Places of worship will be allowed to welcome people back inside as part of the first step of B.C.害羞草研究所檚 re-opening plan, underway now, but Langley churches are taking it slow and moving in careful stages.

At Langley害羞草研究所檚 St. George害羞草研究所檚 Anglican church, more than a century old, there was no in person service scheduled for Sunday, May 31, the first weekend after the re-opening plan was announced, said Rev. Kelly Duncan.

The on Tuesday, May 25 said that indoor in-person faith-based gatherings would be able to resume at a reduced capacity.

But not all churches, including St. George害羞草研究所檚, will be able to head back right away. A pastoral letter from Bishop John Stephens said that indoor worship won害羞草研究所檛 start in local Anglican churches until June 15.

害羞草研究所淭here is no indoor worship allowed at the moment unless it is for recording online worship (with a maximum of 10 people),害羞草研究所� Stephens wrote.

Indoor worship will resume for Anglican churches as early as June 15, once all COVID protocols including masking, distancing, and contact tracing are in place, but with a ban on congregational singing.

Larger places of worship have other challenges and different plans.

Derrick Hamre, lead pastor at Langley害羞草研究所檚 Christian Life Assembly, has been working with his team on plans to slowly bring back approximately 3,000 people across several campuses to in-person worship.

That doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean that worship will be mass gatherings in the church itself right away.

害羞草研究所淭he church is not a building, the church is people,害羞草研究所� Hamre said.

That害羞草研究所檚 why the first phase of CLA害羞草研究所檚 re-opening is to ask church members to open up their own homes as places of hospitality and gathering. With people now allowed to have members of other households visit, it害羞草研究所檚 gatherings of families and individuals that starts first.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 where we begin, very grassroots,害羞草研究所� said Hamre. 害羞草研究所淟ove one another, connect with one another.害羞草研究所�

The second stage will be bringing back people for gatherings in separate congregations. Youths, seniors, addiction recovery groups 害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檒l be able to meet in church buildings in groups of 50 or fewer, with safety protocols.

After that, the public opening will be the first Sunday after June 15, assuming the provincial plan stays on track.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e excited about that, we haven害羞草研究所檛 had Sundays open, really, for a year,害羞草研究所� Hamre said.

The maximum number of people allowed to gather for worship indoors is expected to be 50.

Since November, during the second wave of COVID-19 that saw cases spike before the holidays, there has been no indoor worship allowed in churches, temples, and mosques in B.C., and local faith communities have turned to everything from virtual services via computer to gathering in cars in parking lots.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Duncan said the St. George害羞草研究所檚 is being very cautious.

As for what a return to in-person worship will be like, Duncan said the first phase will likely be much like what was in place last summer and fall, when churches were open but with reduced capacity.

Those who want to attend in person will probably have to register in advance, she said.

At CLA, Hamre said the church is planning to hold a number of in-person special events over the summer to celebrate together as restrictions ease.

At St. George害羞草研究所檚 Duncan said there will still be some form of online worship for those who can害羞草研究所檛 come, but it won害羞草研究所檛 be a live stream of the indoor service.

害羞草研究所淒oing a hybrid service in the church live is not something that害羞草研究所檚 easy to do,害羞草研究所� she said, due to the age of the building.

However, the church does want to keep reaching out online even after the restrictions are all lifted.

The last year has brought in entirely new parishioners who had never set foot in the church before the pandemic, as well as some familiar faces.

害羞草研究所淔olks that had moved away, that had been sorry to leave their church community,害羞草研究所� Duncan said.

In addition, the online system allows reaching out to people who can害羞草研究所檛 leave their homes, whether for the long term or because of a temporary condition.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 something that we害羞草研究所檙e trying to hold on to, absolutely,害羞草研究所� she said.