IMPORTANT COVID UPDATE | 6th March 2022

The government recently published its plan for living with COVID-19. As a church our desire is to 'be safe and be kind’. Though restrictions are gone we ask that If you test positive for COVID-19, please do stay at home. Let’s honour and care for those around us.

On Sundays our 'red chair area’, will still be available to the side for those desiring more space related to Covid-19 concerns.

Thank you for caring so well for our church family.

Previous Updates

IMPORTANT COVID UPDATE | 28th January 2022

From Thursday 27th January the UK Government reverted back to Covid Plan A. As a church this means:

• The wearing of masks in the building, and during worship is optional.

• The 'red chair area' is available to the side for those desiring more space. Please remain considerate to those around us - 'be kind and be safe' is a good summary of the approach we want us all to have.

• The windows won't be open as the new ventilation system provides a good flow of fresh area around the auditorium.

Kids Work Update

As I am sure you are aware Covid Cases in Primary Schools are very high at the moment. With this in mind we want to put an extra layer of protection in for those working in kids work teams.

Please could we ask you to not bring your children into kids group if there is a case in the household. We know that this is permitted from a wider government point of view but it just means that those that are serving, who could potentially lose income or are working with the vulnerable are protected a little more. If it is a close contact of a covid case at school etc then as recommended by gov please can you do a LFT on the morning before you come.

We would ask you to continue doing this until the end of Feb unless you hear otherwise.

IMPORTANT COVID UPDATE | 10th Dec 2021

In view of rising COVID rates, and the Governments implementation of plan B, we have reviewed our response to the risk of COVID over this Christmas season.

In an effort to make our meetings as safe and accessible as possible, and to comply with the new requirements, we will be requiring all those attending our Sunday gatherings and Christmas events to wear a mask throughout the whole event, unless exempt under the guidelines.

Though it had been our plan and desire, we will unfortunately not be able to provide refreshments at these events.

GodFirst Church post COVID-19 restrictions response.

Following the recent roadmap out of lockdown, and government communiques regarding next steps, as of 19th July we find ourselves again in a place we have not found ourselves before.

18 months ago on March 22nd, many things changed overnight. For some in the GodFirst Family this has been a challenging period, those who have shielded, those who are key workers working to protect, teach, serve the community, those whose lives have changed due to loss of loved ones. For others it has been a time of frustration as restrictions have been in place where freedom was previously.

We have also seen the shape of the GodFirst family change overnight, and that’s not just the teenagers getting taller! We’ve stepped out into the digital world, creating an online community, where you can now not only connect with GodFirst by coming to a building on a Sunday, or in a weekday environment, but through online services and Zoom groups. This has seen people connect with us regularly from across Europe. We are continuing to invest in this area of ministry and see where God is guiding us.

From the 19th July we move forward into a season of needing to make wise decisions for ourselves, and wise decisions that affect those around us, leaning on our own personal experience and the experience of those around us. Covid-19 and other infections will not be going away overnight, so we now need to continue to create a safe space for people to interact within GodFirst, giving options and choices for how those interactions take place.

There will be people among us who will be more cautious or less cautious due to personal stance, because of the job they do, or because of other commitments. We also realise these next few months could cause anxieties for people. We request you are mindful of those around you - some might not feel the same way, and will need time to process, making their own decisions.

The messaging regarding Covid-19 stays the same; if you feel unwell, please refrain from attending activities, and get a test, following guidelines if the result is positive. Otherwise, we encourage you to engage with us in ways you feel comfortable, whilst respecting those around us and the choices we each make.

Midweek groups

From Tuesday 20th July, activities during the week will continue, and more will start in the coming months. We encourage you to connect with each other as you feel comfortable; over the phone, go for a walk, a coffee... We encourage you to reach out to each other, knowing the other might not necessarily feel the same from a risk point of view, however we encourage you to reach out and connect.

Airfield Road rooms are available to book out for activities, and we will continue to maintain a high standard of cleaning to reduce risk throughout the building.

-        If the activity involves singing, we advise still wearing a face covering for the time being, whilst infection rates are high.

-        If the activity includes food or refreshments, we recommend taking extra steps to reduce multiple touch points and reduce the infection transmission risk.

 Sundays

We will continue to meet in-person and online on a Sunday, and we encourage you to join with us in both environments.

If you are attending in-person services –

-        When you arrive at the venue,

o   The doors will be open from 10am from the 25th July

o   The car park and inside the building will be open for you connect with each other, we would encourage you to choose where you feel most comfortable to connect with others.

o   We will not be operating a specific sign up however we recommend checking-in using the track and trace app when you are in the building.  

o   We will continue to be recommending good hygiene practice and hand sanitiser stations will be available throughout the building.

o   For the moment whilst the infection rate is high, we request wearing a face covering inside the building.  

o   Over the coming weeks as we build teams, we will begin to serve refreshments, however this may not happen instantly.

o   We have seen a number of people join us over recent months, and we would encourage you to continue to be friendly, connecting with each other, welcoming those who are new amongst us.

o   Physical touch (hugging, handshakes etc), - We encourage you to be mindful of each other when it comes to physical touch. For various reasons some may not be ready to connect in these ways.

o   Within the auditorium there will be an increased capacity and we will operate two types of seating,

• In the centre of the room: all seats will be available.

• In the wings of the room: there is greater ventilation, and we will also create greater space between seats, or some rows will be unavailable. These areas are especially for those who would prefer to be more spread out.

• We will also continue to create space for those who may wish to move more freely in worship in an open area.

• We would ask that if you do circulate within the room, you are mindful of those in these different areas of seating.

o   Corporate singing - for many, singing has been something they have greatly missed throughout this season. For others, they have found greater freedom and appreciation and expression in worship. We would encourage you to continue to engage in worship in a way you feel comfortable. If that is through singing, we ask you continue to wear a face covering whilst singing. If you do not feel comfortable to sing as yet, we encourage you to engage with God in worship in ways you do feel comfortable.

o   Ministry times - over the coming weeks, the team will be available for prayer ministry. As we work through the best ways to do this, we encourage you to engage in this however you feel comfortable. There are also ways to engage in prayer throughout the week.

o   Communion – we are working hard behind the scenes on how to celebrate this meal together whilst also reducing transmission risk levels.

o   After the service we will open both the fire exits to the car park and the doors to the café area, and you are welcome to congregate in the areas you feel most comfortable, the car park and in the building.

o   Overall, we love connecting with you whether that is in-person or online, so please continue to connect with us, and each other.

For any questions please contact the Church Office hello(at)godfirst.church

As Guidelines allow we will be meeting both in person and online, this will be inline with the latest government guidelines.

We will be meeting on Sunday's Online via godfirst.online.church

If you would like to attend the service at Airfield Road please read these instructions and sign up by visiting our events page. 

PLEASE READ ALL OF THESE DETAILS BEFORE SIGNING UP - thank you :)
For those of you who wish to join us at Airfield Road, here is some important information for you:

• These events are limited to 100 people and you must sign up for a place if you wish to come; this is to allow us to set up and clean the space easily after each meeting, and to allow for social distancing whilst we meet. Please honour the team by signing up below and following the directions in the venue.

• Please note it is mandatory to wear a face mask whilst attending these meetings. Those leading the meeting will not have to wear them however, as they will be standing further away. If you are exempt from wearing a face covering for legitimate reasons, please could we ask you to consider wearing a badge or showing a card that identifies you as such. Examples can be found here.

• We have set up the space so you can sit in your household bubble, or if you are on your own there will be chairs socially distanced.

• We will have hand sanitiser stations available throughout, we will also be cleaning the venue before and after each of the meetings. Enhanced cleaning routines are being employed to ensure all surfaces, especially those most frequently touched such as door handles and rails, are regularly cleaned.

• We ask you do not attend the in-venue service if you or someone you live with has any of the following:

  • a high temperature

  • a new, continuous cough

  • a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste

  • Also, if you are clinically extremely vulnerable or have been advised to avoid large gatherings, we request that you use the online option.

What happens when I arrive?

• The doors will be opened 15 minutes before the publicised start time. Please arrive in enough time to be seated for the 10:30am start.

• Children will be checked in with you at the main entrance and then if you have signed up for 5-11s they will check in at the doors to room 1. After the service you can collect your children from the fire exit of room 1.

• Your name will be checked against the list to ensure that we are carefully monitoring our capacity and can effectively follow-up in the event of a ‘test and trace’, scenario. To speed things up, please have your 'ticket' available on a phone or printout for scanning if possible.

• Capacity is limited by the ability for us to enter and exit safely as well as maintain social distancing within the building. If we exceed our safe capacity, attendees may be asked to return home.

• When you arrive, you will be directed through a one-way system into the relevant space. Please sit together with your household or bubble, however please could we ask you to maintain social distancing with everyone else throughout the meeting.

• Please could we ask you to remain in your seat for the duration of the meeting if possible. If you must leave your seat, could we ask you to be mindful of social distancing from other households or bubbles.

• Singing or raising your voice is sadly not permitted currently.

• Please could we ask you to bring your own water bottle if you would like one. There will not be any refreshments or drinking water on offer.

• We aim to keep these meetings to an hour, their are restricted toilets for use in an emergency but we will prefer if you refrained from using them at this stage - so please do prepare for that 😉.

Children:

• If you have children in School Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 you can sign them up for a Children’s Ministry Ticket.

• There are 15 child tickets available and you need to sign them in in advance of the morning.

• You are welcome to have your children in the auditorium but they will need to maintain social distancing by sitting with your household and they need an auditorium ticket.

• They do not need face masks but they do need their own water bottle and there won’t be any snacks on the morning so if they are likely to get hungry feed them a big breakfast 😊

• We are planning on keeping one of the room 1 doors open so the room might get a little chilly so a coat would be a good plan.

• You will register them at the main entrance and then pick up from the outer room 1 doors

• We aim to keep these meetings to an hour. The accessible toilets are available, however we would prefer if you refrained from using them at this stage - so please do prepare for that 😉.

We are looking forward seeing you at our Sunday service!

Following the announcement 23/6/2020 by the government regarding COVID-19.
We are reviewing the latest guidance as to public meetings as a church. We will also take advice from various external sources.
Currently we will still be meting on Sundays online at www.GodFirst.church.
We will update you soon if there are any changes.
God Bless, Paul

Whilst the restrictions on public meeting continue, we continue to meet online one Sundays 10:30am | 8:00pm.

Please do follow the latest advice from https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. Keep safe, see you soon.

We are continuing to try to resource you throughout this time, this includes bringing online our resources channel. This includes sermons, conferences, and useful information regarding mental health and well being. For links and information see the links below

Hi

We wanted to send you a little round up of some of the things going on to keep you fully informed on GodFirst’s developments.

What’s happening with Sundays?

We were so pleased to see lots of you connect with our first ever online services last week, though for this Sunday we’re making some changes. Firstly, we’re experimenting with a new platform called Church Online, the service will still be on YouTube however this gives us an interaction level through a hosted chat room, preaching notes, bible, and ability to pray with people in a separate chat room.

We are looking to in the future having a more live broadcast with the contributors, like host, worship leader and preacher share from their own homes, we’re also investigating adjusting the number of meetings we have.

This Sunday we will still only have a 10:30am meeting. Following the meeting you will have time in your coffee and connect groups. If you are not in one, and have not had an email from Sam and Shirley regarding this you can sign up to a group here.

Need Support?

If you have had to self isolate and can't get essential supplies of food or need a prescription picking up. We'll do our best to help. Equally you might have a fully-stocked fridge but would just like to have a chat with someone, especially if you're finding things tough. We'd be happy to talk and pray for you over the phone, please contact the church office on 01202470480 and we will do our best to help.

Want to get involved?

Some of you have wonderfully stepped forward to play a part in supporting others at this time. Perhaps you feel like you would like to volunteer in some capacity. If so there is information here how to sign up locally to support people in the area.

What about prayer?

In this season we know that prayer is one of the things we want to lean into, and we’re working hard at creating opportunities where we can pray together in creative ways. You can visit our events page to get details of our new zoom prayer meetings happening each day 12:00 – 12:30 Monday to Fridays.

Blessings

Paul Cox

Operations Leader

GodFirst Church