This is a flexible plan that will be modified and added to as time progresses. The online service will continue for those that are not attending in person.

Social distancing:

-no singing by the congregation (as per BC Health Authority recommendations)
-the worship team will continue as usual but with extra spacing between the singers and congregation
-social distancing of 6 feet while on the church property
-people will be asked to arrive by 10 to 10:15 to allow time for check-in and seating
-cluster seating will be set up for family groups
-face masks are optional
-some cloth face masks will be available at the church if people do not have their own
-people are encouraged to stagger their parking spots

Number of attendees:

-total of 50 people, including those running the service, will be allowed to attend
-Joni will directly invite people to the upcoming service
-this will be done by phone or email
-a master list of potential attendees will be used to invite people
-this will include people whose names are in the church directory as well as people who contact Joni directly to have their names added
-people invited to the service will need to confirm their plan to attend by Thursday morning so all spots can be filled
-attendees will be directed to review the COVID-19 questionnaire prior to the service
-the greeter will then review the questionnaire with each attendee and record the answers
-the list of each Sunday’s attendees and contact information will be kept for at least 30 days as suggested by BC Health Authority

Washroom use:

- people should try and avoid using the church washroom
-an usher will oversee
-only the nursery washroom will be available for use
-disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and paper towels will be available Sanitizing:
-hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance, in the sanctuary and in the bathroom
-thorough cleaning will be done of bathrooms, chairs, handles, light switches and high contact surfaces prior to the service
-doors to outside will be propped open before and after the service
-doors to the sanctuary will be left open

Sunday school:

-no Sunday school at the church until further notice
-online Sunday school will be continuing
-Joni will mention this to parents when doing the invites

Chair set up:

-Joni will record the number of chairs needed for each family group
-usher will direct people to chairs set up for groupings
-children in service are to stay close to parents

Offering:

-offering basket will be at the back of the sanctuary, overseen by an usher
-people can place their offering in the basket as they leave the service

Coffee:

-there will be no coffee available at the church Fellowship:
-this can occur outside with social distancing or from your seat in the church

Communion:

-further instructions will be given out before our next communion service

Church A/C, filters and fans:

- overhead fans will not be used to minimize the risk of transmission
-the set point for A/C will be raised from 20* to 24* to minimize the time A/C is moving air
- furnace filters will be upgraded to MERV 13

Ushers:

-ushers will be wearing masks and sanitizing their hands as needed
- ushers will sign people in and take them to their designated group of seats
-ushers will oversee people leaving their seats to use the washroom
-ushers will oversee the offering at the end of the service
-ushers will monitor social distancing (people waiting to enter the church and visiting)

COVID-19 QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Have you been out of the Province in the past two weeks prior to this service?
2. Are you experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms such as flu or cold symptoms, sore throat or fever, sore chest or difficulty breathing?
3. Have you been in contact with anyone experiencing any of these symptoms within the past 2 weeks?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions we ask you not to attend the in-person service. Thank you.

This week will be our second week of live streaming our church service. I encourage everyone to check our webpage for updates including how to tune into the live stream.

Our church is much more than a Sunday service. Kurtus has the youth meeting and praying and encouraging each other online. His ministry has not diminished, it has only changed in format. 

Valleyview Kids has not shut down either. Carissa has sent out an optional Sunday school lesson and she will be conducting an online interactive Sunday school using zoom this Sunday. For those who want to take part you can email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Weekly Bible studies are starting up online using zoom as well. For those who have not been a part of a group in the past we encourage you to join a group. The current home group leaders are Doug Remple, Dave Marcotte, Gerald Wiens, and Ken Baerg. As well, Karen McIsaac is leading a ladies group. If you would like to become a part of a group that meets online during this time when we can't physically meet, call or email any of the leaders above.

We believe that giving is an expression of worship and obedience. Even though we don't physically meet, there are three ways in which you can continue to give. You can mail a cheque, drop off a cheque at the church or give online using Canada Helps. 

It is very encouraging to see how our church is responding to our current situation. We have ladies in our church who are making face masks at home. There is a shortage of medical masks and these home made  masks can be used in some situations. As stated above, teaching and caring ministries are continuing, but only in a different format. We encourage everyone to stay involved and help our church to flourish during this time.

In Genesis Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but Joseph says in Genesis 50:20  "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." We look at our situation today and might think, like the world, that we will be harmed but instead let us look at this like God does and believe that God intends it for the saving of many lives. The God we serve said in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Be encouraged!

From your leadership team at Valleyview Bible church.

We are in an extraordinary time. There is much uncertainty, bad news and anxiety in the entire world. People in our congregation, as well as everyone else in our society, will experience some sort of loss. Our city looks like a ghost town, very little traffic, businesses closed and very few people out on the streets and parks. Most people are holed up at home, staying away from others. The only thing that we can rely on is Jesus Christ and His promises. The leadership at Valleyview does not see this as a time to shrink back and see if we can hang on. We see the Church as the only hope there is in the world and that this is our time to shine. We see the present situation as an opportunity to truly be the Church of Jesus Christ and to continue to minister to our people and to reach out as well.

We had our first "live stream" service on facebook this past Sunday. This will become the new normal for the foreseeable future. Our Church is much more than just a Sunday morning service so there is much more that we want to do. We encourage you to go to our web page and our facebook page to keep up with what is going on. 

We want to make sure that everyone connected with our church is cared for. If anyone has immediate needs or knows someone else in our congregation  who has, please pass this onto Joni. If you are a person who has the time and energy to help someone with things that they are unable to do at this time, then again, please let Joni know. We are in process of putting together a team who will contact all of our people and ensure that everyone is cared for.

We are a church with a healthy small group ministry. We are not willing to let this ministry go dormant for who knows how long. We are planning to restart our small group ministry using an online platform called zoom. With this tool each member of the group can log on and take part in the Bible study from home. I envision it just like a physical meeting. Each participant can see on the large part of the screen the person who is speaking and can also see the other participants on a bar on top. The Juniper group is going to have their first online meeting this Tuesday 7:00pm. This is kind of a trial run. After this we want to have an online training session for the other group leaders with the goal of getting all groups back up and running. We also want to encourage everyone who has not been part of a small group to think about joining one. We are in a time where most of us are cooped up with little contact with others and we will all be able to participate from our own homes. We are also encouraging our small groups to continue to care for their members during this time of crisis.

The youth are in a season of growth, both spiritually and in numbers. Again, we do not want this to stop. Kurtus is planning to post daily devotions and to make daily contact with each student to see how they are doing and for prayer. He is also aiming to set up a weekly group hangout using some online format, for Bible study, conversation, etc.

This is the longest leadership report ever. We just want to make sure that everyone realizes that we are not shrinking back, but we are moving ahead with confidence that God will build His Church and nothing will stop it including the corona virus.

From your leadership team at Valleyview Bible Church.

Stay informed. Here are links for :
Our web page:    (https://www.valleyviewchurch.ca)
Our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ValleyviewBible)
Our "live stream" page (http://www.valleyviewchurch.ca/live).