West River United Church

Response to COVID-19 Update

August 21st, 2020

 A note about returning to the building for worship at West River. 

Dear Friends, 

West River resumed in-person worship on Sunday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m. 

There were many things that needed to happen for this to be done safely and we want you to know that we are committed to following the guidelines of the Chief Medical Health Officer and the Regional office and we know we can count on every member of the Church to abide by the best practices  that has  been  communicated to us. 

The Guidelines: 

1. stay home if you are sick.

2. keep 2 metres away from others.

3. wash your hands frequently.

4. cough into your elbow.

5. try not to touch your face.

6. do not attend if you have travelled outside the Atlantic provinces in the last two weeks.

Currently, we are allowed as many as 50 people in the church-building. 

There will be hand sanitizing products available and accessible to everyone. 

Each member of the congregation is asked to wear a mask in the church  and building . If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you.

"To reserve a seat to attend" 

You will need to reserve a seat by making a reservation through Eventbrite. Each week there will be a link posted where you can register. Tickets for our September 27 service will become available on Monday, September 21 at 8:00 am, with a deadline of Friday, September 25th at noon.

Worship Service Registration Link for

 September 27th: 

You can also reserve a seat by calling the church office (902-566-4052). Please note that reservations are on a first-come, first served basis. 

People who do not register in advance will only be admitted if there is space available and if they provide their contact information and meet the best practice criteria listed above.

Names of those attending and contact phone number must be provided.  

What to Expect When You Arrive:

To maintain physical distancing pews will be assigned and worshipers will be guided to a pew. At the end of the worship service we will exit orderly, from the back to the front. The ushers will assist with this process.

If you have booked a pew and are not feeling well, please do not attend the in-person worship, and contact the church office, so that changes        can be made.

When waiting to enter the church, please maintain a 6 foot/2-metre distance from each other.

This will be marked on the sidewalk.

An usher will indicate when you can enter the church-building and will check to see that you are on the list of pre-registered people, and then you will be shown to a seat. 

If you would like to leave an offering, there will be an offering plate in the hall before entering the church. 

We will sanitize the church-building before and after each worship service. We will have enhanced cleaning and sanitizing with special attention to high touch surfaces, including doorknobs, bathrooms, and the backs of pews. All of the prayer and hymn books, and Bibles have been removed and boxed up. 

The Worship: 

The worship service will include responsive prayers and short hymns.  Masks must be worn. 

Due to our new understanding that length of exposure to others is important as well as physical distance, the worship service will be shortened.

There will be bulletins in the pew. 

Volunteers for tech support will be used for these activities.

We will take every reasonable step to ensure minimal interaction of people and we will remain two metres from each other. There will be a no-touching Passing of the Peace.

A Message From  Rev. Barbara

Hello Friends, we are looking forward to gathering in person for worship on September 6th it goes without saying that it will be different.  It won’t feel like it used to. We must find a new normal in order for this to be successful. 

The biggest challenge is that we will not be able to greet one another with the peace.  Not all of our friends will be with us as we are limited to the number of people allowed in the church.  You may find that this will make you feel uncomfortable.  I am sorry and I wish it wasn’t this way. Please do not forget that the measures listed here are taken so we can worship together and minimize the risk of community spread of Covid-19.

We will continue to record and post our service on Facebook and YouTube, so that people who choose not to attend can still participate on-line. 

As Dr. Morrison reminds us we must be kind and patient with ourselves and others. 

If we aren’t ready to open for in-person worship on  September 6, we won’t open. If the province  tells us that we can’t open some other week we won’t, and that has to be okay. It might be that the Province tightens the restrictions again and we are  back to square one.  We at West River United are committed to following the guidelines of the provincial health authorities.

I am grateful to everyone for your patience over these months. I am thankful to so many

people who have worked hard to get us through this time of pandemic.  I am thankful for the

leadership of the council and the many hands that have provided pastoral care, guidance, and leadership to our church families. 

We are in this together and I know that we can do this and we will get through this and that we will continue to work together to adapt and move into the future of the church. 

With faith, hope, and love, 

Blessings to each of you. 

Rev. Barbara 

  If you need to reach the office you can call 902-566-4052 and leave a message or follow the instructions on the voice mail. Please be assured that we are still working from home and available to you by phone, text, and email.

In case of an emergency situation 

please call Rev. Barbara J. Cairns 

at (902) 569-4259 

or email barbarajcairns@gmail.com 

Yours in Christ,

 Your West River United Staff and Church Council