Due to the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, please follow the guidelines below when attending worship or any other activity at the church.
If for any reason you are not willing or able to follow the guidelines listed below, we ask that you continue to worship at home and NOT come to the church. We ask that you respect the leadership of this church and its careful work, and to demonstrate love and respect for your neighbor as well by staying home if you cannot abide by the plan adopted for attending worship in the sanctuary. As the Body of Christ, we want to set the highest standards of love and care, not just comply with the minimum standards.
- Observe social distancing of six feet or more
- Sit in designated spaces only
- Wear a mask at all times
- Doors will be opened prior to the service/event to limit contact to surfaces
- No passing of the offering plate
- No shaking hands or other physical contact
- Hand sanitizer available upon entry
- Bulletins will not be printed but will be available here
- Phased exiting by pew from back to front
- Congregants will seat themselves
- Restrooms are only available in an emergency
- Children's church and nursery will not be provided
COVID SAFETY SCALE
If you (or someone in your household) score four (4) points or greater, you should consider avoiding large in-person gatherings, such as church until the advent of an effective vaccine. If you score less than four (4), it is reasonable to attend large in-person gatherings with appropriate precautions, including face masks and some degree of social distancing.
- 1 point for age 60 or older
- 1 point for African American ethnicity
- 1 point for Hispanic ethnicity
- 1 point for COPD or excessive smoking or vaping
- 1 point for hypertension/heart disease
- 1 point for active treatment for cancer/autoimmune disease
- 1 point for obesity (BMI greater than 30)
- 1 point for diabetes
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EACH POTENTIAL WORSHIP ATTENDEE TO ASK EACH SUNDAY
If you (or someone in your household) answer YES to ANY of the questions below, you should watch worship on the church website, Facebook, YouTube, television, or listen on radio on that particular Sunday to avoid potentially infecting other church members.
- Do you have chills and temperature (greater than 100 degrees)?
- Have you taken any fever-reducing medicine in the past 4-6 hours?
- Do you have a cough?
- Do you have a sore throat?
- Are you experiencing shortness of breath?
- Are you experiencing any acute digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, or vomiting?
- Are you experiencing a loss of taste or smell?
- Have you been in contact with someone with or under investigation for COVID in the past two (2) weeks?
Wear a mask
- Everyone 2 years and older should wear masks in public.
- Masks should be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially around people who don’t live with you.
- If someone in your household is infected, people in the household should take precautions including wearing masks to avoid spread to others.
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on your mask.
- Wear your mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
- Fit the mask snugly against the sides of your face, slipping the loops over your ears or tying the strings behind your head.
- If you have to continually adjust your mask, it doesn’t fit properly, and you might need to find a different mask type or brand.
- Make sure you can breathe easily.
Stay 6 feet away from others
- Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
- Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from other people.
- Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick
Get Vaccinated
- Authorized COVID-19 vaccines can help protect you from COVID-19.
- You should get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you.
- Once you are fully vaccinated, you may be able to start doing some things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
- Being in crowds like in restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters puts you at higher risk for COVID-19.
- Avoid indoor spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors as much as possible.
- If indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible.
Wash your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- It’s especially important to wash:
- Before eating or preparing food
- Before touching your face
- After using the restroom
- After leaving a public place
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After handling your mask
- After changing a diaper
- After caring for someone sick
- After touching animals or pets
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover coughs and sneezes
- If you are wearing a mask: You can cough or sneeze into your mask. Put on a new, clean mask as soon as possible and wash your hands.
- If you are not wearing a mask:
- Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
- Throw used tissues in the trash.
- Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Clean and disinfect
- Clean frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- If someone is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19, disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Use a household disinfectant product from EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19)external icon according to manufacturer’s labeled directions.
- If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Monitor your health daily
- Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
- Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
- Take your temperature if symptoms develop.
- Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
- Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.