St Paul’s follows the guidance issued by the BC’s Provincial Government and additional direction from the Diocesan Bishop. Our aim is to ensure that all volunteers, staff and visitors to St Paul’s are kept safe – this includes recognising that each of us have different anxiety levels and our personal boundaries will vary.  We will need to learn a new way of being together in this phase as we re-open. We will be posting our revised Re-opening Plan shortly, once we have updated it in the light of revised guidance.

 

COVID-19 UPDATE: MARCH 27, 2022
We are preparing for a step change in our practices from April 8th, which means they will take effect next Sunday.  We hope you have had time to process this change as it is a big one, recognising that we are all at different stages of anxiety / comfort as we enter this new reality.

 Our expectation is that, from April 8th:
-  Face masks will no longer be required but you are still welcome to continue wearing          them.
-  Proof of vaccination status will not be required. 
-  We will be offering Communion in both kinds (consecrated bread and wine). However,    
  while the wine will be offered, you don’t have to receive it to participate in communion       – the bread is fully sufficient.  For those who are ready to receive from a common cup       (dipping the wafer in the wine; use of small individual glasses are not allowed) it will be       offered, standing, in a similar way to how we have been distributing the bread.  

More details will be given closer to the time.  Please let Philip, David or Drina know if you have any comments or concerns.


March 18, 2022

COVID-19 UPDATE
Bishop John has revised his directions following Dr Bonnie Henry’s changes to Provincial
COVID-19 restrictions. For the moment, we are adopting a cautious approach and asking
people to continue to wear face masks at St Paul’s and practice physical distancing but
also to let you know that things will be changing very soon. It is important to give
us all time to process this change as it is a big one, recognising that we are all at different
stages of anxiety / comfort as we enter this new reality.
Our expectation is that, from April 8th:
- Face masks will no longer be required but people are still welcome to continue wearing
them.
- Proof of vaccination status will not be required for any of our gatherings (coffee hour,
study groups, etc)
- We will be offering Communion in both kinds (consecrated bread and wine). However,
while the wine will be offered, you don’t have to receive it to participate in communion
– the bread is fully sufficient. For those who are ready to receive from a common cup
(dipping the wafer in the wine; use of small individual glasses are not allowed) it will be
offered, standing, in a similar way to how we have been distributing the bread.

More details will be given closer to the time.

Please let Philip, David or Drina know if you
have any comments or concerns.

 

Dec 3, 2021  COVID - 19 UPDATE 
 
Dr Bonnie Henry issued new Provincial Health Orders last week and Bishop John issued a Pastoral Letter as a result.
 
This means we are adopting the following policies:
 
1.        We are opting NOT TO ASK for vaccination passports but keeping within the 50% capacity rule for our regular services and most Christmas ones – the EXCEPTION being the 7PM Christmas Eve Carol     Singalong.

2.      In worship, we MUST ALWAYS WEAR OUR MASKS (unless we are speaking or singing solo). The mask may be removed to consume the consecrated bread at Communion only.
3.      In worship, people must continue to distance from others not in their own family, as much as is possible.

4.  Communion continues to be in one kind only with all communicants receiving the consecrated bread and the presiding priest consuming the consecrated wine on behalf of the entire community.

5.  Offertory plates are not to be passed amongst the congregation.

6.   We continue to exchange the peace without any physical contact (except for those of the same  household). 
 
The Parish is also required to implement the following new policies immediately but they come into full effect December 31, 2021.
 
1.    All clergy who minister at St Paul’s (including supply clergy) must be fully vaccinated (i.e. two     vaccinations). 

2.  All lay employees of the parish must be fully vaccinated (i.e., two vaccinations) on or before December 31, 2021.

3.    The Licensed Lay Preacher and all lay administrators of the eucharist are licensed by the bishop, and  therefore they must be fully vaccinated (i.e., two vaccinations) by December 31, 2021, in order to be eligible, to continue this ministry. 
 
Policy regarding access to church premises 

1.    For user groups or those who rent space in the parish's buildings, they must follow provincial protocols related to their group. 

2.       Regarding other visitors to the church buildings: tradespeople, delivery personnel, building inspectors etc., they must remain masked while inside the buildings. If their stay is protracted, i.e., longer than an hour and they are in shared spaces they will need to show a vaccine passport to the parish representative on site. 
 
Policy regarding coffee hour and social times in the parish
 
When there is a coffee hour immediately following a worship service, no proof of vaccination will currently be asked for but people should be distanced as much as possible and must keep their masks on as much as possible.  For the next few weeks, we will not be providing a coffee hour after the 11AM service (due to staging in the church sanctuary).

 

November 21 2021 Update

COVID-19 UPDATE:
You may have seen in the news that the World Health Organization has declared a new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa as a ‘variant of concern’ and named it omicron. It is hard not to lose heart but it is a reminder that this pandemic is not over and the importance of maintaining practices like continuing to physically distance, wear (high quality) masks correctly, avoid crowded spaces and ensure indoor spaces are well-ventilated. It might be worth checking on the quality of the mask you are using - the focus nowis on air particles that remain in the air. N95 and similar masks are now in supply and are recommended in places where you are in the same indoor space for a while e.g. a meeting or church service. In addition at St Paul’s:· We are trying to ensure that our indoor spaces are well ventilated (this can mean they are a little cooler as a result).

· That we reduce movement around the building and make better use of our larger spaces. For example, coffee hour and more meetings are taking place in the church sanctuary to avoid confined stairwells, people ‘bunching up’ and making use of the high ceilings and bigger space for people to spread out.
· We are trying to offer both ‘in person’ and ‘online’ options where we can for worship and gatherings such as the Advent Course.
· In addition. we expect further announcements from BC’s Public Health Officer which may affect how we gather and worship. 

September 14, 2021 Update on Mask and Vaccine Card

https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/update-on-mask-mandate-and-vaccination-passport

 

August 26, 2021: Update on re-opening

Pleasee see https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/covid-19/pastoral-letters-on-re-opening

 

 

July 11, 2021: Re-opening Plans

RE-OPENING PLANS


We are pleased to say that we continue with our re-opening, but it will take time to reach the ‘new normal’. This is a gradual approach – we will gradually introduce hymns, social opportunities, etc.

We are in the process of checking with existing/pre-COVID volunteers to see if they are willing and able to volunteer or if things have changed.  We know that for a number of people, COVID has meant changed priorities and commitments.

Most teams of volunteers will need to be rebuilt and probably new/revised guidance we move out of lock down.  This is all a work in progress and we ask for your encouragement and support.

 

July 1, 2021

While British Columbia’s Provincial Government announced the move to Stage 3 effective from July 1, 2021 – insufficient detail was provided for the Bishop to be able to make any particular directions.  In view of this, he has directed that we continue with June’s restrictions for the time being and our service on Sunday will be operating under those, which we hope will then change for the following Sunday.  We can look expectantly to considerable relaxing of rules, but not for July 4 worship.