UPDATE: The maximum number has been increased to 250, but only for those churches that can accommodate that number and maintain social distancing. In our church, we still think it is best to limit the congregation to 25 people.
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The Quebec government has announced that as of March 26th, places of worship may open for up to 25 people. That means this Sunday we will not be live, but next week, which is Palm Sunday, we will. The schedule of SouthWest services leading up to Easter is as follows:
March 28: Palm Sunday: 10 a.m.
April 2: Good Friday, 11 a.m.
April 4: Easter Sunday, 10a.m. (Reservation required).
We are awaiting further guidance from our Regional Council, but we do know that all of the health precautions which were in place during Advent (when we were last open) remain. That is:
-Everyone must wear a mask while in the building. Please bring one from home; if you forget, we will have a few available. The Minister and others who participate in the service may remove their masks while speaking or singing.
-Everyone must clean their hands on entering the building
-Maintain a distance of 6 feet from anyone who is not from your household.
-No congregational singing
-Hymn books and Bibles will not be distributed. There will be a paper bulletin which should be recycled after the service or taken home (not left in pews).
-Everyone attending must sign a register.
-You are asked not to arrive earlier than 15 minutes before the start of the service, and unfortunately there will be no fellowship time after the service.
As we did for Christmas Eve, we will be taking reservations for the Easter Sunday service. You may call the office as of Monday, March 22 to reserve your place(s). If you leave a message, you will receive a call back to confirm your reservation.
For those who can not or do not wish to attend in person, we are hoping to live stream the services on Facebook. If you have not yet liked SouthWest on Facebook, this might be a good time to do that.