We are pleased to advise that LFC will be conducting worship both in the church, as well as live streaming the service online, at 10:00am every Sunday. However, in order to maintain COVID safety, a number of rules will need to be followed.

The number of people who will be able to attend worship in the church building will be restricted.

We will have a booking system, so [if you wish to attend, you will need to email Bruce Hill.](mailto: admin@livingfaithchurch.org.au)Your booking needs to be made by 5:00pm on the day prior to the service for every service that you wish to attend. Bookings cannot be made for more than one service at a time.

If you are unwell you must not attend.

We will have hand sanitiser available at the entry door. Please use the back entrance to the church, at the top of the hill, accessed via the gate from the carpark.

All visitors should scan the QR code displayed at the church by opening up their smartphone’s camera or QR reader app and focusing on the code. Your phone will display a link. Following the link will take you to a page explaining what to do next, which will include entering name and telephone number. You are encouraged to download the Service Victoria QR app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store prior to attending. An LFC member will be at the door to help those who may be unfamiliar with QR code technology. For those of you who don’t have phones with QR scanning capability, the LFC member at the door will use their phone to scan the QR code for you.

You will need to either bring your own communion elements to the church with you, or instead pray silently during the communion time.

Other than your communion elements, no other food or drink are allowed to be consumed on the premises until further notice.

You are requested to ensure social distancing is maintained at all times, before, during and after the service.

Masks must be worn at all times, except whilst partaking of communion. Soft congregational singing is allowed while masked.

When leaving the church, you may drop your offering into the bowl provided, but please do not touch the bowl.

People are encouraged to catch up in small groups after the service at various locations in the vicinity of the church.

It is important that these procedures be followed to ensure a COVID-safe environment for all.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at worship!

Dear Church Family,

In the midst of the health crisis confronting us we remember who we are; people committed to love others as Christ has loved us. It is in this spirit of love that the Church Council has decided to close our worship services until further notice.

Options to run smaller services (less than 100) were considered and dismissed at this stage because our over-riding concern is to keep all vulnerable people safe as we follow the Government strategy to reduce face to face contact and prevent the virus spreading.

With the same concern for everyone’s safety, most of our programs have closed for the foreseeable future including Friendship Centre, Playgroups, Men’s Café Group and others. Life Groups may continue to meet but with Government endorsed protocols in place; no sharing of food and drink and ensuring members stay 1.5m apart. Each group will make up its own mind about meeting.

It is important that we stay connected in the months ahead both with each other and with God. Nurturing our faith will help us to be loving and faithful in the face of the anxiety that is causing social harm. We seek to be among those who bring blessing to others and look out for those in need.

Therefore, we will provide a regular ‘breath of fresh air’ through:

- Emails, including through Getting Connected

- the website https://www.livingfaithchurch.org.au/ and

- the app (download Church Central for iPhone or iPad from the Apple app store only). Install the app and then search for Living Faith Church

- phone calls to those who with limited ability to socially connect by the Pastoral Care team

We will introduce daily prayers and readings to the website and app. I would also like to collect prayers and stories of kindness from you to share in these daily spots. I have already heard many encouraging stories. Email them in to me at [graeme.harrison@livingfaithchurch.org.au](mailto:Graeme.harrison@livingfaithchurch.org.au)

We will find interesting links on the internet to help you grow your faith.

We hope to have the ability to live-stream worship and will let you know how to access that. In the meantime, audio recording will be available on our website and app.

Remember that the prayer chain is always available. No-one need bear their burdens alone.

Feel free to call me on 0422 490323.

Finally, I invite you to commit with me to be people who will not merely survive this time but will seek to be Christlike.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us and the whole community,

Graeme Harrison

For 18 years, Living Faith Church has supported Don and Meg MacRaild develop the Vanuatu Prevention of Blindness Program (VPBP). Vanuatu is the poorest nation in the pacific, and the people just don't have access to the level of medical care and diagnosis that we do in Australia. VPBP helps in identifying and treating preventable and treatable blindness, and has been doing so since it's inception. Through our support of this project, among other trips and connections, our relationship with the Church in Vanuatu has grown deeper and deeper.

This year, we learned that the aid money that provided the wages for the eight trained workers employed by VPBP was cut completely by the Australian Government. Aussie Aid is now at its lowest since World War 2!

Because of this, a number of Australian churches, including ours, have been invited to provide a month’s income for all eight specialists. This is only $5,000 Australian dollars! LFC Church Council was delighted to provide one months’s support on behalf of it’s members. It is hoped that new glasses making machinery will make this health service self-sufficient within 6-8 months.

To date, another church has provided another month. We will keep you informed about developments.

You can find out more about the Vanuatu Prevention of Blindness Program here!