ADVISORY ON CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)
TO ALL WORSHIPPERS AT FAITH METHODIST CHURCH
Update 16 February 2020:
Message from the PIC’s Office
Dear Faith Family
Advisories concerning Ministry events and Small Group meetings have been issued. Events have been postponed or cancelled. Does it mean ministry has stopped? Not at all. Some suggestions:
1. As a family, pray. Teach your children how they should respond in times like these: Fear to Faith. Turn this current situation into discipleship moments for them.
2. As a Small Group, don’t stop meeting. Think of creative ways to meet. Create a prayer chain. Encourage each other. Fear to Faith.
Make intentional effort to include your members who may be front-line personnel like doctors, nurses, operations staff who are involved in daily temperature screening or even quarantine matters. They may find it difficult to join your meeting for various reasons, so encourage them by intentionally including them through means like teleconferencing.
In fact, you can engage in a simple project to bless front-line persons (remember our cleaners too!) with notes of encouragement, appreciation packs, and prayers as they faithfully serve us. Bless them in creative ways as the Spirit leads you.
3. Volunteer with FaithActs (to clean and declutter homes), and organisations like Food From the Heart, Willing Hearts, and Free Food For All (to pack food and deliver to the needy). They are short on volunteers given the current situation.
4. Spread hope and not fear. Your response to the situation is the most powerful testimony you can offer!
5. Point all to Christ who is the true source of peace. Come and worship on Sunday. If you are unable to, we will live-stream one service every Sunday so anyone can be encouraged, refreshed, and comforted through worship and Word.
Let’s pray.
“Spirit, touch your church. Stir our hearts. Cause us to arise with faith, as we put our trust in You, because You make a way for us, You perform the impossible and You keep your promise of being with us, no matter what.
So help us be with You. Abide in You. Rested in You.
Help us be with Your people, especially the ones who are anxious, vulnerable, ostracised, and unappreciated, because Jesus, you would have done that, and we want to be more like You.
AMEN.”
Ps Ray
Update 15 February 2020:
Message from the PIC Office
Dear Faith Family,
I wish to keep you informed of the decision of the Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) to not suspend services tomorrow as long as we can observe the precautionary measures MOH has in place.
MOH has advised that worship services may continue, but with appropriate precautionary measures (https://bit.ly/2StX4hC).
I want to assure you that we have these measures in place and are doing our best to ensure they are well-implemented.
I know that City Harvest Church, Adam Road Presbyterian Church, and the Roman Catholic Church have suspended their services/masses and you may be wondering if we should do the same.
Let me encourage you to trust the decision that our Methodist Church leadership has made.
I believe the Lord has led them to this decision and may the Lord continue to lead us to trust Him for His grace, protection and presence as we gather in His name.
For those of us who are unwell or unable to join us, you are most welcome to join us for worship through the live-stream of our 8am Service tomorrow. Replays are available if you miss the live-stream.
Let’s be praying.
May God’s shalom be with you and your family.
Ps Ray
Update 12 February 2020:
(Last Updated: 17 February 2020)
Advisory On Ministry / Small Group Events & Use Of Rooms In View Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
With MOH’s directive to minimize contact and review all large-scale meetings, the following are to apply:
1. Unless approved by the Pastors’ Office, all events/meetings organized by a non-Faith Methodist Church organization (i.e. an external party), especially those involving seniors and young, will be cancelled. We will inform all the concerned organizers within this week of their event/meeting status.
2. Ministries are to review all meetings/events, including mission trips. These should be cancelled or postponed if they are not considered essential. Ministries can explore other options (e.g. teleconferencing apps) to meet instead.
In the event meetings/events are going on, Ministries need to inform attendees to administer their own temperature checks and stay away from the meeting/event if they are not well. The Ministry organising the event/meeting is to keep a record (e.g. minutes or self-registration template) of the attendance, for at least a month from the date of meeting.
Should such meetings and events take place, the Ministry is to administer temperature screening. Any attendee whose body temperature is 37.5°C and above is not to attend.
3. Small Groups may proceed to meet as they wish. If they do, the necessary precautions (e.g. self temperature-taking, staying away from SG if unwell) should be taken. Small Groups may explore other options (e.g. teleconferencing apps) to meet instead.
4. Although suitable church venues will continue to be made available, Small Groups are encouraged to meet in homes or external venues, where feasible. However, all venues used by Small Groups or otherwise have to be vacated by 7pm every Saturday to enable thorough cleaning before Sunday.
Update 10 February 2020:
In response to the confirmed case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection that has involved Paya Lebar Methodist Church, the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung, has released a message available here.
GENERAL ADVISORY
Last Updated: 15 February 2020
Please click here to view the live streams of our worship services.
Please click here for the full list of programme changes.
Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, please be informed of the following with immediate effect:
Contact Tracing
– We will be collecting personal data in case of contact tracing for all individuals attending our worship services and events, at both our 400 Commonwealth Drive and ACJC premises, for gatherings of >100 pax. This applies to events held on weekdays as well.
– Please follow the instructions given during the worship service / event to submit your details.
– Please be informed that our Personal Data Protection Policy (PDPP) has been updated to include collection of personal data for contact tracing purposes. More information is available here. Your details submitted for contact tracing will only be used should you need to be contacted specifically regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
Body Temperature Scanning
– Body temperature scanning will be conducted for all individuals entering our worship service and event venues, at both our 400 Commonwealth Drive and ACJC premises, for gatherings of >100 pax. This applies to events held on weekdays as well.
– Please follow the instructions of the ushers for temperature scanning.
– Individuals whose temperatures are >=37.5°C, or who are experiencing respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, sore throat, running nose, breathlessness, etc) may be escorted to a holding area and/or denied entry to our worship services and events by a member of the leadership, church staff, or temperature scanning volunteers.
– Worship services and events will commence punctually as scheduled unless otherwise indicated.
Entering & Exiting Worship Service Venues
– To facilitate body temperature scanning, please observe the following traffic flows in and out of our worship service venues:
-
- 8am Service (L1 Sanctuary, Faith Methodist Church)
– Entry via main doors at lift lobby only
– All doors available for exit
- 9am Service (L4 Worship Hall, Faith Methodist Church)
– Entry via main doors at lift lobby only
– All doors available for exit
- 11am Service (L4 Worship Hall, Faith Methodist Church)
– Entry via main doors at lift lobby only
– All doors available for exit
- Mandarin & TTB Youth Services (ACJC)
– No change in traffic flows in and out of ACJC premises
– Body temperature scanning will be conducted at the entrances to our worship service venues
Stay Updated
– Subscribe to the Gov.sg WhatsApp service at go.gov.sg/whatsapp for latest updates on COVID-19 and other government information
– Subscribe to Faith’s broadcast messaging services, WhatsApp and Telegram, for church-related updates on COVID-19 and other announcements at Faith
Avoid church attendance and implement self-quarantine if you:
– Are feeling unwell
– Have travelled to China in the last 14 days
Adopt Good Personal Hygiene Practices
– Wear a mask while in church if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms (e.g. cough, running nose, sore throat, etc). Masks are available from the ushers or at the Info Counter
– Sanitize your hands. Sanitizers are available at the entrances to our worship service venues and various points around the church
– Avoid shaking hands with others. Please note that there will be no shaking of hands during the Exchange Of Peace and other worship service segments. Instead, greet others with hands placed palms-together in front with a slight bow of the head
As the situation is evolving, please refer to www.moh.gov.sg regularly for updates. We seek your patience and cooperation as we work to keep our worshippers safe during this outbreak. Let’s keep this situation in prayer.
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