CBC update: Thinking about the future

In this video message Ellen updates us with the leadership team’s latest thinking in the light of the government guidelines about the reopening of church buildings. Listen in to find out what the implications are for us here at CBC.

We’ve also included a transcript of the video below for you.

‘I wanted to take this opportunity to give an update about where we are as a church in relation to reopening our building and thinking about the future.

I shared this info last week at our members meeting but for the benefit of our wider church family and for those who couldn’t be there I'm bringing this update with our latest thinking.

We haven’t met in our building on a Sunday for nearly 4 months, which is such a long time. Like you we as a staff team and church leaders are keen to meet again and see each other in person.

But of course we can only do that when the guidance says we can and when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

The Government guidelines about the reopening of churches were published recently and then the BU also published their own guidance for us as a denomination in the light of that government guidance. We have read and digested this information to see what it might mean for us at CBC.

I will share some of the details with you but the headline is that the restrictions are significant. In order for church buildings to reopen there is a long list of guidance to make the church COVID secure for the safety of those who come.

Let me give you a summary of some of the considerations:

· Everyone should be at 2 metres apart (unless you are with someone from your household)

· A limit of 30 for weddings & funerals

· Numbers for each building will depend on the size of the building – for us at 2m apart it is 30

· One way flow recommended

· Booking system to come

· Sanitising hands on the way in

· Keeping a record (names & phone numbers) of all who attend for 21 days to assist with NHS track and trace

· No singing

· No baptisms

· Communion is possible with careful considerations

· No raised or projected voices

· No wind instruments to be played

· Hand sanitizer or washing on way in

· No shared bibles

· Cash giving discouraged

· ·Shared facilities for children such as toys and play corners should be put out of use

· No children’s groups

· No coffee time or mingling

· Rigorous cleaning programme between meetings

· Where churches are also workplaces they need to be covid secure for employees

· Over 70s advised to be cautious as to whether to attend

· Those who are shielding should not come

· Services advised to be completed ‘in the shortest possible time’

As you can see these are significant restrictions. And the more we thought through how to make this work the clearer it becomes that it is not church in any meaningful way.

The guidance is about getting people safely and logistically in a building, not about being church together.

It feels that with the small numbers who would be allowed to come, and with all the restrictions in place, that we would lose more than we would gain.

On that basis we think it is not worth pursuing meeting in a gathered way on Sunday yet. Some were thinking we may be back in our building on Sunday mornings in September and that won’t be happening.

It is logistically complex but more importantly not a meaningful way of meeting at this stage, and is exclusive for some.

We will wait, monitor the situation, see if guidelines adjust and change. For now will continue with online provision on Sundays.

But we do recognise that it’s important to work towards opening and we have been thinking through a plan for moving forwards.

This church is to be deep cleaned by a cleaning company this week. Angus our cleaner will return from furlough after that.

This Saturday the trustees are meeting in the building to walk through it and to sign off all the risk assessments that have been completed.

On the 25th July there is a wedding here and we’ve worked hard to get things ready so that that can take place safely and positively.

Then we hope to invite our small group leaders to a meeting – to see the space and think through using it for any of our small groups that may like to meet here

We hope to begin to open up for small groups and prayer meetings at first.

We will take that steadily and see how it goes before making any other decisions.

I hope you can see that whilst we would love to be meeting the guidance means that we are still a long way from anything like normal and are having to take this step by step. We as a staff team and leaders would appreciate your prayers as we navigate this next season. And we regularly pray for you our church family.

Can I encourage us that now more than ever we all need to do our bit in being church family together in any way we can – looking out for each together, keeping in phone contact

amongst each other, meeting in gardens and for walks where possible, continuing to connect online. We can’t meet physically on Sundays yet but we are still the church.

Any questions or comments please get in touch – we always love to hear from you

I'm so grateful for the love and support of this church family – thank you for that – and let’s pray and seek God as we move forward, trusting Him in all of these things.’