please call the church. Our minister will be working from home. His regular hours are Monday-Thursday 9-5, or by appointment. If there is an immediate pastoral need you can also call him anytime. His cell phone number is 226 230-2424.
---
- September 9th Update- The board amended the policy below - wording update clarify that the doors open on Sunday morning include the door with the ramp near the elevator.
RECOVID-19 Policies and Updates
Updated, September 7, 2020
The Official Board of Grace United has taken steps to minimize the risks associated with the current pandemic. This has included creating a committee that has been carefully studying local health unit, provincial, and our regional council guidelines and helped guide our church in how to resume in-person worship. This committee will continue to monitor current health guidelines, to update policy, and to keep people informed.
Together we strive to love God, love our neighbour as we continue to worship together and protect one another’s health.
If you have any questions or concerns about these policies please contact:
Pat Blackmore at 226 434-2134.
Resuming In-Person Worship at Grace United
Beginning on Sunday September 27th in-person worship will resume in our sanctuary.
Prior to Attending Worship:
- RSVP by Thursday at 4PM to ensure you have a spot for that week’s in-person worship service. This will also help us with our required contact tracing. If you are attending worship with others in your social bubble please provide their information as well (you can RSVP for them). Laurel, our administrator, can help answer any questions you might have.
- Self-Screening. We ask you to self screen before attending in-person worship. Self screening questions can be found below.
- Worshipping At Home. We will be resuming filming the services in the sanctuary which will be aired on our local cable channels and on YouTube the following week. Information about how to share in worship at home can be found below. Worshiping in this way is another way in which we celebrate God’s presence and share in community.
Sunday Morning:
- Entrance and Exit. Please only use the main doors closest to the sidewalks and the door with the ramp near the elevator.
- Masks and Face Coverings are to be worn while inside the church building. We ask you to bring your own but we will also have extra disposable masks available in case you forget or need to change your mask during the service.
- Hand Sanitizer will be available inside the doors and outside of the washrooms. Please sanitize your hands when entering the church.
- Ushers will be trained in our full health and safety procedures. They will check you in as you arrive for worship, direct you to your seat and washroom, and answer any questions you may have. Please let them know your name when you arrive.
- Seating. To ensure a minimum of 2 meters between worshipers we have roped off pews. We have also sectioned off pews from side to side meaning that no one will have to walk in front of you while you are in your pew. Please only sit with those in your social bubble. Ushers will seat people from the front of the sanctuary to the back of the service. Following worship they will help people exit from the back of the church. If a physical need means you need to be seated closer to the doors or in our accessible pew please let the usher know.
- Elevator. Our elevator will be staffed and running during this time. To ensure people’s safety only members of the same social bubble will ride together and riders and operators will be wearing masks and are to face the walls while in the elevator.
- Washrooms. The only washrooms available on Sunday will be the washroom in the basement across from the nursery. If you need to get up during the service please feel free to do so. Please use the main doors at the back of the church.
- Social time. Following health recommendations there will be no coffee/social time following worship. We ask that you please exit the sanctuary following the service as directed by our ushers and be mindful of not blocking doorways, walkways, or access to vehicles.
- The Worship Service will be a shortened. Following health guidelines there will not be any singing, humming, spoken responses, or choir. There will not be bulletins.
- Offering. Our offering plates will be set on the table at the entry of the sanctuary and will not be handled during the service.
- Space. On Sunday morning only the entryway, the sanctuary, and the washroom downstairs will be accessible in order to limit the amount of work needed to clean and disinfect. Please respect the off limit signs in place.
- Our Ushers will be able to assist you with any questions you have on Sunday morning.
Self Screening For Attending In-Person Worship
We ask that you do not attend in-person worship if:
- You have been in close contact with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or has confirmed COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
- You have travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days.
- If you have any of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- cough
- trouble breathing
- sore throat, trouble swallowing
- runny nose or red eyes
- loss of taste or smell
- not feeling well, tired, sore muscles
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
(Source: www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/Portals/0/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/COVID19/COVID-19_Screening_Checklist.pdf)
Continuing Worship With Grace United Church
At Home
We celebrate that God’s Spirit draws us together in worship and community even if we are physically apart. Worshiping at home is not a secondary form of worship but another way to share in celebrating God’s presence and share in community. You can join us for worship from home in the following ways:
TV: Wightman TV at 8AM and 3PM
Eastlink at 5PM every Sunday.
YouTube: Search for Grace United Church Hanover or visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC38PQoLtKpnKBxo_lIEw65w
The Church Building Outside of Sunday Morning
- Extra cleaning and disinfecting. A cleaning and disinfecting plan has been carefully created in accordance with local and provincial guidelines.
- Accessing the church. At this time our building continues to remain closed except for staff use, maintenance and upkeep, and for Sunday worship. If you need to access the building for any reason (even if you have a key) we ask you to call Paul Cruickshank at 519 364-4975. If you need to speak with one of the staff, we ask you phone them. Remember any space entered is space that needs to be cleaned and disinfected.
- The Official Board and the appropriate subcommittees will continue to monitor health guidelines, shape policy, and keep us up to date with any changes.
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Please find below a message from our treasurer about ways to financially support the church during this time.
| Letter from our treasurer |
