Moving On at St. Paul’s

As pandemic related restrictions are lifted we still have a responsibility to act cautiously and keeping a variety of competing concerns in balance. Therefore we have come up with the following plan.
 
Contact Tracing and Sanitizing
Contact tracing maybe an important element for dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak associated with an event at the church, therefore contact information will be given to the parish or organizer of the event. We will sanitize the church-building before Sunday mornings and events. There will be hand sanitizer readily available to everyone.
 
Worship

• Rapid Tests will be available to staff and volunteers.
• Pews will be assigned.
• We will limit socializing before and after worship, and during the Passing of the Peace.
• Both bread and wine will be used in the Prayer of Consecration. Both bread and wine can be administered to the congregation following relevant safe food handling guidelines of PEI.
• The presider and assistants will wear masks and gloves while administering communion.
• There will be a no-touching Passing of the Peace.
• Congregational singing is permitted, with masks.
• We will make the best use of our space.
• The offering plate will be near the entrance of the church and we will promote “Pre-Authorized Remittance.”
• Prayer and hymn books and Bibles can be returned to the pews.
• The Ushers and Sanitizing Team will continue their ministry.
• The Choir members will wear masks when singing and maintain a 6-foot distance from others.

 
As Of
As of February 17, most of our Operational Plan remained in place. We agreed that a comfortable non-pandemic capacity in the church-building is 100-people.

As of March 17, the masking and distancing between bubbles continues. 100-people remained our maximum. We pre-registered. Holy Communion can be administered in both kinds, using individual communion cups for the wine (starting Maundy Thursday, April 14).
 
And Onward
PEI’s Step 3 is estimated to begin April 7: masking requirements gathering limits will end. However, St. Paul’s will continue to require masks and distancing. We will leave our limit at 100-people.

               Bishop Sandra Fyfe, writes in her recommendations that, “Just because Public Health restrictions are lifting does not mean we have to remove all protocols we have put in place at one time, or even at all.”

               Fyfe says, “In general, parishes are free to make their own decisions about whether to lift most restrictions (with a few exceptions).” The “Diocese is not prepared to lift the restriction on the use of the Common Cup.”

               She recommends that we lift the restrictions, “in stages, to allow… parishioners time to adjust and adapt.”

               She strongly encourages parishes to maintain some distancing during processions and to allow spaces in church buildings to accommodate those who would prefer to continue with some degree of distancing while seated. Especially while at the communion rail some degree of distancing between people should be observed.

               She says that while our provincial governments are lifting the requirement to wear masks in most public spaces, they continue to strongly recommend that they be worn. She “strongly recommend that parishes continue to require the wearing of masks in church buildings, to be removed when individuals are in a speaking/leadership role or to receive communion, or when eating while seated, but not while singing.”

               She recommends that we “continue to make hand sanitizer available at entry and exit points and expect presiders and those assisting with communion to sanitize their hands regularly.”

               And that while, “Public Health restrictions don’t specifically address the shaking of hands, it is advisable that we continue to extend the Peace in ways that do not encourage handshakes at this time.”
 
               Therefore we will:

• Even though people will no longer need to preregister to attend worship services we continue to do so to help the ushers create space between bubbles.
• The choir continues to mask and distance.
• We start using more scripture readings, lift the restriction of short sermons and consider singing parts of the service.
• We do not start coffee hour yet, but as soon as we can we have lemonade on the lawn and maintain that as long as we can into the fall.
  
• We leave the offering plate near the entrance of the church-building.
• We continue to use the screens at 8 (for now), and project the whole service (not just the hymns) at 10 (for now).

 
 
Full Document HERE