Latest Update: June 9, 2020

Dear Church,

On Monday, June 8th, Premier Doug Ford announced that Eastern Ontario will be allowed to enter Phase 2 of the province’s reopening plan at 12:01 am on Friday, June 12, 2020.  What this means for QAC is that we will be able to worship together on Sunday at 30% of our sanctuary’s capacity.  As such, it is my joy to inform you that a public worship service will be held on June 14th.

Who may come?

We are, of course, committed to upholding appropriate standards for cleanliness and social distancing and so the following criteria will be observed for all who plan to attend:

  1. You will be asked to refrain from entering the building if:
    1. You are feeling unwell or experiencing a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, or
    2. You have been in close contact with anyone who is sick or has confirmed COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
  2. Everyone will be asked to:
    1. Wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering the building
    2. Enter and exit the building in an orderly fashion, according to the floor layout
    3. Maintaining 2-meter distancing
    4. Sit with their immediate families in designated places
    5. Refrain from physical contact (hugs/handshakes)
  3. Your temperature may be taken.
  4. Wearing non-medical masks is strongly recommended.

 

The maximum capacity of our sanctuary pews and overflow section is approximately 400 people.  30% of that is approximately 120 people.  That said, for the first week or two we will limit our attendance to 90 people per service.  Depending on the number of people who wish to attend, two services may be made available this weekend.  Later on I will be asking you if you will be attending and you will be asked to sign up in advance for one of the two services. 

What to expect?

Every effort will be made to ensure that the services:

  1. Will not exceed 60 minutes in length to ensure that washroom facilities are not needed as often and to allow time for cleaning between the services
  2. Will be as family-oriented as we can manage so that parents with young children can feel free to attend.
    1. Young parents, I want you and your children to feel welcome at the service.  Please bring books, quiet games, notepads and pencil crayons, or whatever you need to help your young children sit through the service.  I am rarely bothered by a child’s restlessness and I will expect the congregation as a whole to be patient, encouraging, and supportive of our young families.
  3. Will be recorded or filmed, so that those who are not able to attend can still participate in worship from home. 
    1. Note: We are still trying to figure out how we can do this effectively.  It is likely that the first service will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube as soon as we are technically able to do so. 
    2. You should anticipate the quality and format of the online services to be different from what you have come to expect on YouTube as we will be recording live in the sanctuary without the possibility of close-ups, second takes, fancy graphics, or other editing.
  4. All pew backs and arms will be sanitized in advance of each service along with all bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, and surfaces.
  5. All Bibles, hymnals, pens, information cards, etc., have been removed from the sanctuary temporarily.
  6. Paper bulletins will not be handed out.  Instead, announcements will be announced and/or projected on the screens.
  7. No offering plates or communion trays will be passed.
    1. Online giving options will continue indefinitely, and
    2. An offering station will be set up where you can drop offerings instead of passing a plate.
  8. Washroom facilities will be available but it is recommended that you use them sparingly or wait until you return home
  9. The café will remain closed
  10. The basement will remain closed
  11. A change table for infant and toddler diapers has been relocated to the ladies’ washroom.
  12. We will not staff a nursery or run children’s church until proper protocols have been set in place and can be observed

 

What do I need to know from you?

  1. Will you be attending on Sunday?  Please reply either way so that we can plan ahead.
  2. If you will be attending, would you prefer to come at 9:00 am or 11:00 am?
    1. Note: If there are fewer than 90 responses, we will likely run one service at 10:00 am
  3. How many people in your household will attend?
  4. In order to make it possible to meet, we will need ushers and cleaners to volunteer for each service.  Please let us know if you will help out as:
    1. An usher?
    2. A cleaner?

Thank you all for reading through this long email.  I am so looking forward to seeing you and worshipping God with you again in person.  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments that will help us as we seek to gather.  A follow up email will be sent soon.

 

Blessings,

Pastor Allan  

 

Earlier Posts: April 14, 2020

Hello Church Family

Yesterday, the Ontario Government decided to extend it's emergency measures for another 28 days.  This means our online meetings will continue at least until May 11th, 2020.  Our website has been updated today to help you connect faster to the various services and meetings.  We are making good use of YouTube, Zoom and Discord and remain available through email and phone calls.  Please let us know if there is more we can be doing to help you stay connected.

Thank you,

Pastor Allan

 

Earlier Posts: March 24, 2020

Hello Church family,

We are making every effort to stay connected in these unusual times and are please to offer the following connecting points for the whole church family.

Activities for everyone:

  1. Sermons:
    1. Last weekend, we tried to “host” a service at https://quintealliance.online.church.   This site was overwhelmed on Sunday morning, due to a massive influx of new users worldwide, which made it very difficult for people to connect.  A repeat broadcast at 6:30 pm worked very well.  We hope to try this again because it does offer live chatting and prayer so please make an effort to connect and let us know you are watching.
    2. A second, less interactive but more reliable option is this: Every weekend we will post a sermon on our Quinte Alliance Church YouTube channel.  You can find that at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCGk7eg0ln5Lu6ew_QLcOpg.  You may watch the sermon at your convenience anytime after it has been posted.
      1. And if you are having trouble finding the links to individual sermons we will be posting them on our QAC website here: https://quintealliancechurch.ca/online-service.php

 

  1. Church-wide Prayer:
    1. Every Tuesday evening from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm you are invited to join us online for prayer.  If you have a tablet or computer with a camera and/or microphone you can join in by clicking the following link https://zoom.us/j/655253593

 

  1. Let’s Talk
    1. Every Wednesday MORNING from 10:00 am – 11:00 am you are invited to join us online if you just want to talk together as a church family.  Do you have a verse to share? A short devotional? A piece of news? A prayer request? Just want to see a friendly face? If you have a tablet or computer with a camera and/or microphone you can join in by clicking the following link https://zoom.us/j/862759722
    2. Every Wednesday EVENING from 7 pm to 8 pm you are invited to join us online if you just want to talk together as a church family.  Do you have a verse to share? A short devotional? A piece of news? A prayer request? Just want to see a friendly face? If you have a tablet or computer with a camera and/or microphone you can join in by clicking the following link https://zoom.us/j/737054259

Ministries for Children:

  1. Story Time:
    1. Weekdays from 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm, children (and adults) are invited to listen in as Janet Langlois reads from the Chronicles of Narnia.  This is a great way for children to feel connected to each other and the church. https://zoom.us/j/536826744

Activities for Youth:

  1. Friday Night Hangout
    1. On Friday evenings from 7:00 pm ~ 8:30 pm, youth are invited to an online hangout.  To find the link please connect with Debb at poole.debb@gmail.com

 

How can you stay connected and informed?

We are doing our best to keep you updated through the following means:

  1. E-mail.  We will try not to inundate you with emails but from time to time we will send updates like this one.  If you have news, prayer requests, or questions:
    1. Pastor Allan can be reached at allan@quintealliancechurch.ca
    2. Karen Teasdale can be reached at office@quintealliancechurch.ca  
  2.  Facebook
    1. If you want up to date announcements, we are doing our best to keep you informed through our public Facebook page.  Here’s the link    https://www.facebook.com/Quinte-Alliance-Church-615408451949977/
    2. We also have a ‘private’ Facebook group for our church-family only.  You must ask for permission to join this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1378803812371117/
  3. Instagram
    1. We also have an Instagram account and can be found there at: https://www.instagram.com/quintealliancechurch/

How can you continue to give?

We certainly can’t “pass the plate” these days but you can still give to the church and to various parachurch ministries.

  1. In order to give to QAC
    1. Speak with Karen to arrange preauthorized withdrawal.
    2. You can also E-transfer your donations using the church’s email address office@quintealliancechurch.ca
  2. As far as helping out with benevolent needs, here are a few suggestions:
    1. The Salvation Army Soup Kitchen
    2. Grace Inn
    3. Gleaners’ Food Bank
    4. Toronto Alliance Church

Thanks for your time, everyone.  Be safe and God bless,

Pastor Allan

 

Earlier Posts: March 17, 2020

Dear QAC family,

Concerns over COVID-19 continue to escalate as more and more Canadians contract the virus.  Today, new measures have been recommended to further minimize public risk.  Specifically, our provincial health officials are recommending that all gathering of 50 or more people be cancelled and so, with your safety in mind and with a desire to be socially responsible, we have decided to cancel all of our weekly ministries and close our Sunday worship services to the public. 

We will continue to connect with you through our website at https://quintealliancechurch.ca/ and also through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Quinte-Alliance-Church-615408451949977/. 

We are also exploring new opportunities to serve one another, and are preparing to offer an opportunity to worship together online at https://quintealliance.online.church/.  Have a look and let us know what you think!

For now, Pastor Allan and Karen will continue to have office hours at the church during the week and will make every effort to be available via email and phone at other times.  Please plug in with us online and also, please do what you can to help one another and reach out to friends and family.

Hear these amazing words from Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.  So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.  Let the oceans roar and foam.  Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble!  God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world.  He causes wars to end throughout the earth.  He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.  “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.”

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Blessings,

Pastor Allan

 

PS. And have a happy St. Patricks’ Day too!

 

 

Older Posts: March 16, 2020

This afternoon we were advised that the best way for us to stay safe and help our medical officials help us is to "stay home".  This new recommendation has led to the decision to make significant changes to our ministry schedule.  These changes will ultimately include our Sunday worship services and so we are exploring ways that we can stay connected online even as our Sunday services are closed to the public.  More information on this will follow soon.

Thank you,

Pastor Allan    

 

 

Older Posts: March 13, 2020

Hello church family,

When the World Health Organization determined that the coronavirus (Cov19) outbreak has reached pandemic-status, many people were left concerned and confused about what to do and so I feel it is important to share with you the measures that we are taking at QAC to adhere to the recommendations of the public health department while at the same time refraining from creating unnecessary alarm.

Since cleanliness and hygiene are important keys to effectively reducing risk we are asking you to take the following common-sense steps:

1. Please make a practice of washing your hands often with soap and water using the directions that are posted in each bathroom.

2. If needed, please utilize the sanitizing hand rub stations that have been set up at each entrance.

3. Everyone should refrain from shaking hands and, instead, greet one another verbally.

4. Please practice good etiquette when sneezing and coughing. Cough into your sleeve and not your hands and ensuring that you throw your tissues in the garbage.

5. Please choose to stay home if you are feeling ill with low-grade fever or a mild cough.

As our region is still considered a 'low risk' area, we feel these common sense choices are sufficient to allow us to feel at ease when we gather for worship on Sunday.

We are also aware that public health may encourage additional measures soon. We are monitoring these updates and will announce changes as needed. Thank you for your understanding