COVID-19

Microscopic image of COVID-19 viruses

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed several operations at Church of the Ascension. Our desire is to keep everyone — members of the church, clergy and other staff, visitors, and those seeking assistance from the church — as safe as we can from the coronavirus. You can click on any of the following links to learn more about each topic:

Worship Services

Programs and Ministries

Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals

Pastoral Care

 Office Hours

Messages from Bishops and Clergy

Finances

Worship Services

There are several options for worship at Ascension.

On Sundays:

  • Sunday worship services are being held both in person and online at 10 a.m. (Doors open at 9:45 a.m.)
  • Please note that as of December 2020, in-person worship services will be cut back to the first and third Sundays only during the pandemic. Worship will continue every Sunday online. Read the full notice here.
  • Attendance at in-person worship services is limited to 50 people. Register to attend starting each Tuesday at 9 a.m. at office@ascensionlondon.com or 519-451-7780.
  • Full details on what you need to know about COVID-19 safety when you attend this service in person can be found by clicking here.
  • Online, the service is live-streamed on Ascension’s Facebook group. After the service, it is also available on Ascension’s YouTube channel.
  • Video illustrating some of the protocols for the return to in-church worship:

  • Video by a member of Ascension’s Health & Wellness Team with tips on how to use a non-medical masks, especially helpful to those juggling masks and communion wafers.

On Wednesdays:

  • A short service of Morning Prayer is held on Zoom at 9 a.m.
  • This service is followed by a Bible Study of approximately an hour in length, depending on how the discussion goes
  • If you wish to participate, contact Pastor Jim Garey at prjim@yahoo.com to arrange for the Zoom invitation.

Daily:

Programs and Ministries

  • The Community Breakfast is served as takeout at the church door on the third Tuesday of every month, followed by delivery to agencies supporting homeless people. Takeout times are approximate, but usually go from 8 to 10 a.m.
  • A Bible Study is held on Zoom every Wednesday at 9 a.m., beginning with short service of Morning Prayer. If you wish to participate, contact Pastor Jim Garey at prjim@yahoo.com to arrange for the Zoom invitation.
  • Quilters have resumed. Contact the church office at 519-451-7780 or office@ascensionlondon.com to be put in contact with the organizers.
  • Renters and other outside users of the church have not resumed their programming. When they do, they will meet the church’s pandemic guidelines.

Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals

  • Baptisms, weddings and funerals are being held again. Please contact Rev. Canon June Hough at 226-448-8790 or junehough@rogers.com for information on how these will be conducted during the pandemic.

Pastoral Care

  • Pastoral care is still available from our clergy. Click here for contact information.
  • Physical distancing is required at all in-person pastoral visits. Face coverings are required.
  • Clergy will self-screen for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before visiting and will not visit if they have signs of illness.
  • In-person pastoral visits cannot be undertaken to people who are self-isolating or to those who are currently experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, but phone support is available.
  • Hugs and handshakes are not permitted.
  • If Anointing the Sick, the anointer will wash their hands before and after the anointing.
  • If Communion is part of the pastoral visit, it will be from Reserved Sacrament and bread only. Hands will be washed before and after Communion.

Office Hours

  • The Parish Administrator is working a mix of hours in the office and at home. Office visits are by appointment only. She can be contacted through the usual office channels listed on the Find Us page.

Messages from Bishops and Clergy

Finances

All the Above Communications in Reverse Chronological Order
Since the Start of the Lockdown on March 13,2020

  • Sept. 23: An update of financials from April to August, the pandemic months.
  • Sept. 6: Video illustrating some of the protocols contained in the Sept. 1 announcement on the return to in-church worship: