Guidelines for Church Building Use

The Leadership Council has approved this plan and guidelines for church building use.  We will adapt these guidelines based on additional guidance from the Center for Disease Control and information from state and local governments.  We realize that A LOT of adjustments are required by all of us to use the building safely.  We appreciate your prayerful patience as we work through this together.

We will open the building for church use once the Governor declares we are in Phase 2.  This is the timeline we plan to use:

• First Sunday back will be a “test run” for ushers and other key leaders so we can make sure we can provide a safe environment for worship.
• Second Sunday back we will hold attendance to a total of 50 people in the sanctuary. Individuals who are coming will need to sign up through the website or by contacting the church office.
• Third Sunday back we will hold attendance to a total of 50 people in the worship center. Individuals who are coming will need to sign up through the website or by contacting the church office.
• We will evaluate how the 2^nd and 3^rd Sundays went and then make adjustments based on the experience.
• We will continue to offer the live stream experience at 10:00 a.m. as we have been doing with only the leaders and audio/sound team in attendance.

What we have done and are working on:

• Removed Bibles, hymnals, offering envelopes and pew cushions from sanctuary pews.
• Installing additional hand sanitizer stations at entrances.
• Posting signage (English and Spanish) at the entrance that states that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19, or known exposure to a COVID-19 case in the prior 14 days, is permitted in the building.
• Organizing and educating volunteer base to manage, greet, and enforce guidelines. Being intentional about using volunteers NOT in high risks groups.  If you are willing to be an usher – please contact the church office.  We estimate we will need 10 per service and will set up a rotation.
• A thorough cleaning and disinfection must be conducted prior to and following any service.

What Sunday morning “in person” worship will look like:

People must sign up to attend so we can limit the crowd.  We will schedule people to come in so we are not congregating at the entrance. Family units who live together will sit together.   We will plan a 35-40 minute worship service (to limit the need for restrooms).  The only restrooms that will be available are the two restrooms in the worship center and the one unisex restroom behind the sanctuary (the one that was installed in 2018).  There will be no congregational singing, printed prayer list or bulletins.  There will be no childcare during the service.  We will not have small groups or Sunday School classes meeting at this time.  Other than the sanctuary and the worship center – the rest of the building will be blocked off.

Here is what is expected of participants coming to “in person” worship services:

• Must sign up by contacting the church office or through the website to attend.
• Must be seated at least six feet apart at all times and must practice physical distancing at all times.
• People will enter the building through the courtyard or the front of the sanctuary (stairwells and elevators will not be in use).
• Persons attending must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth at all times. We will have a limited number of mask available for those who do not have one.
• Do not attend if you have a temperature (we will monitor temperatures using no-touch thermometers) or symptoms of Covid-19 including:
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Or two of these symptoms:
    • Fever
    • Chills
    • Headache
    • Muscle Pain
    • Sore Throat
    • or known exposure to a COVID-19 case in the prior 14 days, when entering the building.
  • Vulnerable people should continue to stay home and watch the live stream. (Vulnerable people is defined by CDC as people 65 years and older; People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility; People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including: People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, People who have serious heart conditions, People who are immunocompromised -many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications, People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher),  People with diabetes, People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, People with liver disease )
  • Limit bathroom usage, only if necessary. Sanctuary – only use uni sex ADA bathroom behind the choir loft, worship center –access to both bathrooms.

Small Groups and other options

• If your small group or Sunday School class would like to meet in the church building, please contact the church office. These gatherings will have to be in the worship center or courtyard.
• We are working on outside options to gather people for worship, music, prayer and other opportunities. More information is coming.