To: Congregants of the St. Joseph Island Free Methodist Church
From: Thelma Bacon, Chair of the Official Board
Date: July 8, 2020
Re: Reopening the FM Church for Sunday Services on July 19, 2020
Hello everyone!
The world has certainly changed over the past few months. For many of us it has certainly been a challenge. The board has prayerfully considered when and how to re-open the church in a safe and responsible manner. Ontario is in phase 2 of recovery and the government has released a set of guidelines for places of worship. As a board we feel it is our responsibility to follow the recommendations set forth to the best of our ability. We will all have to work together to keep each other safe. Church services are certainly going to be different, but thankfully the God we serve is still the same.
The church building will re-open on July 19, 2020. We will be resuming Sunday services only. We will be allowed to gather in a group of no more than 65 people. Coffeetime, children’s church, and the nursery, will be suspended temporarily. Please refrain from bringing any food or beverage to the church. Access will be limited to the sanctuary, foyer, and washrooms only. The rest of the building will remain closed until further notice.
What you need to know:
- Arrive early enough to account for the time needed for new procedure.
- Masks must be worn as per Algoma Public Health Directive.
- Enter the building through the front door only. Maintain physical distancing while lining up to enter. Only one person/family will be able to enter at one time.
- Please wait for screening. Anyone displaying symptoms of covid-19 should refrain from attending or working at the church. Anyone who has travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days should refrain from coming to the church.
- Sanitize hands upon entering. If you cannot use sanitizer, please wash hands.
- Wait for attendance to be recorded and confirm your contact information.
- Please observe respiratory etiquette, sneezing or coughing into a tissue or elbow.
- Please report any onset of symptoms while at church, then go home and self-isolate.
- Remember to observe physical distancing at all times. Masks are required in accordance with Algoma Public Health guidelines.
We would like to thank each of you for your patience and understanding. There are many of you who are anxious to resume worshipping together, while some may not be so ready to meet in larger numbers. Some of you may even want to wait until all restrictions are lifted. We respect whatever decision you make. There will be differences in opinion as to when and how to open. This is an opportunity for us to practice grace to one another.
Sermons will continue to be posted on the church’s website. Recordings of the sermons will continue upon request. We are so thankful for all of you, our church family. We look forward to the day we can all gather as a whole body. We pray that each of you draw closer to our Heavenly Father. If you have any questions or concerns about the reopening, please call Pastor Adrian or any member of the Official Board.