update 4

toronto enters red zone with additional restrictions - Nov. 14, 2020

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Ontario and in the City of Toronto, the Province has placed most of the GTHA in the red zone, which is the Province’s tiered framework for COVID-19 restrictions.  The City of Toronto is now in the red zone, with additional restrictions imposed by Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa. We are now required to limit our in person services to a maximum of 50 people.   

 

After careful review and discussion with the ESP Board, the following measures are effective immediately:

 

  •        We will continue to have one Sunday service at 10:00am, but with max attendance of 50 people
  •        Capacity for in person attendance will be allocated first to those directly involved in the service (Pastors, musicians, singers, sound &   camera crew and their families); these individuals are required to sign-in upon arriving at the church
  •        All others wishing to attend in person Sunday services must register through our website via the Eventbrite.ca link which is now active
  •        We kindly ask that you register for no more than two in person Sunday services a month
  •        Only the main front entrance to the building will be open
  •        Handshakes, hugs and all physical contact continues to be prohibited

 

We will continue to stream our Sunday services live on Facebook (ESP Worship Centre), on our website ( www.espworshipcentre.com) and Zoom (ID: 941 833 3787, passcode 7729, audio line 647-558-0588).  Tuesday prayer services will continue to be in person and via Zoom.

 

We want to reassure you that your safety and well-being continues to be of the utmost priority to us.  We will continue to undertake thorough cleaning of washrooms, high traffic areas and touchpoints as we diligently maintain our facility for in person services. 

 

If you are not feeling well or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, we kindly ask that you do not register to attend in person services and that you follow the procedures outlined by government and healthcare providers.  Further, for those who are most susceptible to COVID-19, including individuals with pre-existing medical conditions and the elderly, we advise that you remain at home and view our services online. 

 

For further information, please visit our website at www.espworshipcentre.com or contact our office if you need assistance registering for any in person service.

 

ESP Worship Centre

info@espworshipcentre.com

416-438-7453

UPDATE 3

ESP worship centre reopening - june 12, 2020

As the Ontario government continues to focus on reopening our Province, on June 8th, 2020,  the government announced that on June12th, “All places of worship in Ontario will also be permitted to open with physical distancing in place and attendance limited to no more than 30 per cent of the building capacity to ensure the safety of worshippers.”

 

After careful review and discussion with the ESP Board, we are pleased to announce that we will resume Sunday morning services in person as of June 14th, 2020.  We want to reassure you that your safety and well-being is of the utmost priority to us.  To facilitate the safe reopening of our facility, the following measures are effective immediately:

 

  •        There will only be one Sunday service at 10:00am
  •        Only the main front entrance to the building will be open
  •        All attendees will be required to sign-in to follow best practices
  •        Seating will be adjusted to accommodate social distancing; only families within the same household are permitted to sit together
  •        Offering collection procedures will be adjusted to accommodate social distancing
  •        Handshakes, hugs and all physical contact is prohibited
  •        Sunday School, Children’s Church, Discipleship Class and transportation services will not be available
  •        Once 30% of the building capacity is reached, additional attendees will not be permitted into the building
  •        Face masks and gloves will be made available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own masks and gloves if desired

 

We will continue to undertake thorough cleaning of washrooms, childcare facilities, high traffic areas and touchpoints.  We have also setup hand sanitizing stations throughout our facility.

 

If you are not feeling well or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, we kindly ask that you do not attend the services and that you follow the procedures outlined by government and healthcare providers.  Further, for those who are most susceptible to COVID-19, including individuals with pre-existing medical conditions and the elderly, we advise that you remain at home and view our services online.  We will continue to stream our services live on Facebook (ESP Worship Centre), on our website ( www.espworshipcentre.com) and Zoom (ID: 834 1828 5715).

 

For further information, please visit our website at www.espworshipcentre.com or contact our office:

 

ESP Worship Centre

416-438-7453 or info@espworshipcentre.com

UPDATE 2

ESP Worship Centre COVID-19 Response

EFFECTIVE MarCH 17 2020

Dear ESP Members and Friends,


As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, we continue to monitor the developments and recommendations carefully. This morning Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in Ontario. Among other things, the Province has banned public events of over 50 people, including parades, events and services within places of worship until March 31, 2020.


We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts being undertaken by governments abroad and in Ontario to implement measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. We intend to comply with the directives and as such, we are taking the following measures effective immediately until March 31, 2020: 

• Sunday in person services are cancelled. We will however live stream on our ESP Worship Centre Facebook page at 10:00am going forward. 

• Super Sunday scheduled for March 22nd is cancelled

• All ministry group services, meetings and activities are cancelled

• The Easter concert scheduled for April 10th is cancelled


We have received a number of enquires about online giving. This continues to be available through our website for one-time giving as well as recurring giving. Please click here to give. We have partnered with CanadaHelps to provide a safe and secure giving platform. 


As we navigate these uncertain times together, we encourage you to remain strong in your faith. Please ensure you follow the recommended best practices but let us remember that our trust and hope is in the Lord. We are not aware of any members or friends of ESP who have been affected with COVID-19. We will continue in prayer for our members, our City and all impacted by COVID-19. During this time, we encourage you to check in with each other and in particular with the elderly in the church and community. 


As we continually monitor the COVID-19 situation, we will provide further updates as necessary on this page.


Sincerely, 

Rev. Joseph Persaud, Senior Pastor

East Scarborough Church of God

UPDATE 1

ESP Worship Centre COVID-19 Response

EFFECTIVE March 14 2020

Dear ESP Members and Friends, 


In view of the recent developments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, please know that we are praying for you and your families at this time. We are also praying for the thousands of people around the world that have been affected by this virus and for the safety of the healthcare providers in our City and globally. 


As we continually assess the implications and recommendations regarding COVID-19, please be advised that we will continue to have service on Sunday, but only one service at 10:00am. At this time, our other Sunday ministry activities (Family Bible Hour & Discipleship Classes) are suspended until further notice. I want to reassure you that your health and wellness are a high priority for us, and we are undertaking enhanced measures to prepare our facility for service. Among other things, this includes thorough cleaning of washrooms, childcare facilities, high traffic areas and touchpoints. We will also be revising our offering collection procedures and have setup hand sanitizing stations throughout our facility.


If you are not feeling well or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, we kindly ask that you do not attend the services and that you follow the procedures outlined by government and healthcare providers. If you have travelled to high-risk areas or been in contact with anyone who has, we kindly ask that you do the same. For those in attendance at our services, we ask that you observe best practice in view of the situation and refrain from handshakes, hugs and other close contact. Elderly members are advised to exercise greater caution due to the higher susceptibility to the virus. As a reminder, our services can be viewed live on Facebook at our ESP Worship Centre page.


We stand firm on 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The measures we are taking are out of an abundance of caution and not of fear. We will be engaging in corporate prayer tomorrow for this global health situation and will continue our regular prayer services on Tuesdays.


As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we will provide further communication as required. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the church office if you have any questions or need further clarity.


Sincerely, 

Rev. Joseph Persaud, Senior Pastor

East Scarborough Church of God