St. Luke's in July and August 2020
There will be one service each Sunday 10:30-11:30am.
What will the services be like? (adapted from Church of England guidelines)
During the service there will be a mixture of watching elements from the video service, some elements delivered live as a normal service and some elements where we will say things together. At this stage things are very experimental and so we will try and adapt to what works best in this setting. Therefore suggestions of how to do things better will be very welcome!
What are the volunteer roles during this period?
We aim to be able to run the service with at most 5 volunteers plus a service leader and preacher. There are 7 volunteer roles, but two of them (*starred below) can be done by someone in one of the other roles. All volunteers should arrive by 10am.
What will the services be like? (adapted from Church of England guidelines)
- Our risk assessment makes it clear that we can have a maximum capacity of 30 households in St. Luke’s. In practice it is unlikely we will become full, however if you would like to register to attend services and so guarantee admission or volunteer to help in services then please use this registration form.
- The two-metre ‘rule’ applies between members of different households at all times (two households forming a “bubble” can count as one for these purposes)
- We have clearly marked where people can sit to ensure the 2m rule is kept.
- To ensure that the 2m rule is kept there will be a more ‘controlled’ management of people arriving and leaving. There cannot be any gathering of people at the back of church for example.
- Children are welcome, but it will be the responsibility of parents to ensure that they are kept 2m away from other households and to help them engage with the service throughout. As a result there will be no Sunday Club etc. However, there will be a children’s worksheet and pens etc. available on tables for families to sit at so the children can do the worksheet while the service is going on.
- Those at extra risk and the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ should not attend public worship, but a decision to do so is theirs alone.
- If you have any covid-19 symptoms or have been instructed to self-isolate then you must not attend the church
- Everyone entering the building will be asked to use the hand sanitiser available. Similarly you will be asked to use hand sanitiser before going into the toilets and to wash your hands before leaving the toilets. There are also sanitising wipes in the toilets to wipe down surfaces.
- Government guidance includes a request for names of attendees to be recorded and kept for 21 days to assist ‘track and trace’ if required. As you will be ‘registered’ for the service we will just tick you off when you arrive. For those not registered we will take a name and contact details. These details will only be kept for 21 days and will not be used for any other purposes or passed to anyone else other than 'track and trace' if requested. Please see our Privacy Policy.
- Weather permitting we will leave all the doors open to enable good ventilation of the building and thus lower the risk of infection even further.
- Wearing of face-coverings is now mandatory by law. However, there are exemptions including for those speaking or leading from the front of church to enable communication, for children under 11 and for those for whom it might cause severe distress. See the latest Church of England advice.
- Sadly, singing, chanting and playing of brass or woodwind instruments are not allowed.
- We have not decided whether and how there will be communion at services at this time.
- Since we are not a café we will not be able to serve refreshments.
During the service there will be a mixture of watching elements from the video service, some elements delivered live as a normal service and some elements where we will say things together. At this stage things are very experimental and so we will try and adapt to what works best in this setting. Therefore suggestions of how to do things better will be very welcome!
What are the volunteer roles during this period?
We aim to be able to run the service with at most 5 volunteers plus a service leader and preacher. There are 7 volunteer roles, but two of them (*starred below) can be done by someone in one of the other roles. All volunteers should arrive by 10am.
- *Open Up the church – Open all church doors, turn on the lights by 10am. Put welcome sign on gate.
- Welcomer 1 (Outside Greeter): To stand on the path leading up to church (you may want to bring an umbrella) to welcome people, encourage 2m queuing if necessary and let people know what to expect inside. If we reach capacity, the sign on the gate can be turned around to say we are ‘full’ and those not registered will need to be informed that they cannot enter. This is unlikely to happen!
- Welcomer 2 (Register): To stand behind the big table next to the aisle as people come in and either tick them off on the register or write down their contact details if they are not registered. Encourage them to wait for the usher before being seated.
- Welcomer 3 (Usher): To show people where to sit. In particular to ensure that two households of 3 or more do not sit in pews behind each other and to encourage all households to sit only at the end of the pew they enter by.
- Sound desk: To set up and operate the sound desk during the service and to pack away afterwards. Care should be taken when handling microphones or other objects handed to someone else to wipe them down with an anti-septic wipe first.
- Projector: To turn on the computer and projector and to display the appropriate elements of the service. We will not be taking down or setting up the system, but leaving it in place each week to make it easier and to limit cross-infection risk.
- *Cleaner and Close Up: To do a quick hoover and tidy up anything else necessary. Bring in the welcome sign from the gate. To lock all the doors and turn off all the lights.
| Risk Assessment for re-opening St. Luke's after Covid-19 lockdown |
