As you likely know, British Columbia has recently entered into Phase Three of the government’s Restart Plan. We celebrate the progress that’s been made, but what does this progress mean for the church and gathering in-person?

Our Decision

An ad hoc Return to Church committee has been examining every facet of gathering for worship for our church and has met with Council to discuss their findings. After prayerful and careful consideration, Council has decided that for now we will not resume any in-person gatherings, whether it’s a small group or a Sunday worship service. Since things are constantly changing, we will revisit the issue in September.

We understand that this decision may be hard for some people, as you’re eager to resume gatherings. For others, you are relieved as you feel reluctant to resume meeting in person.

Our Reasons

In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.” We long to be gathering again as the body of Christ, so it is important that we share a few reasons for deciding not to resume gatherings at this time.

First, the strict guidelines we would have to follow to meet in-person would diminish our practices for gathered worship—including restrictions on singing, childcare, KidsLIFE, and fellowship. We want to begin to gather again in a way that honours God and is the kind of worship and community that forms us into the image of Christ.

Second, we want to make sure that as the body of Christ we are functioning in a way that cares deeply for one another—particularly those most vulnerable to the virus. For now, we believe delaying in-person gatherings minimizes risk and is the best way to pursue love.

Third, we want to maintain our gospel witness in Ladner and the surrounding community for decades to come. We have seen that as restrictions have been lifted in other places around the world, even with precautions in place, new cases of the virus have been surging and tragic outcomes have occurred (including within faith communities). 

Even though things are permissible, they’re not always beneficial. Scripture reminds us of that in 1 Corinthians 6 and gives us that admonition to think carefully and prayerfully about decisions that need to be made. 

What we can do

We invite you to join with us in prayer, asking God for wisdom, grace, and humility as we continue to discern what is best for our community going forward. In this season, let’s continue to be a body that pursues love and care for one another and our neighbours, and stays creative in how we use technology to do ministry.

And certainly maintain the hope that we all have in Christ that we will one day reconvene in a manner that satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts, honours God, and expresses our longing to worship him and to love one another well—to be the body of Christ.