I was asked by the pastoral staff about how they might open the church up again when thing relaxed a bit in our area.
My initial response was “I have no idea how to do it”, and a related the extreme measures our medical office is currently using to insure safety of both the staff and our patients.
Today I sent some thoughts that may be helpful.
Please consider adding your thoughts and other measures you might take.
So I’ve been thinking about what a soft opening of the church might look like.
1. Send out a screening questionnaire: have you had certain symptoms (cough, fever, headache, diarrhea,etc.)
Have you been exposed to anyone in the last month with these symptoms?
Has anyone in your family had these symptoms or tested positive for the virus?
Have you been in contact with anyone that has tested positive?
Have you tested positive?
Anyone uncertain about exposure should exclude themselves from attending.
2. High risk individuals: older, those with heart disease, diabetics, should exclude themselves.
3. Everyone should (properly) wear a mask ( covering mouth and nose) and medical gloves should be passed out to those attending.
4. Summer is a great time for outdoor services. Minimize attendance. Social distance families.
Kids need to be old enough not to run around socializing.
5. Strongly encourage those with weak bladders to stay at home. Have a gloved, gowned and masked individual clean and spray each open bathroom after use.
Rob
How to Open the Church
Discussion in 'Pastoral Ministries' started by Deacon, May 13, 2020.
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I would use the keys
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tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Rob -
tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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One church in our area has obtained usage of a large parking lot (the outlet center is essentially closed) and so the attenders park in their cars facing a makeshift stage with powerful speaks aimed back at the cars. As the OP requested, its a start!
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I've seen some opening just for service (no adult studies, etc.).
I think it should be the other way around if people are cautious. Have a video sermon and gather in small groups. -
InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
No, I would not give out a health questionnaire to qualify whether someone is worthy to come to church. I would state that anyone with symptoms should stay home or anyone that had contact with someone with symptoms in the past 14 days should stay at home.
Here's what I would do:
1. Send a letter, email, text, or post an announcement on the church website and state that regular church services will be starting on May 31.
2. At first, attendance will be limited to 25% of church capacity.
3. Church members will be asked to submit their names and number of people that will be attending for the church service. Seating will be determined by the church staff by arranging seating in groups of two, three, four, or more seats spaced a safe distance apart. Seats can be assigned or else worshipers can find their own seating groups via the number of people attending. Other chairs or pews will be closed off so no one can sit there. Seats next to the aisle should be blocked off and/or unusable so no one has to squeeze past another person to get to their seats.
4. If more than 25% of the church members indicate they will be attending, there would be a drawing to determine who would be able to attend OR the church could have more than one service per Sunday. Those not selected in the drawing would be "rolled over" and be first in line for next week's service(s).
5. Masks could be provided or it could be suggested that attendees wear them, but they would be optional.
Obviously there would be no choir, Lord's Supper, or socializing after the service (at least indoors, I suppose people could visit outside and maintain safe distancing.) Hymnbooks would need to be removed.
I'm sure there are other safeguards that could be taken. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
People know what to do they do not need to be handled like they are infants.
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
How about going to the local Walmart and holding church services? :)
They don't have any restrictions on crowd size. -
But I love your ideal!:Roflmao :Geek :Inlove -
How did churches handle worship service attendance during the other pandemics in the past 2,000 years?
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just-want-peace Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I say return to normal, & if YOU (whoever YOU is) aren't comfortable with this, STAY HOME!!
It is becoming obvious, to me anyway, that this calamity is not too far from the "CRISIS" that R. Emanuel told his party to "--not waste!"
This is being structured to be a trial lawyer's dream if the Ds win control in NOV.
At this point I must tell a joke from several elections back:
John was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young egg-layers (hens), called 'pullets,' and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs.
He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.
This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters.
Each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing.
Now, he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.
John's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all!
When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, could run for cover.
To John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring.
He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.
John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Renfrew County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.
The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the No Bell Piece Prize but they also awarded him the Pulletsurprise as well.
Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most highly coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention.
Vote carefully this year, the bells are not always audible. -
Originally posted by
Martin Luther, Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague (1527) [link]