As legal restrictions were removed from 19th July 2020 the PCC made the following statement.
Relaxation of restrictions in church
We have moved into step four of the government’s roadmap and most legal restrictions have been removed. The PCC has considered the guidance from the government and the Church of England to decide what we should do in St Chad’s Church.
It is clear that the virus has not gone away and we need to look after each other to try to prevent it spreading. Many people are looking forward to the freedom which the removal of restrictions will bring while others are very nervous and concerned for their own and their families’ health. We have tried to strike a balance so that all will be able to feel comfortable attending church and that we do not forget those who are not able to join us in church.
Changes in church
The church will now be open every day as it was before the pandemic. The “I sat here” signs will no longer be used. The tapes have been removed and the pew cushions put back on the pews.
The congregation will be able to sing and we will be able to have a full choir, who will be robed as before. To ensure that there is adequate ventilation the main door and the north door (by the Loft area) will be kept open during services.
As NHS Test and Trace continues to be an important part of the strategy to control the virus we will continue to offer the ability to “sign in” either using the QR code for the NHS Test and Trace app or our own forms
The children’s toys will not be made available yet so children who need toys should bring their own.
Evening services
The Songs of Praise service which we had hoped to hold on 25th July is postponed to a later date. For a number of reasons it seems too soon to hold a service which would almost entirely consist of lots of people singing lustily.
However there will be an Iona style service on 25th July at 6.30 pm at which we will be able to sing some hymns.
There will then be evening services on the second and fourth Sundays at 6.30 pm (although there will not be an evening service on 8th August as that is the day of the Celebration Tea Party) so the next evening service will be on 22nd August.
Face coverings and social distancing
There is no longer a legal requirement to wear face coverings in church but, of course, they not only protect the wearer but also other people. It is up to each individual to decide whether or not they should wear a face covering.
The requirement to maintain social distancing has also been removed. However we would suggest that we should allow each other space and spread out where possible.
There will be some people who would wish to ensure that they can maintain social distance and may be reluctant to attend church if they are not able to be sure of that. There will be a dedicated area (in the south aisle) in which we will continue to require social distancing by using only alternate pews. That should mean that those who wish to maintain social distancing can do so without embarrassment.
Communion services
The current arrangements for communion, including the congregation receiving only the bread, will continue for the immediate future. We will keep this under review but as we have a number of different priests taking these services we need to ensure we have a consistent approach. We will continue to share the peace in a socially distanced way – in the words of the Bishop of St Alban’s “giving each other a holy wave”.
Tea and coffee after services
Tea and coffee (and cake or biscuits) will be available after the Wednesday morning Communion service (thank you, Gladys).
However we will wait until September to restart serving tea and coffee after the Sunday morning service.
Online services
We will continue to stream the Sunday morning services until the end of August for those who cannot attend church, providing there is someone available to operate the equipment. The evening services will not be streamed.
Celebration Tea Party
The Celebration Tea Party will take place as planned on Sunday 8th August in the Village Hall between 3 pm and 5 pm. All are welcome.
Review
The PCC will keep all of these matters under review and there will be an update towards the end of August in time for the September magazine.