Essential good practice guidelines

This area provides the latest information and advice for churches.

On 19 July, the UK Government confirmed the move to step 4 of their Covid-19 recovery roadmap. This removes the vast majority of the previous legal requirements. Nevertheless, as infections continue to rise, the Government recommends continuing caution. Good ventilation, diligence in hygiene, wearing a face covering in enclosed and crowded spaces, and minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts with those we do not live with, are all noted as beneficial behaviours.

In the light of this, we recommend that it is both sensible and appropriate for churches to continue to take some measures to limit the spread of Covid-19. Churches have a responsibility to protect their staff, congregations, communities, and other users of their buildings. However, it is now down to each church to determine for itself what these measures should be.
 
Our main guidance documents have been updated with suggestions of questions that churches should now consider and recommendations of best practice. We will then continue to monitor and review going forward for both England and Wales.
 
The Coronavirus section of our website will be maintained to help churches practically and spiritually during these changing times. We are acutely aware that the process for making decisions going forward has the potential to be divisive. In some respects it was easier when rules were more restrictive but at least definite. How we make decisions may prove to be as important to churches as the decisions themselves. We appeal to everyone involved to be kind to each other, to listen well, to appreciate the pressure leaders are under, and to compromise accordingly. This is a very vulnerable time for churches and we ask you to recall the exhortation in Ephesians 4 to 'be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace'.

There is a range of resources below to help churches practically and spiritually during these uncertain times.

Coronavirus - essential advice for churches (updated 22 July 2021) Links to all our guidance information More ... Coronavirus: Guidance on re-opening Baptist church buildings (updated 22 July 2021) Amendments to incorporate the move to Step 4 in England from 19 July 2021 and move to Alert Level 1 in Wales from 17 July 2021 More ... Coronavirus: Guidance on church worship (updated 22 July 2021) Document re-written to reflect removal of legal requirement in England from 19 July and the completion of the move to Alert level 1 in Wales from 17 July More ... Coronavirus advice: Children’s, youth and families ministry (updated 22 July 2021) The latest guidance for churches More ... Advice for ministers – pastoral visiting (updated 22 July 2021) The latest guidance for ministers More ... Guideline Leaflet L18: Covid-19 Coronavirus Legal Issues (updated 19 July 2021) Guidance from our Legal Team on various legal and regulatory issues More ... Risk Assessment Template prior to re-opening church buildings (updated 15 July 2021) Your key legal requirement prior to re-opening is to carry out a risk assessment More ... Coronavirus: sample posters (10 July 2020) Posters to download and print out to use around your church building, to help keep people safe More ... Sample Posters for Baptist Churches (9 September 2020) Posters to download and print out to use around your church building, to help keep people safe More ... Furlough grant levels change from beginning of July (28 June 2021) A reminder that the employer contributions are changing for July, August and September More ... Coronavirus – safeguarding considerations for Baptist churches (updated 15 April 2021) The safeguarding considerations for churches as we start to see restrictions being relaxed More ... Guideline Leaflet L08: Employment - updated 1 April 2021 All churches that employ staff (other than a Minister) need to read this leaflet More ... Safeguarding: Volunteer Support Services (updated 5 March 2021) Two updated guidance notes for churches offering volunteer support services to their local communities More ... Coronavirus: closing church buildings (5 January 2021) Advising churches to close when we are (in England) legally permitted to worship is a strong, even controversial, line for the Specialist Teams to take. More ... Update for churches as employers - 4 December 2020 New furlough scheme rules and removal of retention bonus More ... Finance letter to churches (18 May 2020) We are all aware that we are in extremely unusual times and there is much uncertainty about the future. The closing of our church buildings has had a major impact on our life together and presented challenges to how we operate as a church. More ... Advice on pre-schools (15 May 2020) Actions for educational and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020 More ... Guidance for Independent Examination (14 May 2020) The Charity Commission has published guidance on the independent examination of charity accounts during the pandemic More ... Advice for churches regarding the use of buildings (12 May 2020) The Government has published guidance and a FAQs document to provide information on the Government’s roadmap for how and when the UK will adjust its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More ... Covid -19 testing for ministers and other church workers (4 May 2020) Ministers and other church workers who are showing symptoms can now be tested for Covid-19 More ... Pre-schools and Nurseries - 21 April 2020 A message from our Treasurer John Levick, for churches which run their own, or let their premises for, pre-school and nursery provision More ... Counselling Support (updated 11 May 2020) Information for churches, ministers and their families about counselling which is available to them More ... Empty buildings checklist (7 April 2020) Information for churches which have their own building More ... Update on DBS ID checks (reviewed 5 March 2021) New alternatives to face-to-face document checking More ... Coronavirus - advice from Anthony Collins solicitors (updated 26 May 2020) A briefing at this challenging time for churches who will be supporting members of their church and its community More ... Guidance for foodbanks (24 March 2020) We are aware that a number of our churches host foodbanks or other services for vulnerable people. More ... Coronavirus – Using social media with young people (reviewed 5 March 2021) The National Safeguarding Team have produced a new safeguarding guideline 'Using social media to engage and communicate with young people within the church'. More ... Coronavirus – financial response - delaying payments to HMRC (20 March 2020) We have received information from our auditor at the Baptist Union regarding the potential to delay payments to HMRC to alleviate cashflow problems from the current unprecedented situations. More ... Coronavirus – further financial response - lettings (March 2020) Following my letters last week giving some guidance on how to deal with you finances now we are not meeting in our church buildings it has become clear that we need to update our guidance particularly around Pre-Schools. More ... Coronavirus – financial response for churches (18 March 2020) The following is a letter sent to all Baptists Together Churches by Baptist Union Treasurer John Levick More ...