Wednesday Evening Worship:
There will be no Wednesday Evening Worship during the month of July as Kathi is on vacation. It will be returning in August.
Update from the EMUC Reopening Committee
Present Situation
The Reopening Committee is continuing to evaluate and monitor the Covid-19 pandemic situation and the provincial, regional, and United Church of Canada recommendations for reopening. Each church will ultimately have their own specific plan. The Reopening Committee meetings will be ongoing, occurring approximately once a week.
Leadership Circle and Opening the Doors to the Congregation
At the Leadership Circle meeting on June 16, 2020, the Reopening Committee presented a multi-phased plan for reopening the church. Each phase reopens to more users, and each phase requires definitive groundwork to make opening safe. The plan incorporates a risk/benefit analysis, potential protocols, and necessary steps prior to reopening to Tina and Kathi, small groups, rentals, and finally for worship services.
The Leadership Circle gave careful consideration to the Covid-19 health and safety concerns of all users, and made the decision that until we can be confident that it is
safe
to reopen the doors to our congregation, EMUC will continue with the Zoom worship services through August.
Influencing factors for this decision include:
-
majority of the congregation are at risk — vulnerable age and/or health groups
-
our 30% room capacity plus distancing protocols would cap attendance at 45. How could we say, “
You
can come, but you can’t”?
-
we would need to wear masks during the service
-
there would be no singing, no passing the peace, no communion, no hymn books or bibles
-
there would be no kitchen use
-
no fellowship/coffee hour after service
-
Kathi is on vacation in July
For now, Zoom worship services still provide
more
than in-person worship does. Zoom gives us “face” time (i.e., no mask!) where we can see and visit each other, pray together, hear Rev. Kathi’s message, listen to and sing hymns, and sip on coffee — safely in our homes.
At the end of August/beginning of September, the Leadership Circle and the Reopening Committee will re-evaluate the situation and decision.
Other Groups Might Be Able to Use the Church Before We Do
It might be possible for some of the rental groups that use the church to return before we do, provided they meet criteria and follow protocols for safe use determined by the governments, the United Church of Canada, and the EMUC Reopening Committee. There are many issues to consider, including but not limited to the number of people and how the space will be used, entry protocols, cleaning protocols, and screening and contact tracing if needed for each individual group.
The Reopening Committee and Leadership Circle will work together with the rental groups to ensure that everything is done in accordance with all governing bodies’ guidelines and our own EMUC protocols. This might involve revisions of rental contracts and will be under discussion with each group individually. There is no set date for reopening to any group for now.
Please Stay Tuned...
The Reopening Committee is working hard to ensure that we can reopen safely. We will continue to update you as things progress.
