What is changing from July 2021?

In discussing possible changes, our main priorities have been to enable as many people as possible to feel safe to come along to church (including those who are not yet back with us on Sundays) and also to resume singing together, one of the great joys of being amongst God’s people on a Sunday morning! However, we also recognise that there will be some nervousness about changes, especially in light of news over rising infection rates. To that end, we are looking to proceed cautiously over the summer period, as set out below: What is staying the same… • Hand sanitiser stations on entry, along with QR code scanning. • We will continue to ask people to wear face-coverings whilst inside the church building. • Ventilation – doors and windows as wide open as possible. • Livestream via YouTube for those unable to join us. • Refreshments served outside after the service. • Encouraging those who have COVID symptoms or close-contact, to remain at home. What is changing from this Sunday (25th July) … • Order of service to be collected on entry • Singing indoors while wearing masks • Bibles back in pews • Church building open during the week • Online booking no longer required • There will be no organised social-distancing inside the building. This means you can choose to sit where you like, and will enable us to increase our capacity significantly. We are aware that this final measure will bring about the biggest change, and fully understand that some of us may appreciate the opportunity to maintain some distancing whilst inside.To that end, we are proposing the following two measures: 1. Five pews at the rear of church will still be marked out of bounds, ensuring greater distancing for those households who choose seating towards the back of church. (see diagram below) 2. There will be A5 cards available to pick up on entry, which can be placed on the seat next to you, asking people to keep that space free