June 17, 2020
Reopening Garrison Road Church
Sunday 10 am Services
The decision to attend the public reopening of a Garrison Road Church Sunday morning service is solely your personal decision to make. It is equally acceptable to attend a service in person on Sunday, to watch it at home, or as part of a small group.
There are several groups for whom in-person attendance might not be the best decision right now:
(1) If you’re in a high-risk demographic, we would strongly encourage you to not physically attend at this time.
(a) More vulnerable individuals include those who are in assisted living and nursing home facilities.
(b) More vulnerable individuals also include those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart/lung disease, or other respiratory illnesses.
(2) You live or work with the more vulnerable. Some employers are requesting staff not be in larger groups.
(3) You have young children and feel they would be unable to sit through the service without the kid’s program.
(4) You do not feel comfortable attending at this time.
The service will continue to be live-streamed through on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/garrisonroadchurch
Whether we are participating by watching online, in the building or watching as part of a small group, we are still united as the body of Christ. Please choose the option for attending you feel is wisest for you and your family at this point.
If you choose to return to services in the church building you’ll find that things are not the same as before. The leadership of our Church are attempting to make the best decisions for everyone from both a health and spiritual standpoint, according to God’s Word while maintaining the freedom of personal responsibility and diversity of conclusions around the recommendations regarding COVID 19, which continue to change.
Guidelines for attending services in the building:
(1) Complete a self-assessment prior to attending and please stay home if you have any symptoms, suspect you could be ill, or have been recently exposed to someone who has been unwell. A self-assessment includes the questions:
- Are you feeling fevered/chills
- Do you have a new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, new loss of taste/smell, conjunctivitis
- If yes to any of the above, Do not come to church, Call COVID Call-in Centre, or contact your healthcare provider.
(2) The building will be cleaned regularly. High traffic areas, including restroom facilities, will be disinfected between each of the services. However, we request that everyone use the restroom at home prior to coming to limit the usage of the church’s facilities. Parents of children up to grade 5 are to accompany their children to the restrooms.
(3) Some of the usual elements of a Sunday morning will not take place:
(a) Bulletins will not be handed out or available.
(b) We will not offer coffee and water stations at this time.
(c) We will not be passing offering plates. Please drop your offering envelope into the offering at the back of the sanctuary.
(4) We can only fill the sanctuary to 30% of its full capacity (65 people at a time). Please make sure to socially distance from others not in your family.
(5) There will be no Children’s Ministries (nursery or Sunday School) at this time.
Parents, we ask that you keep your children with you at all times.
(6) We will aim to keep our services around one hour, and we will not have our usual “greeting time”. We ask that you not shake hands, give hugs or have any physical contact with those outside your family, even if the other person gives you permission to do so.
(7) At this time congregational singing without masks is discouraged. We will have singers singing on stage without masks but with the front row empty.
(8) The use of face masks will be your personal decision, but will not be mandated. Please be gracious and accepting of those who choose differently than you.
(9) At the conclusion of the service, We ask those at the back of the church to leave first. Please do not leave behind any paper, trash, or personal belongings. Following the service, we are requesting that all interactions with one another take place outside and with proper physical distancing.
Questions
If you have questions or concerns about anything please reach out to us at [email protected] or 905-871-4888.
Jeff Stearns
Garrison Road Church, Senior Pastor