Return to Church

Dear Chilliwack Church Member or Friend, 

We are glad to announce that after several meetings with a newly appointed safety committee and after the careful consideration of our church board, we have a plan for reopening our church. The re-opening date is June 20th, 2020.  

We all experienced three difficult months, and our inability to gather together and worship has caused many of us to feel a certain sense of distancing from the rest of our church family. However, we are encouraged by the hope that we can rebuild our community of faith once more. 

As we return to church many things will be different. We will need to work together as a group and do our best to follow the guidelines that we have in place to keep each other safe. The risk of contamination is lower now than a month ago, however, it is still present. We need everyone's full support as we return to church, to follow the new guidelines we have in place. 

First, we'd like to share with you the steps we've taken to make our church a safe worshipping environment. 

  1. In accordance with current government guidelines, our gatherings will be limited to 50 people. If upon arrival the limit of 50 has been reached, we also have room for 50 more in the school gym. The pews are spaced out 6 feet apart, and people must sit at least 6 feet from people outside their household. Family members are encouraged to sit together to help accommodate physical distancing from other households. 
  2. We set up hand sanitizer stations at the building entrances. 
  3. We have a one way traffic set up with sufficient signage for you to follow. You will enter through the main entrance, and leave the sanctuary through the doors at the front of the sanctuary. Alternatively enter the gym on the north side and leave on the south side. The only exception to this is when you need to use the bathroom facilities. 
  4. We will have our deacons and deaconesses assisting you with directions. Please follow their guidance. It is for your own safety. 
  5. For the next 4 Sabbaths we will hold only worship services at the church. Our Sabbath school will continue online by Zoom for now. The Sabbath school will be from 9-10 am for these weeks, allowing one hour for those who want to attend our physical church service at 11 am.  Once we figured out this new style of gathering, we will add an intergenerational Sabbath school at church during the usual time (9:30 am).  
  6. Both our worship services and Sabbath School will continue to be broadcasted online for those who don't feel comfortable coming to church. 
  7. Our church will be deep cleaned prior to our meeting, and will continue to be routinely sanitized after every gathering we have. The higher touch/traffic areas will be sprayed down with disinfectant. 
  8. All hymnals and Bibles have been removed from the pews. Everything relevant will be projected on the screen. Please bring your own Bible with you. 
  9. There will be no singing for some time because of its contaminating properties. 
  10. 10.There will be an offering box for you to leave your offerings both at the entrance and at the exit of the church. Please do not lick offering envelopes. Online giving is still encouraged for those who can do that. 
  11. 11.There will be a greeter/deacon keeping track of all the people entering. We will limit each building at 50. 

 

What we will need from those who participate in our in-person meetings: 

 

  1. Please do not come to church if you feel sick. 
  2. Please respect the physical distancing guidelines recommended of a minimum of two meters or 6 feet from others. 
  3. We encourage you to greet your friends with a smile, wave or other non-contact gesture, but to refrain from handshakes and hugs.
  4. If you have a chronic cough that is unrelated to flu-like symptoms, please wear a face covering. Face coverings are optional otherwise. 
  5. Upon dismissal, please exit the building and do any visiting outdoors while respecting the physical distancing guidelines.

 

We pray that this new format of gathering will not continue for a long time. When it is safe, we hope to return to a new way of worshiping. In the meantime I'd like to thank you for your cooperation as we try to keep everyone safe as we worship together.