Sunday Worship
Our doors are open for in-person worship
We invite you to come back to worship in the Sanctuary
on Sundays at 10.30am if you feel comfortable.
BC Province has “opened the gates” and lifted all former restrictions for communities of faith concerning worship. However, every workplace or public meeting place is governed by WorkSafe BC communicable disease prevention.
While we would love to see you, we will NEVER force/bribe/coerce you to attend an event if you feel uncomfortable attending. We will always offer a space online where we can all meet safely and no-one is excluded. Though we have opened the doors of our sanctuary for in-person worship we will ALSO continue to have the service online in our usual places in our Worship at Home. We are working towards offering all our worship as a livestream, but for now, the in-person service will be recorded and then put online on Sunday afternoons.
Everything St Paul's does will be guided by the following principles:
Consideration & Respect
Consideration & respect of the different places people are at.
We have been strictly following the province's protocols for 16 months – it’s a HUGE step for this suddenly to be lifted. Opening up will take time.
Let us NOT ever pressure people into coming back to worship or meetings or make them feel bad because they are not ready – we do not know the circumstances of people’s lives
A few words about masks
For now, we will continue to wear masks in the church building while in the company of others.
We wear masks because…
we respect & care for those who are not fully vaccinated
there is STILL a pandemic out there
must remain cautious because no vaccination makes anyone 100% safe from COVID
There will always be some exceptions to wearing masks (eg. drinking coffee; when you’re alone in the building, or with very few other people scattered about the building; leading worship).
In small group meetings: masks may be removed to assist better communication as long as the group is ok with that.
Please always bring your own masks
Sunday Worship
Sunday Worship: maximum 50 people attending
The Service will still be 30-40 minutes and will be recorded until we are set up for live-streaming.
No pre-registration. No signing in is required.
People MUST stay home if they are unwell in any way
The following people should NOT attend: those who are particularly vulnerable to infection; those who are have weakened immune systems; those who have family members at home with those conditions or who live with anyone who has COVID symptoms
People will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer as they enter the building
Masks will be offered to those people not wearing one
Singing is allowed but only with masks on
The offering will be at the door and the plate will not be passed around
When we have Communion, the elements will be served "individual style" - pre-poured or packaged
When we’re ready, refreshments after worship will be served in the sanctuary or outside, take-away style coffee and cookies in the sanctuary
All washrooms are opened for use
As we begin to invite people back please let us respect their need for space. As time goes on, with the guidance of the Province and United Church of Canada, your Church Council will continue to revise St Paul's Re-opening Plan.
This re-opening plan has been approved by St Paul’s Church Council, 7 July 2021.
