03/21/2020
Gathering for worship is suspended until the Church Councils determine a return date with appropriate advice from church, government, and health authorities. This suspension is likely to include the Holy Week and Easter services.
Online worship will be offered. Visit our website at www.rgisministries.com. If you have celebrations to share, prayers to request and/or announcements to make, please email the church at [email protected].
Gatherings for memorial, funeral or other special services are to be postponed if possible until attendance numbers comply with Public Heath guidelines. If you are facing a loss however, please contact the minister. Pastoral care continues in the safest and most responsible ways possible.
Face to face church meetings, groups and gatherings are suspended. However, we are building our capacity for video/audio conference calls to continue communicating. This includes all aspects of our Life and Work; Council meetings, UCW, Women’s Ministry. We will continue to work on our capacity to offer opportunities for Bible Study and Sunday School electronically. Be patient! Check the website, watch your email and check Facebook if you have it.
Staff are to work from home as much as possible. Administration will still get done with phone calls, texts and emails being monitored. The mail is still being collected weekly.
Congregants are asked to avoid coming to the church building or to Brooklands Active Living Centre unless they have been cleared for a specific purpose. We’d love to see you but the touching of public surfaces is one of the ways the virus spreads. Remember Church is not a building but a body.
Pastoral care needs to continue. We are putting together a phone call check in for our members and you may be asked to keep in touch with a list of people. More communication around this is to come.
Your continued financial support is welcome, needed and encouraged. You may mail in your tithes, switch to PAR (pre-authorized giving out of your account) or donate through our website. The Church still has expenses during this time. Email or phone the church office if you want to sign up for PAR.
Flexibility is extended to the Minister to spend whatever time is needed working with our community groups and partners as part of our church’s role in the community, ensuring outreach to the poor and vulnerable continues.
The Executives of both church Councils are given the authority to govern at this time so that we may maintain quorum for decision making.
