ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: June 15th, 2022

As of June 14, 2022, public health orders related to COVID-19 have been lifted by the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton.

Since the first days of the pandemic, our church has been committed to strictly following all municipal and provincial restrictions as they have been implemented. We have also eased policies in step with government timelines, with efforts made by all to be mindful of the varying comfort levels and concerns of our brothers and sisters.

Although isolation is no longer required when ill, it is still recommended if you test positive or have symptoms not related to a pre-existing illness or health condition.

If you are feeling ill, please stay home from church activities (the livestream will remain in place for those who cannot attend Sunday worship gatherings).

We trust that all who gather at Zion will be considerate and accommodating of others, especially of anyone who prefers to continue to maintain physical distance and/or wear a mask.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the church office (office@zbcc.ca)

ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: March 9th, 2022

As communicated in the February 16th update, ZBCC has remained committed to strictly following all municipal and provincial restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been easing policies in step with government timelines.

Yesterday, the City of Edmonton repealed their mask bylaw which removed the last government restriction that impacted our ministry gatherings as a church.

Although the repeal of the municipal mask bylaw means that all practical restrictions have been suspended, we continue to be mindful of the varying comfort levels and concerns of our brothers and sisters. We trust that all who gather at Zion will be considerate and accommodating of all, especially of anyone who prefers to maintain distance and/or wear a mask.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the church office (office@zbcc.ca)

ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: February 16th, 2022

Updated March 3rd

The Ministry Council (MC) has met and determined how we will look to move forward as a church through this next series of loosening the restrictions by our provincial and municipal governments. COVID remains a fluid situation, and we understand that what follows is subject to amendment as the virus and restrictions change.

We will adhere to active provincial/municipal restrictions as they change, but generally will not implement additional restrictions.

***The City of Edmonton's mask bylaw continues to remain in place and requires all individuals 2 years of age and older to wear a face-covering inside the church building and at indoor ministry events.***

Speaking of the church as a whole, our general posture as we come out of restrictions will be to keep pace with current provincial/municipal restrictions. The MC will not look to add COVID-related restrictions beyond what is required. There are some immediate ramifications of this decision:

- Physical distancing will no longer be required in our gatherings.
- Indoor/In-home ministry gatherings may resume. (Updated March 3rd)
- Meals can resume at the church (extra precautions may be taken to serve safely).
- When the city mask mandate lifts, we would no longer require people to wear masks.

We will support individual ministries' decisions to add restrictions they think are necessary for their area of ministry.

What is described above is the MC's commitment to not putting restrictions in place which the whole church would have to adhere to.

We will maintain a spirit of unity, mutual appreciation, and understanding together.

Zion Baptist Community Church is a place for anyone who is interested in following Jesus, whether you prefer to continue to maintain distance, continue to mask after the bylaw is lifted, or maintain/choose to keep pace with the easing of restrictions.

We will continue to update this page as restrictions and what we do as a church changes. Thank you for your continued endurance and charity through this process.

ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: February 10th, 2022

Changes are being implemented by the Government of Alberta to provincial COVID-19 restrictions, and we await further direction on possible restrictions for the City of Edmonton.

All current policies and practices will remain in place for Sunday, February 13, 2022, including masking and distancing requirements.

Information about any changes to our policies will be shared via our website, once we know more about the city's intentions.

ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: September 23rd, 2021

After prayer and discussion, the Ministry Council elected to open the door for in-person ministries to resume at the church as long as they are in adherence to the restrictions put in place by the government:

Capacity limited to 1/3 fire code occupancy.
Masks are mandatory.
2 metres physical distancing between households, or 2 close contacts for those living alone.

However, the Ministry Council also wants to ensure that we continue our practice of balancing prudent caution and not succumbing to fear. Therefore, the following actions/guidelines have been put in place:

We will continue to suspend in-home ministries/meetings, opting to meet at the church instead.
Though individually packaged/carefully prepared snacks will be allowed at various ministries, full meals will not be allowed indoors.
The Toddler Room (ages 1-) and Jr. Zioners (Sunday school for PreK to Grade 2) will resume September 26th as planned with additional guidelines and measures to ensure the safety of the children and volunteers.
9:30 Sunday Morning age-targeted ministries will begin resuming October 10th, starting with Zion Kids (PreK to Grade 6). Additional information will be announced in the weeks to come.

COVID continues to be an ever-changing circumstance, so we hold all of these plans loosely. We also thank the congregation for their continued understanding and perseverance through these uncertain times. Let's continue to seek God together, being charitable to our different positions and situations.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the church office, or talk with your ministry leaders.

ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: September 16th, 2021

Yesterday evening, our provincial government released updated health measures to combat the COVID-19 numbers which are rising dramatically once again. With regards to places of worship (i.e. our church), the following restrictions are effective today:

Capacity limited to 1/3 fire code occupancy.
Masks are mandatory.
2 metres physical distancing between households, or 2 close contacts for those living alone.

The Ministry Council met last night and was able to discuss our options in light of what has been announced. In compliance with the provincial orders, the following actions will be taken for this coming Sunday, September 19:

We will monitor the number of people who enter the sanctuary and cap attendance at 1/3 fire code capacity OR when distancing between households is no longer possible. Distanced overflow seating will be set up in the large fellowship hall downstairs, where the service will be simulcast on the large screen if needed.
The planned "Gathering Together Again" time at 9:30, as well as the Toddler Room and "Jr Zioners" ministries during the 10:45 service are paused for this week. We will continue to provide the activity bags to help kids engage in the worship service.
Masks remain mandatory.
2 metres physical distancing between households, or 2 close contacts for those living alone.

We are committed to finding creative ways to continue active ministry to kids within the bounds of the present restrictions in the weeks ahead.

We hope that the province provides additional details in the near future, which will help us to determine our course for September 26 and beyond, as well as other planned ministry events.

I know that, while we might welcome increased measures to fight rising COVID numbers, this news is nonetheless disappointing and very frustrating. We felt like we were finally gaining a bit of momentum with some of our ministries, and now feel like we've taken two (or more) steps back again.

But we trust that God was not surprised by these announcements, and that He remains sovereign over all things. Therefore we can lean into the passage I shared with you in this email just last week:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

Pastor Nick

ZBCC COVID-19 UPDATE: September 2nd, 2021

The City of Edmonton has reactivated it's masking bylaw for all publicly accessible indoor places. As our church is a place for all, we gladly choose to strictly adhere to this requirement in our building and for our worship gatherings. Thank you for continuing to wear a mask when you come church!

Masks aren't fun to wear, but I want to encourage all of us to see this as a way to be both physically present with the rest of the body, while demonstrating sacrificial love for the sake of other parts of the body.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or the church office.