Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Update
Communique 1
This is a fact moving situation, given that we only first heard of this virus in December, and how much has happened since. We will sequentially number Communiques to you, as the situation will continue to change. This is Communique 1.
Thank you for your patience. We have been waiting for promised National Guidelines from the Australian General Synod, which arrived this morning. They are attached to the bottom of this note in their received Draft form. I will refer to them as the ‘GS Guidelines’ or ‘Guidelines’.
Please read through the Guidelines and the additional information below carefully. They are Guidelines and not Directives at this stage.
Sunday services, Holy Communion and preventing physical contact
You will be aware that the Commonwealth Government upgraded their advice this morning about indoor gatherings, restricting them to 100 persons. This will affect a few of our churches. Some particularly vulnerable people will choose not to attend whilst there is a risk of infection. Services have been suspended in Tasmania and Sydney Dioceses and in the Church of England and Wales. We are not suspending services here in the Diocese for the time being, subject of course to any further restrictions or Emergency rulings from the Commonwealth or WA governments. We are, however, leaving you to determine what is best locally about continuing with services, bearing in mind such factors as the advice for people to be 1.5 metres apart from one another.
The advice is for people to temporarily receive Holy Communion in one kind only, although priests as normal should bless both the bread and the cup and consume both elements themselves, subject to appropriate hygiene.
It is hard for people not to shake hands but the Guidelines are clear that physical contact should be kept to an absolute minimum. Churches and schools in our diocese have been innovative with Sharing the Peace using bowing to one another, singing Shalom, and a British sign language for “Peace be with you” which I will try and send you the video for.
Op shops, Pastoral offices, Outreach, Chaplaincy, Visiting
The GS Guidelines recommend the closing of Op Shops and the receipt of goods be suspended. We again are suggesting that you may wish to make local decisions about this. This will depend on having volunteers willing to be there and on ensuring hygiene and social distancing. Three of our Op shops have shut due to concerns by the volunteer helpers.
The Guidelines are suggesting that where parishes offer community pantry, free food, and in our case, Emergency Relief, that should be maintained if possible. ER support is being done by phone wherever possible, with social distancing and changes in handling food collections. Anglicare may also be grateful if churches are able to assist in the delivery of Emergency Relief during this period when people may be confined to their homes. Manna and Mercy are having to suspend their Tuesday night meal at Dunsborough because they attract over 100 people at one time but are delivering frozen meals.
The Guidelines recommend that all social and outreach services (such as Alpha) be suspended, and all gatherings of young people. They are also concerned about morning teas and refreshments, so these may also need to be considered.
School and Prison Chaplaincy are subject to the relevant organisations’ policies.
Hospital Visiting – same as above
Aged Care is, or will soon be, in lock down. Services and pastoral visits should be suspended, save for special arrangements for end of life visits, if permitted.
The Campsite to remain open for the time being but will shut over Easter because of the sheer numbers who descend on the site then.
Please note the specific advice for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals on p5. The advice refers to action you may need to take if you are expecting any attendance greater than 100 or have difficulty in keeping people 1.5 metres apart.
Upcoming Diocesan Events
Donnybrook Retreat this weekend - postponed
Boniface Care Committee on Monday – cancelled due to lack of quorum
Chrism Eucharist – may be cancelled – will update next week about this
May Clergy Retreat – this may be cancelled – again we will update as soon as possible
Cursillo – currently planning for happening or not happening
Lay Retreat – currently planning for happening or not happening
Parish Finances
A few priests have contacted the diocesan office concerned about reduced offerings and indeed possible Op shop closures or reduced traffic and the effect upon parish finances. We are checking our Business Interruption Insurance with our Insurers but we have not received an answer yet – we are not hopeful that this event will be covered! The Finance Committee met as usual yesterday and resolved to recommend to Bishop in Council that the planned increase in Parish Assessment from 10% to 12% should not to come in to effect in July. Instead it should be delayed until at least the end of this calendar year, and this will be reviewed nearer that time. This proposal will be considered at the next BiC meeting in April. Some parishes who have reserves or are ahead of repayments on their loans may wish to draw down on these facilities.
It may seem a very odd time to be talking about Stewardship but in fact it may be an important and worthwhile opportunity, whilst being pastorally sensitive, to ask if parishioners would prayerfully consider their giving and also changing from the plate to direct debit.
The Church of England Guidance and worshipping and ministering in new ways
I have also attached a Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England. We are not following their lead in closing services at the moment but what they have to say about the place of the Anglican church and about considering how we might minister to our congregations and to our communities if we are not able to hold services, or for those who cannot attend, may be of help to you. We will be looking at whether we can record services such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter and have them available on our website for people to view/hear who have digital access. The Archbishops’ letter has a link for churches who may wish to do the same. Indeed several of you already record part or all of your services on a regular basis – we will need to check about copyright for the APBA and certain music and we will get back to you about this. Please let us know if you have innovative ideas from your parish or ministry (and see below re: prayer and phone chains).
Self Care
Please continue to watch over yourself and your family, as well as watching over others and being available to them. If you are unwell please do not soldier on, do follow the guidelines for self-isolation and let us know.
Care for our Community
This is a time of great anxiety. The uncertainty and fear are as contagious as the virus itself. As Christians we have much to offer in being calm, caring and Christlike, and gently pointing people to God and God’s love, providence and eternal plan for all people. We could also, for example, use our noticeboards to send messages of hope or encouragement or appropriate humour. Prayer chains, and pastoral calls by phone for those who are isolated and frightened, and checking if people need supplies or food delivered are all ways that lay people, as well as clergy, can assist.
This is a fact moving situation, given that we only first heard of this virus in December, and how much has happened since. We will sequentially number Communiques to you, as the situation will continue to change. This is Communique 1.
Thank you for your patience. We have been waiting for promised National Guidelines from the Australian General Synod, which arrived this morning. They are attached to the bottom of this note in their received Draft form. I will refer to them as the ‘GS Guidelines’ or ‘Guidelines’.
Please read through the Guidelines and the additional information below carefully. They are Guidelines and not Directives at this stage.
Sunday services, Holy Communion and preventing physical contact
You will be aware that the Commonwealth Government upgraded their advice this morning about indoor gatherings, restricting them to 100 persons. This will affect a few of our churches. Some particularly vulnerable people will choose not to attend whilst there is a risk of infection. Services have been suspended in Tasmania and Sydney Dioceses and in the Church of England and Wales. We are not suspending services here in the Diocese for the time being, subject of course to any further restrictions or Emergency rulings from the Commonwealth or WA governments. We are, however, leaving you to determine what is best locally about continuing with services, bearing in mind such factors as the advice for people to be 1.5 metres apart from one another.
The advice is for people to temporarily receive Holy Communion in one kind only, although priests as normal should bless both the bread and the cup and consume both elements themselves, subject to appropriate hygiene.
It is hard for people not to shake hands but the Guidelines are clear that physical contact should be kept to an absolute minimum. Churches and schools in our diocese have been innovative with Sharing the Peace using bowing to one another, singing Shalom, and a British sign language for “Peace be with you” which I will try and send you the video for.
Op shops, Pastoral offices, Outreach, Chaplaincy, Visiting
The GS Guidelines recommend the closing of Op Shops and the receipt of goods be suspended. We again are suggesting that you may wish to make local decisions about this. This will depend on having volunteers willing to be there and on ensuring hygiene and social distancing. Three of our Op shops have shut due to concerns by the volunteer helpers.
The Guidelines are suggesting that where parishes offer community pantry, free food, and in our case, Emergency Relief, that should be maintained if possible. ER support is being done by phone wherever possible, with social distancing and changes in handling food collections. Anglicare may also be grateful if churches are able to assist in the delivery of Emergency Relief during this period when people may be confined to their homes. Manna and Mercy are having to suspend their Tuesday night meal at Dunsborough because they attract over 100 people at one time but are delivering frozen meals.
The Guidelines recommend that all social and outreach services (such as Alpha) be suspended, and all gatherings of young people. They are also concerned about morning teas and refreshments, so these may also need to be considered.
School and Prison Chaplaincy are subject to the relevant organisations’ policies.
Hospital Visiting – same as above
Aged Care is, or will soon be, in lock down. Services and pastoral visits should be suspended, save for special arrangements for end of life visits, if permitted.
The Campsite to remain open for the time being but will shut over Easter because of the sheer numbers who descend on the site then.
Please note the specific advice for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals on p5. The advice refers to action you may need to take if you are expecting any attendance greater than 100 or have difficulty in keeping people 1.5 metres apart.
Upcoming Diocesan Events
Donnybrook Retreat this weekend - postponed
Boniface Care Committee on Monday – cancelled due to lack of quorum
Chrism Eucharist – may be cancelled – will update next week about this
May Clergy Retreat – this may be cancelled – again we will update as soon as possible
Cursillo – currently planning for happening or not happening
Lay Retreat – currently planning for happening or not happening
Parish Finances
A few priests have contacted the diocesan office concerned about reduced offerings and indeed possible Op shop closures or reduced traffic and the effect upon parish finances. We are checking our Business Interruption Insurance with our Insurers but we have not received an answer yet – we are not hopeful that this event will be covered! The Finance Committee met as usual yesterday and resolved to recommend to Bishop in Council that the planned increase in Parish Assessment from 10% to 12% should not to come in to effect in July. Instead it should be delayed until at least the end of this calendar year, and this will be reviewed nearer that time. This proposal will be considered at the next BiC meeting in April. Some parishes who have reserves or are ahead of repayments on their loans may wish to draw down on these facilities.
It may seem a very odd time to be talking about Stewardship but in fact it may be an important and worthwhile opportunity, whilst being pastorally sensitive, to ask if parishioners would prayerfully consider their giving and also changing from the plate to direct debit.
The Church of England Guidance and worshipping and ministering in new ways
I have also attached a Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England. We are not following their lead in closing services at the moment but what they have to say about the place of the Anglican church and about considering how we might minister to our congregations and to our communities if we are not able to hold services, or for those who cannot attend, may be of help to you. We will be looking at whether we can record services such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter and have them available on our website for people to view/hear who have digital access. The Archbishops’ letter has a link for churches who may wish to do the same. Indeed several of you already record part or all of your services on a regular basis – we will need to check about copyright for the APBA and certain music and we will get back to you about this. Please let us know if you have innovative ideas from your parish or ministry (and see below re: prayer and phone chains).
Self Care
Please continue to watch over yourself and your family, as well as watching over others and being available to them. If you are unwell please do not soldier on, do follow the guidelines for self-isolation and let us know.
Care for our Community
This is a time of great anxiety. The uncertainty and fear are as contagious as the virus itself. As Christians we have much to offer in being calm, caring and Christlike, and gently pointing people to God and God’s love, providence and eternal plan for all people. We could also, for example, use our noticeboards to send messages of hope or encouragement or appropriate humour. Prayer chains, and pastoral calls by phone for those who are isolated and frightened, and checking if people need supplies or food delivered are all ways that lay people, as well as clergy, can assist.
Attachments
| General Synod Draft Guidelines Covid-19 |
| Joint Letter from Archbishops of Canterbury and York Covid-19 17th March 2020 |