Archdeacon Paul Cohen shares with us some pictures and details of how St Simon’s Kaleen is undertaking Communion during COVID-19:
1. Clergy sanitise their hands.
2. People line up as usual – with tape on the floor to keep 1.5m distance in the line.
3. One person at a time receives the wafer/bread from the line, standing – person then eats.
4. That person then moves to the ‘cup’ station and receives a large plastic cup (ie from Woollies/Coles).
5. That person then moves to the 3rd station and wine from the consecrated ‘jug’ is poured into their cup – they drink.
6. That person then drops their cup into the blessed red bucket.
7. That person then returns to their seat.
Clergy (me) are wearing clear full-face visors ($3 at Bunnings). Clear visors are used because when we’re speaking the words when giving the bread/wine we’re just within 1.5 metres of recipients.
You can also see the TV (below) via which those in church can see those at home via Zoom. And we can hear those at home: via a button on the sound desk that sends our zoomer’s voices through the speakers, for our time of Thanksgiving, Greeting of Peace, notices, etc.
Those at home on zoom choose the view they want: the wider view via our new iPad with a x2 lens attached; or the closer lectern view via the iPhone with 8x telescopic lens (ie we don’t any longer ‘pin’ a view – individual zoomers choose the view).
I’m using Trybooking for our 40 seats – it’s working well. For the first three Sundays we’re averaging 32 in church and 25 separate Zooms (=35-40 adults and kids still zooming). Once we reach more than 40 people wanting to come, we can then have two services again.
