Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

• Church facilities can reopen for public worship services, with a limit of 50 people attending.
• Churches should assess how many a building can accommodate while maintaining appropriate physical distancing. Therefore, some building may accommodate fewer people.
• Outdoor spaces can only be used for worship services if they are enclosed within the place of worship, for example, a courtyard.
• Congregational singing is strongly advised against. Only one singer may sing at any one time in Wales and the guidance in Scotland suggests the same.
• Face masks are mandatory in Scotland. There is an exemption for those who are leading the service and speaking from the front who do not have to wear a mask while doing so.
• Weddings can now take place with a maximum of 20 people present (this includes all people involved in the ceremony), in Scotland the limit is 20.
• Baptisms are allowed to take place in accordance with the general places of worship guidelines.
• Children and young people should practice social distancing, however, it is understood that this may be harder to achieve with young children. Young people over the age of 5 are required to wear face coverings. Youthwork and church youth groups can operate, however, there are some restrictions on activities, for example, young people over 12 should not take part in contact sports.
• Small groups with more than 6 people from 2 households or prayer walks are affected and should not take place.

• Church facilities can reopen for public worship services.
• Indoor worship services indoors have no fixed limit, but the venue capacity is subject to the appropriate physical distancing of 2 metres between households.
• Outdoor services have a maximum limit of 30 people.
• No congregational singing should take place and if a singer is leading worship at the front of a congregation a screen should be placed between them.
• Weddings can take place with a maximum of 30 people present (this includes all people involved in the ceremony)
• Unless a baptism is performed by a household member, self immersion is recommended.
• Churches can provide supervised children and youth work for people up to the age of 18. Activities for children up to 11 are more relaxed, but older children are subject to the same rules as adults and other activities in a place of worship.
• It is now mandatory for facemasks to be worn in public indoor spaces, with some exceptions. People with specific health conditions and all children under the age of 11 are exempt from wearing facemasks. 

• Churches in Northern Ireland can reopen for public worship.
• The executive has published guidance for how churches should operate. Most legal restrictions have now been removed.
• There is no cap on attendance. This is subject to each premises and the number of people who can be accommodated while safely maintaining appropriate distancing.
• The guidance does not explicitly advise against singing but says where this takes place it should be done at a quiet volume to limit the spread of the virus.

   

All Elim churches need to have the permission of their regional office in order to reopen church services and gatherings. Once that permission is given for each jurisdiction, local churches are able to make their own decision about when to reopen in-person worship services, subject to having submitted a full risk assessment. Each church must follow government guidelines concerning public safety, hygiene to ensure not only safe opening but safe and responsible operating going forward.

Elim's National Leadership Team advise that face masks or coverings should be worn by all congregants, except in cases where its use could exacerbate an individual’s health condition, such as those with respiratory conditions.

The wearing of face coverings is not a requirement for attending children of school age. Clinically vulnerable individuals or those aged 70 years or over, regardless of medical conditions, may choose to stay at home and access the worship services via other means.

The live streaming of services from Elim churches is permitted. In the first phase of COVID-19 response churches have worked hard to move services and a range of ministries online. We encourage our churches to continue to develop online ministry and going forward, to incorporate it into church life in the many creative initiatives that have been used or shaped during lockdown.

Local churches have the flexibility to develop their online services to reflect their local situation. Services can be done from home with people from the same household, from the church building or a combination of both. Under current guidelines, we continue to stress that when broadcast from a church building, this should be done with the minimum number of people for the maximum safety following the relevant requirements of the devolved governments.

They must observe strict social distancing and hygiene practices after conducting a risk assessment. Staff members and volunteers must not be pressured or compelled but be willing of their own volition to take part. Anyone who falls into the government requirements to isolate at home for any period of time should not be in attendance.

This guidance will be subject to regular review as circumstances and government and public health advice progresses.

Weddings can now take place in all four nations of the UK, with slightly different limits on how many people can attend. In England and Wales a maximum of 30 people may be present (this includes all people involved in the ceremony), in Scotland the limit is 20, while in Northern Ireland the limit is based on the capacity of a venue while social distancing is maintained.

In England and Scotland it is a requirement for all attending to wear a face covering, with the exception of the Bride and Groom and the minister officiating the service. In England those who are also speaking from the front, for example, giving readings or leading prayers, may also not wear a mask while doing so.

In England there is an additional allowance for small wedding receptions of up to 30 people to take place, while in the other nations of the UK the regular guidelines on social gatherings apply.

Baptisms should follow the guidance proviced by each devolved government government. On 21 August, the government in England released new guidance relating to full immersion baptism which sets out a number of rules for officiants and participants to follow when performing baptisms by immersion.

The rules relating to full immersion baptism have recently been relaxed so that in England these can now take place subject to specific guidelines. In particular the advice is against ‘cradling’ the baptism candidate, and instead placing hands on their head to submerge them. As the Baptist Union notes in their guidance, if the person baptising the candidate is a member of their household the usual practice can be followed. This guidance also suggests other alternatives, such as affusion, where water is poured over the candidate.

In Wales, unless the baptism is performed by a household member, self immersion is recommended. In Scotland baptisms are allowed to take place in accordance with the general places of worship guidelines.

Baptisms should follow the guidance proviced by each devolved government government. For example, on 21 August, the government in England released new guidance relating to full immersion baptism which sets out a number of rules for officiants and participants to follow when performing baptisms by immersion.

Recognising the particular sensitivities surrounding the conducting of funerals during the COVID-19 pandemic, government restrictions are beginning to ease. Yet, the challenges surrounding the reintroduction of funerals in church buildings are particularly difficult.

Details of when and how funerals can take place have been issued by each devolved government and details published on their websites. Links to these sites are available below and on ElimNET. Elim churches will need to wait until they have received NLT clearance for their building to reopen before planning funeral services in their buildings.

Churches will need to assess how and whether they are able to conduct funerals safely in the light of their full risk assessment and in consultation with local undertakers and funeral services.

We encourage ministers where possible to consider discussing with the family the possibility of a memorial service to be conducted for their loved one at a later time, though this is obviously something to be handled with discretion and sensitivity.

Foodbanks should continue where possible, as they have throughout lockdown. The main priority is ensuring the safety of everyone who comes to a food bank – whether it’s someone needing help, someone volunteering their time, or someone making a donation.

National organisations such as Trussell Trust are in daily contact with the food banks in their network about their local situation. They are centrally issuing updated guidance every day in a special daily bulletin, so please ensure you follow their national guidance.

Anyone running a food bank should follow the advice found on the Trussell Trust’s website. trusselltrust.org/coronavirus-food-banks