Re-opening of Central Pentecostal Church – August 2020 Update

Dear Church,

We are pleased to announce the re-opening of Central Pentecostal Church on Sunday 6th September 2020 at 11:00am. In order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all and in line with Government guidance, a number of new guidelines have been put in place for all who will be attending the Sunday morning meeting.

We have been advised by the government to ask all church members and visitors not to attend church if:

• you have any symptoms of Coronavirus (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
 

• you've tested positive for Coronavirus – this means you have Coronavirus
 

• you live with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive
 

• someone in your support bubble has symptoms or has tested positive
 

• you're told by NHS Test and Trace that you've been in contact with a person with Coronavirus

Entry procedures

We have had to introduce a number of changes to the ways in which we enter and exit the church building. As the entry process may take a little longer than usual, we ask you to give yourself plenty of time to ensure that you arrive at the church building well before the meeting start time which will be at 11:00am.

 

You will see plenty of signage at the main church entrance to and around the inside of the building. Please
note that entry to the church is through the main doors at the front of the building and will no longer be used as an exit.

When you arrive at the main church entrance:
• Please wait at the ‘Queue here’ sign and a steward will call you in
• Please then proceed to the hand sanitiser dispenser and ensure that you and your children sanitise their hands upon entering the building. There will be numerous hand sanitising dispensers, stations and handwashing facilities
located around the church building
• Your temperature may be taken in the main foyer
• Please proceed to the registration desk


In order to support the NHS Test and Trace programme, we are taking contact details (name and telephone
number) for all church members and visitors, as well as recording times that you enter and leave the church building. We will only require the name of the Lead Member of your family and the number of persons attending with you.

 

In line with guidance issued by the Department for Health and Social Care, we will keep your details safely and in compliance with GDPR legislation for 21 days before securely disposing of or deleting them. We will only share your details with NHS Test and Trace, if asked, in the event that it is needed to help stop the spread of coronavirus. We will not use your details for any other purposes or pass them on to anyone else and you will be asked for your consent to provide us with these details upon arrival at the church building.

 

• Following registration, you will be asked to proceed into the main hall where you will be directed to the seating area. All church members will be seated with members of their own household and visitors will be asked to sit in a separate seating area.

 

• From the 8th August, face coverings will be made mandatory in places of worship however we will not be enforcing this as we understand that there are certain circumstances in which you may be exempt from wearing one.


During the meeting

 

• All attendees will be asked to stay seated with members of their own household throughout the service, keeping a distance of 1+ metres between each household.

 

• Generally you are to avoid touching people outside of your household therefore we ask you to refrain from hugging and hand-shaking.

 

• Communion will be served every first Sunday of the month and will be prepackaged to ensure that items are not shared and can be disposed of easily. We ask that children under 10 years of age do not participate in the taking of communion.

 

• There will not be any shared items available for use such as Bibles and you should only touch your own belongings and personal items.

 

• The new Government guidelines now permit small groups of singers to sing in front of worshippers indoors. This however should not include audience participation. We are able to use recorded music as part of our worship and will continue to check Government updates.

 

• Creche facilities will not be available and we ask parents to stay with their children at all times.

 

Exiting the building

 

• At the end of the meeting, each household will be dismissed in sequence and you will exit via the fire doors located in the creche. This will all be signposted and your departure time will be noted. Unfortunately, we cannot allow much interaction within the church building at this time, however you may interact outside the building maintaining social distance.

 

Tithes and offerings

 

We encourage online giving however if you choose to continue giving tithes and offerings in cash, there will be a suitable procedure in place for handling cash.

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Food and refreshments

 

There will be no food served on the premises at this time.

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Our meetings will look a little different to the usual due to current restrictions in place, however we trust that you will have a pleasant experience with us and hope to see all of you next month.

 

God bless, Pastor William and Primrose Morson