Answer to some queries about why we’re not using the QLD Check In App

Over the last couple of weeks, people have asked if we will be using the Queensland Government App for COVID management at Living Church.

The short answer is no because the Queensland Government App only manages contact tracing, offering no solution for managing the number of people in the venue.

The longer answer is Eventbrite does two things – it collects the information for Contact Tracing (which is what the Qld App does) & it also allows us to manage the number of people in the room (which the Qld App does not).  Pubs, Coffee Shops etc can say to people as they turn up and the venue has reached the maximum number of people – “try somewhere else”.  As a church. we don’t really have that option to say, “we’re full, try another church”. While we haven’t arrived at being full outside of Christmas & Easter – we do get relatively close, too close to stop and start Eventbrite as the numbers build up. In addition, we have turned people away in the past and it was very relationally expensive. We don’t want to go back there.

We did call a church in Canberra who has been using the ACT App (same functionality as Qld App) and asked about numbers management.  Their strategy has been “hoping for the best” with regards numbers management. 

Please pray for the Welcoming and Check-In Team – it is a job that is more difficult than it appears, made complicated by the general weariness with COVID and all it brings.

We often review our processes and procedures with regards welcoming, balancing the current COVID requirements, the aim to be a welcoming church, ease of use for both people checking in and the Welcoming Team and cost.  Please let me know if you would like some more information, have an idea or to chat this through by contacting either Tim Collard or myself through office@livingchurch.org.au

Thanks
Andrea Pryde