Lees75 Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 Hi all (if there is an all!)I am mainly posting to see how the discussion group stuff works, so thought I would start with something simple. How is your church going with COVID now?We have QR sign in (have to in SA), as well as the 1 per 2sq rule, so often have people sitting out in the foyer because not everyone can fit in the auditorium. Communion is in prepackaged, little disposable things. Otherwise, it seems it is all relatively normal, except no hugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 You can see the members of this group here:https://www.everybump.com.au/forums/memberlist.php?mode=group&g=20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 We're back to close to normal. No singing inside (NSW are saying only five people may sing inside, but we can all sing outside), so we're starting and ending services by singing outside. So far the weather has been kind in that regard. Communion in one kind only (no wine); that is causing some angst but they're having to deal with it. I'm fortunate that my main church is a physically big space, so except for a funeral or two we haven't exceeded our capacity limits; but we did move services from the smaller churches to the big one for a while to make that possible (I have four centres in my parish).Social distancing/record-keeping/hand sanitiser stuff seems to have just become part of the routine. We have QR codes but almost everyone signs in with pen and paper (wrong demographic for expecting a technological thing to be the go-to).Someone did ask me today about Ash Wednesday and whether we would do the usual thing of putting ash on people's foreheads. In the absence of instruction not to, I think we will, but maybe I will also allow a self-administered option? Need to think about that some more.I still have some folk who don't feel safe coming back yet. At least one has told me they're waiting for a vaccine. But at the same time we're picking up some people who aren't happy with what other neighbouring churches are doing/not doing. It'll be interesting to see how attendance numbers trend over the medium-term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lees75 Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 We did most of last year online and a lot of new people joined in. Now that we are back in person, some of these people have started coming in person and others have stayed online. Because we are all set up for live-streaming, we have decided to stick with it ongoing. [mention]Alta Gaudia[/mention] , how have you settled in to your new parish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 @Alta Gaudia , how have you settled in to your new parish? Gradually settling in. It's very busy (again, four centres) and it's taking me longer than I expected to feel like I've got the rhythm of parish life. Covid also made everything weird because they weren't very settled when I got here, if that makes sense? So we're trying to settle into a "new normal" together. That has benefits and drawbacks!On the whole I'm just overwhelmingly grateful to have come to a place that seems to have a very healthy sense of community. After the last place where I was bullied hideously, it's a refreshing change to be somewhere where although there are challenges, the dynamics of how they respond to those are just so much healthier. I keep realising that I've been preparing to be attacked and then surprised when the attack doesn't come! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukes mummi Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 @Alta Gaudia , how have you settled in to your new parish? Gradually settling in. It's very busy (again, four centres) and it's taking me longer than I expected to feel like I've got the rhythm of parish life. Covid also made everything weird because they weren't very settled when I got here, if that makes sense? So we're trying to settle into a "new normal" together. That has benefits and drawbacks!On the whole I'm just overwhelmingly grateful to have come to a place that seems to have a very healthy sense of community. After the last place where I was bullied hideously, it's a refreshing change to be somewhere where although there are challenges, the dynamics of how they respond to those are just so much healthier. I keep realising that I've been preparing to be attacked and then surprised when the attack doesn't come!That’s wonderful. I had been wondering how you were setting into a new state and a new parish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukes mummi Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 Hello everyone! Glad to have finally found this thread! Church is back for us with QR code’s. We stopped going for about 6 weeks due to the Sydney outbreak, but back now. My 15 year old has started going to youth group. Seems to be managing ok. Not the most social person but at least he doesn’t hate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudiaCosette Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 I haven't been since before Christmas (see my other thread) but things are relatively back to normal. Still a QR check-in and I think it's 1 person per 2 sq metres, which means the entire congregation can fit and there's no need to pre-register anymore. Social distancing of 1.5 metres still in place, of course, so every second row is blocked off. Our denomination doesn't do communion, so that's not an issue. Morning tea has been replaced by pre-packaged snacks. No creche for kids, but Sunday school still runs before the main service. That's about all at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Here's a question I've been pondering on and off though; has Covid changed your sense of your faith, or the way you practice it?I've definitely found the shift to being effectively cut off from community for months impacted me. I've been frustrated at feeling like my tradition wasn't adequate to meeting my needs in this situation, and experimented in different ways to see what felt like it fit. My prayer habits changed, and some of it I wonder whether it will stick and become part of my "new normal" or whether it will shift back over time. I don't know if anyone else can relate to that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudiaCosette Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) ... Edited July 17, 2021 by TeaCat Privacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Well, NSW is allowing it and I now have my bishop's permission to use a common cup for communion. I'll be very interested to see whether my parishioners are keen to embrace that part of a return to normal, or hesitant after so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudiaCosette Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Well, NSW is allowing it and I now have my bishop's permission to use a common cup for communion. I'll be very interested to see whether my parishioners are keen to embrace that part of a return to normal, or hesitant after so long. Wow. My church doesn't do communion, though I did grow up in a church that does. There's no way I'd use a common cup now. It just feels like going against everything we've learnt about germ safety in the past year (in general, not just for COVID). But I'm sure there are some people who would prefer a return to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Oh, believe me, I've had people agitating for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagdaRegis Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 Well, NSW is allowing it and I now have my bishop's permission to use a common cup for communion. I'll be very interested to see whether my parishioners are keen to embrace that part of a return to normal, or hesitant after so long. We're not there yet, but I have been wondering how they will go reintroducing it. I don't think I'll be rushing back, although that might be a bad example because I've never been one to take it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lees75 Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 I just think that is utter stupidity, if I'm honest! Sorry [mention]Alta Gaudia[/mention] Our communion is packaged - similar to these: https://whole-in-one.com.au/product/prefilled-communion-cups-100-packs/ and I don't think it will change for a while. We are not even passing an offering bowl around yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 Well, I told everyone Sunday that this was now possible and I was taking opinions/feedback on what people would like; that just because we can doesn't mean we have to or should, but I wanted to know what they thought. The vast majority want a common cup, but some don't feel safe or comfortable with that yet. I think we'll run with two chalices, at least for a while; one for shared drinking, and one for intinction (dipping the bread into the wine) which will only have me/a server touching it (which is what we have been doing for everyone for a while now).I don't see it as stupidity, personally; but I've always held that by the time we're in the same building, singing enthusiastically, mingling, and otherwise carrying on, the cup itself isn't a significant risk over that baseline. But last time I said that I copped a flaming, so clearly it's a highly emotive thing!Interestingly, [mention]Lees75[/mention] we haven't gone back to passing around an offering bowl. I'm hoping that might be one thing that sticks permanently! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lees75 Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 SA here, but our church has decided to go online for tomorrow, given the density restrictions, no singing, no morning tea and general uncertainty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 We're back to masks indoors, no singing, no hospitality. We have so many people who can't do online, though, that we don't really see it as a viable option for our community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nassie_girl Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 we are back to online, we are in Outer Eastern Melbourne... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamferalz Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 14 hours ago, Alta Gaudia said: We're back to masks indoors, no singing, no hospitality. We have so many people who can't do online, though, that we don't really see it as a viable option for our community. If you are in Greater Sydney it is against the rules full stop to congregate in a church gathering even with masks and no singing. If many of your members cannot do online, I am guessing they are elderly and therefore very vulnerable to Covid infection if congregating in person. https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/greater-sydney#places-of-worship 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 26 minutes ago, Iamferalz said: If you are in Greater Sydney... Which I am not. Good grief, do you really think we're not all doing our utmost to stay on top of the latest rules and requirements? I've spent more hours on hold with Service NSW trying to clarify petty details than I care to remember. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagdaRegis Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 We suffered through Mass with masks on last weekend - is kissing a toddler's bumps better an appropriate excuse to remove a mask, because I was certainly asked to about 20 times throughout the service! No Mass for us this weekend as said toddler has a cold, but all was back to normal here in WA. I struggle when there are capacity limits - I always feel like I shouldn't attend because I am capable of attending online and therefore I ought to 'give up' my place for someone who finds it harder. Is that just me, or do others feel that way too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alta Gaudia Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 We don't really have that problem, because with five Eucharists a week, we have enough capacity for everyone to attend (even if not necessarily their preferred service). If people are missing out in your parish, Magda, is it possible for an extra service or two to be done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagdaRegis Posted July 20, 2021 Share Posted July 20, 2021 On 19/07/2021 at 7:24 AM, Alta Gaudia said: We don't really have that problem, because with five Eucharists a week, we have enough capacity for everyone to attend (even if not necessarily their preferred service). If people are missing out in your parish, Magda, is it possible for an extra service or two to be done? Oh, I think we'd already be at about eleven Masses/Eucharists a week! As well as that, unfortunately we've just had our assistant priest move on, and no one yet to replace him - I'm not sure if our priest would still be able to stand if he had to squeeze more Masses in! Hopefully the Arch will finish the priestly parish shuffle before Covid hits again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lees75 Posted July 20, 2021 Author Share Posted July 20, 2021 Well, we are in lockdown in SA and our church car park is being turned in to a pop up testing clinic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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