We are offering in-person modified worship services on selected Sundays.
For this and all events we are following public health recommendations related to COVID-19 safety. If you would like to attend, please read more about the service below. You must pre-register by the Friday before each service by contacting the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org.
Description of service
This service will consist of viewing a video service similar to our current online worship videos along with some segments of the service led in-person by our pastoral staff. There will be no Sunday School or nursery care. We will also not be having our usual coffee time after the service. Although this will not be a ‘normal’ worship service, we hope that it will provide an opportunity for us to be together as a church.
We are limited in how many people can attend, so we require pre-registration (see Pre-Registration section below). No drop-ins please.
Please arrive 20 minutes before the service to allow time to sign in and be seated.
Risks
Despite all the safety measures taken, any in-person activity increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission, including BCUC’s In-Person Modified Worship Service.
Ottawa Public Health states that the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 increases progressively with age, particularly beyond 50 to 60 years. In addition to increasing age, people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions (cardiovascular, high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic lung, chronic liver, cancer, immunocompromised) or severe obesity are at higher risk for severe illness. Every individual needs to take into account their personal risk factors when making decisions about attending the service.
Measures we're taking for safety
All attendees will be screened before entering
We will disinfect high-touch surfaces such as door knobs, faucets, pews etc. before and during the service
Everyone must maintain a 2 metre distance from people outside of their household/group
Masks are required in the building, with the exception of children age 2 and under
Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building
There will be an area to line up outside with physical distancing markers before entering
Entrances and exits will be one-way only
Ushers will bring you to your seat, and instructions will be given for exiting
Pews will be marked to allow for physical distancing while seated
Arrows will indicate direction of flow within the building
There will be no singing during the service
There will be no hymn books or communion service
No offering plates will be passed; offerings can be left in a designated box in the entrance
Washrooms will be disinfected after each use
Please note: Children must stay with their parents/guardians for the entire service.
Screening for COVID-19
You may NOT attend if you:
have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, chills, new onset of cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, pink eye, unexplained fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, for young children and infants: sluggishness or lack of appetite)
have come in close contact with a person who has COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19 during the past 14 days (with the exception of healthcare workers who use appropriate PPE), or
have travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days, or have come into close contact with someone who has.
Pre-registration
We are asking everyone to pre-register for each in-person service they would like to attend. Pre-registration is necessary for the following reasons:
We are limited to 30% capacity; we will close the pre-registration when that capacity is reached
We will have contact information for all attendees in case someone in the service develops symptoms of COVID-19
One person can pre-register for their whole household/group (people who do not need to physically distance) UP TO 5 PEOPLE TOTAL. We will ask for the names and contact information for each person in the household/group (including children). Due to our seating restrictions, we cannot guarantee that all members of the household/group can sit together.
To pre-register for an in-person service, please contact the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org by the Friday before each service.