Special Announcement about vaccine pass at Church
Scan, Mask, Vaccine Pass
For services and gatherings at St John’s in the City everyone will need to show a ‘My Vaccine Pass’.
This is part of the new covid protection framework which allows unlimited numbers at worship.
The St John’s Session have made the decision to require vaccine passes having consulted with the Presbyterian Church Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ), Presbytery Central and having held the congregational forum last week.
We all feel the tensions involved in trying to balance competing priorities at this unusual time, with an expectation that the virus is likely to spread through the country. Potentially excluding people from attending services is an uncomfortable place for us to be in as a congregation, but to allow worship services and other Church gatherings to continue, we have agreed this decision offers the best way forward during this transition period we are in as a country. This decision will be in place for this transition period, and we will continue to re-evaluate entry requirements based on the latest guidance and risk assessment.
We seek to minister to all people with the love of God in Jesus Christ. We act with pastoral care for each other – vaccinated and unvaccinated; those most vulnerable because of underlying health conditions; those self-isolating experiencing symptoms or awaiting test results.
What you need to do on Sundays – “scan, mask, vaccine pass”
You are responsible for presenting your own ‘My Vaccine Pass’ as you arrive at Church, and it must be sighted by those on duty. Children under the age of 12 years and 3 months, or those who have an exemption can be admitted without a ‘My Vaccine Pass’.
Please be patient and kind as you enter church on Sunday (perhaps choose to arrive early!) as we learn how to manage the new entry requirements.
As well as showing your ‘My Vaccine Pass’ please also follow the usual public health guidelines: stay home if you’re unwell, scan using the NZ Covid Tracer app (or record contact details manually), wear face coverings, give others outside of your ‘household bubble’ physical space.
Contact the St John’s Office if you need help to get your own ‘My Vaccine Pass’ or you would like to talk with someone about how the vaccine works.
If you are unvaccinated, we love you, and invite you to consider these options:
Join worship online via Zoom
Get vaccinated (people are available to talk to)
Reach out to us to discuss the options available to you to continue gathering in worship with others during this transition period. We are keen to hear from you. As part of ensuring we maintain the unity within the Body of Christ, we may explore options for in-person worship services for those people who are unvaccinated. We are in discussions with other churches in the Presbytery.
This is not a comfortable time, and we depend on everyone’s understanding, grace and cooperation. We all desire to remain connected and united as the Body of Christ, as we trust in God’s power to sustain us. (Ephesians 3:20-21)