COVID-19 Adjustments we need to make

Greeters

·        Doors should be propped open instead of opened by greeters.

·        Greeters should direct entrants to bulletin, but not hand bulletins to them.

·        Greeters essentially should do what Wal-Mart greeters do: give entrants a smile, wave, and greeting, but not come in close contact with entrants.

·        In conjunction with the Sheep Dogs, greeters must make sure social distancing is being maintained in the foyer, hallways, and sanctuary entrance.

Sunday School

·        TBD depending on gathering restrictions

·        Classes will likely need to be combined, with teachers rotating week to week.

·        Instead of meeting in classrooms, classes will meet in our larger gathering spaces (Wall Hall, Davis Hall, sanctuary, and outdoors.)

Sunday morning worship

·        Social distancing must be observed by both the congregation and those onstage. Potentially have pews blocked in such a way that social distancing is enforced.

·        Depending on what limits are in place for gatherings (50 people or less? 100 or less?), we may need to add services, assign people to specific services, and/or ask those who are willing to continue watching the livestream instead of attending in person.

Meeting spaces

·        Classrooms are going to be virtually useless to us for the foreseeable future because of how few people you put in those rooms while maintaining social distancing.

·        For the foreseeable future, our most valuable real estate is the sanctuary, David Hall, Wall Hall, the parking lot, and the outdoor fields.

·        Committee meetings, Bible studies, etc. will need to be held in spaces big enough to accommodate social distancing measures.

Wednesday Night Meal

·        Options:

o   Cancel for summer

o   Continue, but all nights are Fast Food Night.

o   Continue with allowances for social distancing.

Summer activities

·        MDO’s summer session is cancelled.

·        SMAK will be cancelled.

·        Youth camp and preteen camp will presumably be cancelled. If so, we need to figure out some kind of replacement activity we can do for our kids and students.

·        VBS will be reconfigured—instead of one week for all ages of children, various age groups will get “their own” VBS. I.e. one week we’ll have VBS for 1^st-2^nd graders, the next weeks we’ll have VBS for 3^rd-4^th graders, etc.

Increased focus on hygiene/sanitation

·        Cleaning “touch points” (door handles) will be added to the weekly cleaning list.

·        Hand sanitizer needs to be widely accessible and visible.

·        Make masks available? If not, encourage people to bring theirs from home and wear them.

Sheep Dogs (i.e. security team)

·        Added duty should be crowd control, i.e. making sure social distancing is maintained, especially in normally high-traffic areas like the foyer.

Giving

·        We need to continue to encourage online giving and/or mailing their tithe.

·        Passing the plate will be eliminated and replaced by a collection basket/box in the back of the sanctuary.

Music Ministry

·        We won’t be able to have a full choir onstage until further notice.

·        The praise team will need to be pared down so that social distancing is possible onstage.

·        Handbells will either need to be eliminated or make social distancing accommodations.

Children’s Ministry

·        The nursery and preschool ministry will be suspended until further notice.

·        All children’s activities will need to be in line with social distancing guidelines.

Youth Ministry

·        All youth activities will need to be in line with social distancing guidelines.

·        The plan is still to call a new youth minister when the church can gather together and vote to do so (bylaws specifically forbid online voting). Michael C. and I have remained in contact with him the last 6 weeks.