Messages and Updates from Tregear Presbyterian Community Church

Memories of Tregear – The First 50 Years

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from Christmas Day 2020 – Church numbers Limited to 45 in the Building

Sadly, singing is once again not allowed in the building. ZOOM Church access is continuing.

Sunday 13th December 2020 – Church Open for up to 75 People

We are pleased to open up for additional people from this Sunday. Singing is also permitted for adults inside the building when wearing masks. ZOOM church access is continuing to be available.

3rd August 2020 – A Link to NSW Health Compliance Measures for Places of Worship

As a community at Tregear we continue to gather and worship in ways that comply with directions from the NSW Government. The building is open for up to thirty five people on a Sunday. We are conducting our services as a ZOOM meeting which incorporates people in the building and people in their homes.

The NSW Government measures can be accessed on-line through this link.

Sunday 19th July 2020 – Introducing the Use of Face Masks in the Church Building

The Tregear Church leadership team has decided that people attending the church building for Sunday Community Worship will be asked to wear face masks. This is in line with advice that people who wear masks are less likely to pass COVID-19 onto other people. We believe that wearing face masks will reduce the risk for people in our church community, some of whom are in at-risk age groups but are unable to access our on-line ZOOM Community Worship. Masks will be provided for all people attending the building and people can also use a mask of their own.

Image: Church door notice explaining conditions of entry.

July 2020 – Increased Capacity – 35 People in the Building

NSW COVID-19 Regulations continue to apply to our church gatherings, limiting both our numbers and the face to face activities we can safely conduct. The following information is part of our Church COVID-19 Safety Plan.

The church building is open on Sunday mornings for a limited number of attendees. We encourage people to keep attending via ZOOM for the time-being. For information on joining our on-line meetings please contact us.

You can also access our Weekly Bible Talks and the Quizworx Home Delivery Kids Church resources on this website.

Maximum Thirty Five People

Under COVID-19 Health Regulations, the maximum number of people permitted in the space being used is 35.

We regret that we cannot permit entry for any additional people at this stage.

Keep A Safe Distance

Please maintain 1.5 metres social distancing at all times.

Wash and Sanitise Regularly

Please wash or sanitise your hands as you enter and exit and also at other times as appropriate.

Stay Away If You Are Sick

Please do not enter this building if you have any cold or flu symptoms. Get tested for COVID-19 and consult your doctor.

More information on our planning for COVID-19

The church Leadership Team and Committee of Management are following guidance and direction from the NSW Government and the Presbyterian Church of Australia in NSW. The reopening of the building and the activities we conduct are being carried out in line with our church COVID-19 Safety Plan. Please contact us if you would like more information about the directions and guidance we are following.

20th June – Limitations on Attending in Person

You can also access our Weekly Bible Talks and the Quizworx Home Delivery Kids Church resources on this website.

Maximum Twenty People In The Building

We are currently using the chapel area of the building. Under COVID-19 Health Regulations, the maximum safe capacity of the chapel area is twenty people. We regret that we cannot permit any additional people entry at this stage.

Please contact a member of the church Leadership Team before deciding to attend the building in person as we do not want to turn people away.

Keep A Safe Distance At All Times

Please maintain 1.5 metres social distancing at all times. This includes areas such as the church entry where people might congregate.

Stay Away If You Are Sick

Please do not attend in person if you have any cold or flu symptoms. Get tested for COVID-19 and consult your doctor.

There will be more information on expanding attendance in the weeks ahead. We look forward to seeing some of you in person and many more of you on-line as we continue to fellowship and worship together.

Prepared by Russell Baker, Elder

For the Session and Leadership Team

Tregear Presbyterian Community Church

20^th June 2020

4th April 2020 – A Message from Richard Keith.

Richard Keith is the Pastor at Corowa Presbyterian Church and is Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in NSW and the ACT.

27th March – Advice on responding to COVID-19 from the Presbyterian Church (PCA NSW)

Dear Tregear Church family,

We are receiving information and advice from The Presbyterian Church of Australia in NSW to help us in our response to COVID-19. The Leadership team want to share three letters of advice we have received this week.

We are striving at Tregear to work with this advice and with government directives. Our church is now closed for group gatherings and ministries involving groups of people have suspended meeting.

We are providing a ZOOM live stream on Sunday mornings so people can share in church via computer, tablet, smart phone or landline phone from 9:15am.

20th March – COVID-19 Update

The government has announced more COVID-19 restrictions on indoor gatherings. The limit is 1 person to every 4 square metres. This means we have to limit our numbers on Sunday and change our seating for social distancing.

We will use the plastic chairs and these will be cleaned before and after the service. The cloth chairs are difficult to clean and will not be used. We have been advised to avoid handing out any items such as bulletins and Bibles. People can, of course, bring a Bible of their own. There will be no morning tea provided.

We encourage you, if you can, to use the on-line options we are developing:

1. The Bible Talk will be available on the church website on Sunday afternoon in video, audio and written forms. https://tregearchurch.net/tregear-bible-talks/

2. The shortened service we are holding will be available as a live ZOOM meeting from 9:15am.

3. You can use the Tregear Church Favourites Spotify playlist at any time. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5JmV5Y6fwdEoJCOoYk5aQ1?si=u3z6mTSNQIW8wggCB-w8Fg

The situation is changing regularly and we will keep working to keep you updated. Just today we also received some very generous offers from ministries that are working to keep believers connected at this time. We look forward to sharing these with you in the coming days.

The Lord is King.

Russell Baker, elder,
on behalf of the Leadership Team at
Tregear Presbyterian Community Church

19th March – Responding to COVID-19

This week the government has announced a ban of indoor gatherings of 100 or more people. Our usual numbers at Tregear are less than 100 but the threat of COVID-19 still needs our attention. Many of you will have heard the decision of the Anglican Church in NSW and the ACT to cease all public worship activities.

Meeting together is important for all of us, yet meeting together also poses health risks at this time. This is particularly true for older people and those with health problems that place them at a higher risk from COVID-19.

At Tregear we want to encourage continued fellowship. We also want to ensure that people can isolate themselves without breaking fellowship with other believers. Many in our congregation may feel they should not be coming to church for the sake of their own health or the health of family members.

We want to help people participate in our church when health concerns keep us apart. For this coming weekend, in response to COVID-19, we are taking the following steps:

· The Annual Congregation Meeting, scheduled for this Sunday, will be postponed.

· Church will be open on Sunday morning from 9am. We expect to hold an abridged meeting involving time for prayer and a Bible Talk. There will be no morning tea and Kids’ Church (Sunday School) will not be run.

· We are trialling a ZOOM meeting link to allow people to connect live to our service on Sunday. ZOOM is a tool that lets lots of people meet at a distance using a computer, a smart phone or even a landline phone. Contact us for information on how to join our weekly ZOOM community worship.

· The Bible Talk will be recorded and videoed. On Sunday afternoon the Bible Talk will be available on the church website (www.tregearchurch.net) so you can see and hear the message remotely on a computer, tablet or smart phone.

· Singing together is a value part of our community worship. We have established a Spotify playlist, “Tregear Church Favourites”, so you can listen and sing along wherever you are. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5JmV5Y6fwdEoJCOoYk5aQ1?si=u3z6mTSNQIW8wggCB-w8Fg

· If you are not attending this Sunday and want to share announcements or raise matters for prayer, you can do this by e-mailing tregearchurch@gmail.com.

· We will use the Tregear Presbyterian Church Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/TregearPresbyterian/) to communicate with our community on what’s happening at church, including our steps in response to COVID-19.

· We have created a “blog” page on our church website to share news, updates and words of encouragement.

· We are e-mailing this message to everyone in our church directory (knowing that not all are on e-mail). If you can pass the information onto another person from church, please do so. Keeping in contact with each other will be very important as many people faced increased isolation.

While church will be open this Sunday, it may be wiser for many of us to avoid meeting together at this time. We hope these plans will help you in your decision about coming to church this Sunday.

We know that these steps will not work for some people and there is more to Christian fellowship and worship than Bible Talks and music playlists. We will keep seeking the best available advice and we hope to find more ways we can live as the body of Christ in these challenging times.

Other Activities and Ministries

The Tuesday Craft Group and English Language School will not be meeting until further notice. Youth Group have reviewed their activities and will be moving to connecting on-line.

For people involved in Bible Study Home Groups and Connect Groups, we ask that people do not keep meeting in small spaces such as houses. The Church Leadership Team is experimenting with using on-line conferencing tools and will give updates to home group leaders on this.

We encourage everyone to use social media and the good old telephone as ways of maintaining and developing fellowship and care. Let’s keep in touch with each other, supporting people in prayer and in practical ways, as we are able.

Jesus is still on the throne.

The love of God is greater than we dare to hope or dream.
The hold of God is greater than the grave that lost its sting.