Our Good Friday service is a family affair! Together, we will join hearts in worship, communion, and the Word, in honor of our Savior who conquered death by dying, proving that even in the darkest night, love never fails!

FAQs For In-Person Service

Please read the FAQs below and assess your own comfort and risk level in our worship services.

How many people can attend a church service?
Based upon Governor Lamont’s most recent executive order and West Haven regulations, we can have 150 people in the building.

Will we offer more than one service since attendance is limited to 150?
Yes, we will offer two service options at 9am and 11am.

Will those who are attending a public worship service be expected to practice social distancing?
Yes, we will practice social distancing in as many areas as possible. Attenders will be encouraged not to linger in the hallways. Our ushers will help you find seating that falls within our social distancing guidelines.

How will we practice social distancing with our current seating arrangement?
We will be practicing appropriate social distancing with those in front of you and behind you. Attenders who live in the same house can sit together. Please leave four empty seats to the left and/or right between households, and respectfully refrain from activities such as hugging, shaking hands, etc., so that we remain faithful to the 6’ social distancing guideline.

How will you monitor how many people are attending a public worship service?
Each person who chooses to attend a public worship service will be required to register in this page, and registrations will be limited. The registration link will be available each Thursday at 6pm. It will remain active until all services have reached their maximum number. Please arrive no later than 15 minutes after service time begins. We will reserve a few seats for people who walk up. If you do not have access to the internet to register, call 203-934-0880, and our office staff will help you register.

What can I expect when I arrive?
First, you can expect a warm smile and a happy heart! We are glad you are here. Second, you will be met by someone who will check your name on our registration information. Next, you will get a temperature check by a medical professional before entering the building. Your temp must be below 99.8. Then, once in the building, an usher will help you find a seat. All volunteers will be wearing masks.

Will my family and I be required to wear masks?
Masks will be required of all family members age 3 and over unless you have a medical condition and doctors note that prevents you from wearing a mask. Children 2 and under do not need to wear a mask. All of our volunteers will be wearing masks.

Will there be services for youth? Yes, service for youth grades 7-12, are offered at 11:00 am only, and temperatures will be checked for all those attending. Social distancing and masks will be used by students and adult volunteers, and hand sanitizer stations will be available. Restrooms and hard surfaces (tables, countertops, door handles, etc) will be sanitized prior to service, and the Chapel parking lot may be used for portions of the service. Youth should stay with a parent/guardian until they are released after worship to gather at the Chapel for Gateway Youth service.

Will there be services for kids? Yes, Gateway Kids in-person service is offered for children in kindergarten - 6th grade at 11:00am service only.  We will follow the same guidelines that ensure cleanliness and safety in all areas of our building including wearing face masks and social distancing. Of course we haven't forgotten our littlest Gateway Kids! Disposable worship kits are still available for those that stay with Mom and Dad during service, and video services will be posted online every week for those that worship remotely!

Will a nursery or family room be available if needed?
Yes, limited seating for those with very small children will be available upstairs in Room 209, and live stream will be available there. It will not be staffed by a Gateway Kids team member, so please bring your own toys and snacks. Remember, Gateway is a nut-free environment.

Will restrooms be available?
Yes, our main level restrooms will be available and will be limited to three occupants at a time. However, the water fountain will be disabled until restrictions are lifted.

What are you doing to sanitize the building?
We have installed hands-free soap dispensers and hands-free paper towel dispensers and hands-free sanitization stations. All hand rails, door handles, table surfaces, restrooms, light switches, and hard surfaces will be cleaned before, during, and after church service.

Will there be a designated area for entrance and exit of the building?
All who attend a public worship service will enter our building through the main atrium. When service is over, we will exit through two sets of doors into the pastor’s parking area behind our building. Those needing handicapped access will exit through the main atrium.

What else are you doing to support a clean and healthy environment?
After meeting with several science and medical professionals along with a certified HVAC technician, we will open all interior doors of the worship center and turn the HVAC fan “ON” so that air is kept flowing throughout the room.

Will there be live worship and teaching?
Yes, we will have live worship with one unmasked singer 12-15’ away from the front row of chairs. Musicians will be masked and will practice social distancing. The teaching minister will wear a mask until time to teach. During the sermon, the teaching minister will be 12-15’ from the front row of chairs.

Will there be an opportunity to give financially?
Yes, offering baskets will be available at the front of the stage for the duration of worship. Any time during our worship time, feel free to make your way to the front and as an act of worship, give a financial offering to the Lord.

Can I receive prayer for personal needs? Brief, individual prayer will be available after each service for those who request prayer.  Each team will maintain social distance from other teams and will wear masks and gloves while praying. Prayer with the laying on of hands will require consent from the person requesting prayer.

Will water baptisms still take place? Water baptism will be offered under the following conditions: Only the baptism candidate and the pastor performing the baptism will be in the baptistry. The changing rooms will be used only by those from the same household. Social distancing will be maintained by those attending the service. 

For those not ready to attend a public worship service, will you continue to offer an online church option?
Yes, we will continue to offer our services by live stream, and you may join us online at www.yourgateway.com/live-stream.

If you have additional concerns or questions, please call 203-934-0880 or email the office at office@yourgateway.com, and we will follow up with you. Thanks for your patient and understanding heart.

Legal Disclaimer: Risk Mitigation Disclosure

Gateway Christian Fellowship and its Board, Pastors and Leadership [Gateway] take seriously the responsibility to provide as safe an environment as possible for those who choose to worship at Gateway in the midst of the current COVID pandemic. At the same time, Gateway recognizes the value of gathering as a family for worship and welcomes all who choose to participate with us in worship. To that end, Gateway has taken every precaution to provide a safe and welcoming environment, given the constraints of the virus. Sources of guidance for the reopening of Gateway have included but are not limited to Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7 and its amendments up to Executive Order 7TT, as well as the most recent CDC guidelines for the cleaning and disinfection of public spaces.

In order to protect those who will attend our worship services for the near future, we respectfully ask that all persons who choose to enter the building for worship abide by the published guidelines for church attendance as found on this website.

Gateway has made every effort to abide by known and accepted COVID protection practices, but it cannot guarantee that there will not be some risk of exposure. Your attendance at Gateway’s worship events is undertaken with the understanding that you have read, understood, and will abide by the guidance provided on this website. Your cooperation is anticipated, and gratefully acknowledged.

Gateway Christian Fellowship