GCGCNY COVID-19 Guidelines [2020-03-14]

Church Updates, COVID-19 Updates

  1. Everyone must at all times diligently follow:
    Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus (WHO)Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer frequently
    1. Maintain social distancing (>1m)
    2. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
    3. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.
    4. Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider.
    5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Call Telehealth Ontario 1-866-797-0000
  1. All meetings and events held in our church facilities will be temporarily suspended until further notice effective immediately.
    The exceptions are: Weekdays and Saturday Mandarin prayer meetings, Tuesday Cantonese prayer meeting, Wednesday English prayer meeting.
  1. All large meetings with more than 10 people (morning and afternoon worships, fellowship, zone, E & E classes, prayer meetings, discipleship training etc) will be held via virtual means if possible. There will be no in-person meetings of more than 10 people effective immediately. For meetings of 10 people or less, room used will need to be booked with and approved by Queenie. (admin@gcgcny.org, (416) 499-0111 x 101)
  1. The Sunday 945am Cantonese and Mandarin Worships and the 1130am English Worship will be live-streamed from the church to the church website (www.gcgcny.org). The format of each worship will be decided by each lead pastor.
  1. Each cell/small group will be encouraged to meet virtually and not in person. If the group deems it necessary to meet in person, #1 should be followed.
  1. The Grace Community Food Share (GCFS) will continue with changes as decided by the GCFS leadership to ensure the safety of clients and volunteers. Please see the GCFS website (https://gracefoodbank.ca/) for details.
  1. The 2020 church retreat will be postponed.
  1. We will leave the decision to the softball leadership whether to continue. Precautions #1 should be followed.
  1. While physical in-person caring for each other will be curtailed, we encourage everyone to continue caring for each other using virtual means with special attention to the vulnerable – eg. seniors, those with chronic illness or disabilities, those with decreased immunity, the poor etc.

    People in need can contact admin@gcgcny.org or (416) 499-0111.
  1. Signs on all church entrances will be posted informing everyone that the Sunday worships have been moved online and most meetings have been cancelled. Inquiries will be directed to the church website (www.gcgcny.org)
  1. Each lead pastor will coordinate contacting each member of his congregation with this information and any future updates. Each pastor will continue pastoral care in-person or through virtual means.
  1. Each department will decide how to continue to function in view of the above guidance.
  1. Future Church Board meetings, Congregational deacon board meetings, JMSC meetings will be held at the scheduled times using Zoom or other virtual methods.
  1. Everyone is encouraged to check the church website regularly for updates. Please send your email address to info@gcgcny.org to receive regular communication from the church.
  1. The church building will closed. Access will be through booking with the church administrator at admin@gcgcny.org or (416) 499-0111. Access may be arranged with any of the pastors for pastoral care as needed.
  1. Grace Christian School will be closed March 16 to April 3 until further notice.
  1. Please as much as possible use online means for offering. Further details will follow.

Since our Town Hall meeting last Sunday, March 8, the Covid-19 crisis has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. The cases are doubling every 3-4 days in Canada now. We are trending towards the worst case scenario discussed. That is why the discussed social distancing strategy has been implemented by the government.

The sad truth is that the spread will probably get a lot worse with exponential increase for 1-2 months before it peaks and starts getting better if effective public health measures are taken. This is the experience in S Korea and China. If public health measures are ineffective or are not taken, it will spread exponentially for many more months.

Despite the pandemic situation, we should not panic. We should live out our values of love, faith, hope, unity, truth and transparency as we will care for each other, meet each other’s needs, trust God for His protection and provisions, trust God that this will pass, remember that our hope in not in this world, face this with unity as the body of Christ, discern the facts from fake news and be transparent in our decision making and response.

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” …

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday…

Psalm 91

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