Update from Rev. Alan - Reopening Guidelines

Hello all, Guidelines for a gradual reopening of our churches were announced earlier this week by the leadership of our diocese, with July 12th as the earliest possible date. These can be seen at https://bc.anglican.ca/resources/reopening-plan

Your parish council will meet on Thursday, June 18 to discuss these guidelines and a way forward for St. John the Divine.

As we do this, there are a few key points to keep in mind:

• Most of us (congregation, clergy and staff) or those with whom we live, fall into the "high risk" category for reasons of age or underlying health condition, and extreme care is still advised for all of us in our interactions with others
• There is no requirement to open on July 12th; in fact most dioceses across Canada and most parishes on the Island have already indicated they will be waiting till the end of summer before considering reopening
• It will take a lot of detailed work for us to prepare our building for safe use and put in place all of the procedures that need to be followed
• In the meantime we will continue with our online devotions, telephone tree contacts and other methods of staying in touch and being together in remote ways. We will keep you informed as we make our way through these complicated times and will seek your advice as we make decisions about dates and next steps.

In our prayers let us give thanks for the leadership provided by our community health professionals and for the progress we as a province and as a local community have made in dealing with this pandemic. Let us pray also for wisdom to not mess it up!!

With every blessing,

Alan