Covid-secure Worship Guidance

​General Guidance 
  • Please do not attend face to face worship if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 (high temperature, new or continuous cough, change/loss to sense of taste/smell)
  • At all times please maintain 2m social distance between households 
  • Wear a face covering while in the building (unless medically or otherwise exempt) 
  • Additional guidance may be given by stewards/preacher as appropriate. 
  • Doors & windows will be open for ventilation, on a cool day you may want an extra layer

Arrival
  • The building will open for the congregation from 10:15.  
  • Please do not arrive before that time. 
  • On arrival please wait in cars/queue outside the entry doors, 2m distance from one another
  • A steward will be outside to welcome you and let you know when to enter the building. 

Entering
  • Please follow the one-way system (marked with arrows) 
  • Please use the hand sanitiser provided in the welcome room (note that the sanitiser here is automatic)
  • As you enter, a steward will take your contact details for our track and trace record 
  • The offering plate will be in the welcome room. 
  • Stewards will direct you to a seat. Once seated please remain there until the service ends.
  • You will need to sit with your household/bubble & keep conversation with others to a minimum.
  • We will initially have a capacity set at 30 people in the worship space. We will also have a video feed to the small hall where we can take an additional 15 people. 

Worship
  • Worship services will last 30-45 minutes. 
  • We encourage you to bring your own Bible with you. 
  • There will be no singing, notice sheets or handouts.
  • If you have prayer requests, we will sometimes include open prayer, or prayer needs can be communicated to stewards or preacher in advance.
  • Children and young people will need to remain in household groups throughout.

Communion
  • When communion is celebrated every effort will be made to ensure it is celebrated as safety and hygienically as possible.
  • Communion will be shared in one kind only (bread). 
  • Communion will be brought to you in your seats. 
  • On the day Rev Dan will talk through in more detail what will happen. 

After Worship
  • Please wait until a steward indicates it is safe for you to leave. 
  • Please follow the one-way system to the designated exits. 
  • Note that there will be no refreshments served at the moment.

Additional 
  • Toilets can be accessed via the coffee hub. Please follow instructions of the stewards on the day. 
  • In the first phase we ask that we all work together to keep movement around the rest of the building to a minimum. This reduces the amount of cleaning that needs undertaking by our volunteers. 

And Finally…
As we learn from the first few weeks, or as guidance and legislation changes, we will update our planning and this guidance.
If you are planning to attend face to face worship in the coming weeks, we look forward to seeing you soon. 
If you are unsure, have decided not to attend for the moment, or can’t attend, please know that you continue to be in the thoughts and prayers of others.

Gathered or Scattered, we are united by Christ
Close to one another or far away, we are bound together by God’s Spirit
Excited or anxious, we are held in the arms of God’s love,
We are community, God’s community, we are FMC.