As many of you know, the Trustees of Hope Centre Nelson Trust Board (Hope Nelson) in consultation with the Hope Network Apostolic Leaders have decided to continue to operate as a church without requiring vaccine passes from members, visitors, volunteers or guests. This means we are no longer able to gather at Greenmeadows Community Centre as they require all users to have a valid vaccine pass. We invite you to join us in prayer as we look ahead with anticipation and hope for our new home.
Some things that are helpful to know with the Traffic Light Framework in relation to places of worship:
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A place of worship is considered a gathering as we are a group of people who intermingle.
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The framework rules apply whether we meet in homes or a building.
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Churches can operate under all three traffic light colours.
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The number of attendees include children but do not include volunteers.
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People do not have to keep 1 metre apart; this is used as a measure for how many people can occupy a space. The 1 metre measurement rule does not apply to homes.
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The number restrictions apply to inside and outside venues.
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Record keeping/scanning is required in each colour setting, we have produced some QR codes for home groups.
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Refreshments can be provided under any traffic light setting.
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Face coverings for volunteers are required in red and orange settings when meeting in a venue. The worship team, meeting leader and preacher are exempt from wearing face coverings.
Some specific number requirements under each traffic light colour and the implications for Hope Nelson include:
Red: gatherings up to 25 people - we will gather online or in Home Groups on a Sunday.
Orange: gatherings up to 50 people - when we have a venue we will gather as a group. In the absence of a venue, we will continue to meet in Home Groups, online or outside when practical.
Green: gatherings up to 100 people - when we have a venue we will gather as a group. In the absence of a venue, we will continue to meet in Home Groups or outside when practical.
In the event one of our members gets covid and/or we become a location of interest, we will of course pray, and inform the Health Department and follow the instructions given with steps to follow.