UPDATED THURSDAY 24 MARCH 2022
- In England, restrictions have been removed. However, anyone showing symptoms of COVID should still self-isolate.
- As an organisation hosting events for the public we are still required to manage events in a COVID-secure way. Guidelines continue to apply for places of worship.
- Face coverings are no longer required to be worn.
- Communities can meet in homes, and we have issued advice to group leaders on how to meet safely.
For more details, including how we have approached assessing and managing risk during the pandemic, and on vaccination ethics, please visit our further information page, and read our blogs about developments in our response to the pandemic.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW GOVERNMENT ADVICE.
In more detail
Communities
Worship services
Weddings and funerals
Youth and children
Testing
Teams and office (workplace)
Questions or concerns?
Communities
Communities are vital for extended family, care and mutual support, as well as supporting neighbours and community initiatives.
Communities can now meet indoors and outdoors, without legal limits. We have issued advice to leaders of our Communities, including a simple risk assessment, consideration of ventilation and appropriate occupancy levels, and consulting group members.
Worship services
As an organisation hosting events for the public we continue to assess how to manage events in a COVID-secure way.
- Anyone showing symptoms of COVID should self-isolate and not attend onsite.
- We no longer expect face coverings to be worn, even when singing.
- Those on stage or who lead in close-proximity roles, are asked to regularly COVID-test, even if vaccinated.
- We maintain some social distancing measures. Seating is available for those who wish to sit slightly apart.
- Each room is well-ventilated.
These arrangements apply at The King's Centre, and we are taking a similar approach for worship services in hired venues, including Student Nights at Wig and Pen, and Lifehouse Community Church at Kingsmere and in Banbury. For more detail please visit our Sundays FAQs page.
Weddings and funerals
There are no government restrictions for weddings and funerals, other than those resulting from our own risk assessments.
Youth and children
Face coverings are no longer required.
For some activities (e.g. residentials) we ask or require that young people test before attending.
Testing
The government has withdrawn free asymptomatic testing for most people, so we are no longer asking employees and volunteers to self-test routinely.
Teams and office (workplace)
As a charity, workplace rules apply to Oxfordshire Community Churches (including Oxford Community Church, Lifehouse Community Church, Thrive Leys and Edge Housing). We require our staff, volunteers and teams to follow our Health and Safety procedures, which include COVID.
Leadership and team meetings (staff and volunteers) are meeting again in person, as well as online.
Questions or concerns?
If you are concerned, ill, or otherwise need support, please contact your Community leaders, your personal pastor, or the pastoral team on pastors@occ.org.uk.
If you have questions or wish to raise concerns about our COVID arrangements, please email the church office.