Providing they have a Covid-safe plan, and excluding weddings and funerals, places of worship can now host up to 300 people, although Rev Phil Grebert from the Auburn Baptist Church said their limited floor space is more of an impediment to congregation numbers rising.
“We are trying to think outside the square,” he said.
He added that it was frustrating that singing and music were still restricted while 45,000 people at a football grand final were able to scream for their team “with far more energy than in a church”.
“There is a perception of inequality in the way some of the public health order restrictions are being eased across the community,” he said.
Also happy to see more of his congregation, Pastor Mike Doyle from St James Anglican Church said a lot of hard work went into their first service back but they also missed singing which is “such a very important part of who we are and how we respond to God in love and joy”.
“It’s worth pointing out that you can have more people playing pokies in a club or pub at the moment than you can in our church,” he said.
Welcoming the move to now only require a Covid-19 safety marshal if 20 people are inside gyms, Snap Fitness Auburn manager Tuo Wang said the change was “a big relief”.
“It’s slowly coming back but a lot of people are still struggling financially,” he said.
However Bodyfit Fitness Centre Auburn manager Stav Koumpridis says that while they are definitely doing more cleaning, the new rules won’t impact on them.
She said they were busier than ever, with the shutdown reminding people of the importance of health and fitness.
“We have been very lucky and fortunate,” she said.
Raise $60,000 to aid jobless
PASTOR Mike Doyle from St James Anglican Church says while they are a small congregation, they managed to raise about $60,000 to support those who haven’t been able to work from home during the pandemic, such as cleaners and tradespeople. “There are a lot of people in need,” he said. “While there were some protections to stop people from being evicted, but actually on the ground a lot of those evictions were happening. We had to do a lot of interventions and talk to real estate agents.”
