Safely Returning to Church

St. Andrew’s has developed a plan for safe reopening of the sanctuary for Sunday worship. Looking forward to seeing you there! And here’s what to expect when you arrive.

Greeting An usher as you approach the ramp entry of the church.

Confirming that you are symptom free Upon arrival you will see a sandwich board with the information that has become familiar to many of us regarding a self-assessment. By entering you are essentially saying that you are well and have no symptoms of Covid-19. If you are not well, please refrain from attending worship for your sake and the health of all. There are lines on the concrete and in the building to help you stay socially distanced.

Wearing a mask You will be required to wear a mask the entire time that you are in the building. If you do not have a mask you can pick up a cloth mask (some have been
donated) or a disposable one. There is a limited supply so if you have your own mask it would be much appreciated to have you use it. Once in the entry, please take a moment to sanitize your hands with the sanitizer provided or use your own.

Taking attendance Continuing down the main hallway you will once again be greeted, this time by a person taking attendance before you enter into the sanctuary. This is a government requirement. Should there be a need for contract tracing we will have the necessary information.

Entering the sanctuary As you enter the sanctuary you will immediately go to your left following the arrows on the carpet and head toward the communion table. There you will find an offering box and a printed version of the bulletin. Please take a bulletin, and should you be giving an offering, please deposit it in the offering box. There will not be a passing of the offering bags during the worship service.

Getting seated with social distance From the communion table you can head up an aisle, finding a place for  yourself or the “bubble” cohort that you have come with. The first pews in each section have been closed to allow for proper distancing from anyone who may be participating in worship at the front. We have not marked any of the pews. Instead we are trusting that any individual or group coming to worship will be socially responsible and keep a 2-meter/6ft distance from people who have already chosen a place in the pews. We are well aware that some that have had a favorite spot in the sanctuary will not necessarily be able to sit in their familiar place. There are also a couple of designated people who will be observing and helping us keep the social distancing as we are seated.  We ask your patience and grace in all this, knowing that the joy will come in being together in community even if not all things are as we wish they could be.

At the end of the service Please exit directly out the large doors at the back of the sanctuary on Brodie St. We ask that anyone who needs to use the ramp entry remain seated until others have left so that you can safely approach the accessible entry of the sanctuary and then leave by the ramp without have to cross paths with others. Please continue to practice social distancing as you exit.

Balcony, elevator, front office and other areas of the building will not be open. You can come to the office in person Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm, and of course you can contact the office by phone 622-4273.

Bathrooms in the main hallway will be available. We ask that only one person use the washrooms at a time.

Seat cushions may be loaned out or you can bring your own. If you borrow a cushion you will become responsible for it, bringing it to and from church each Sunday. What you bring into the church stays with you and must go home with you.

Online worship service continues If you prefer to delay your return to in-person worship at this time or simply wish to revisit some of the service you did attend, the print edition and video will be available on this website on Mondays.
For printed services, click here.
For videos, click here.