Church Re-Opening Question and Answers
-What will we communicate with the elderly and other vulnerable populations about how they should participate in the service in order to stay particularly safe?
We will follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the State of Indiana guidelines to provide us with the best recommendations available regarding reopening. High risk individuals will be encouraged to continue to stay home and receive the service via online options.
-How will we communicate this in a way that doesn’t further isolate them?
We will provide them access to our online options (zoom, Facebook, newsletter)
-Do we have volunteers who may be able to make additional facemasks for the church’s use?
We will make facemask available for those who do not have them who attend service. In most cases, they will be disposable mask.
-Have anyone surveyed Anderson’s church community about their expectations upon returning to the worship service?
We have developed a committee made up of a cross section of our congregation to review our reopening plans and activities. Number of questions being reviewed is numerous. We are in no rush to reopen before we give consideration to the health and safety of our members.
-What will we do with ministry aspects of the church ministry other than worship services, such as Bible studies, small groups, service ministries, etc.?
We will continue to do ministry through virtual means. We will have to re-exam all that we do to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our congregation but also honor the requirement of safety to our members.
-How will we handle special events like weddings and funerals going further and how will we communicate those changes to the church family?
We will continue to follow the CDC and State recommendations regarding people gathering and review each situation as it occurs.
-Are there ways we can share the successes of the quarantine period in terms of our church’s mission and values so we can build upon them?
We will continue to share information as it becomes available. Testimonies are always good.
-Will we need any new staff positions or to reorganize staff responsibilities to manage new ministries developed during the quarantine period?
No. We should be able to manage with our existing staff and volunteers.
Worship Service
-Are we continuing digital ministry solutions for people who don’t feel comfortable attending in-person gatherings? How long?
Our goal is to implement streaming as an ongoing means of worships. We are currently upgrading our internet and equipment to provide us with the ability to do this.
-How will the church set up pews (seating) for worship service to maintain social-distancing guidelines (both concerning space between people and capacity issues)?
We have visited the sanctuary and mark it off so it will be easy to maintain the required spacing for seating. We will provide communications as it relates to our spacing requirement and face coverings prior to reopening and on our overhead screen which can be viewed by members as the enter the sanctuary.
-What will/can we do with coffee/snack stations or other spots that encourage gathering?
We will not provide coffee or snacks during service until it becomes safe to do so.
-Will we have any kind of meet and greet time during your service? How will we do this without handshakes/hugs?
No. We will honor social distancing and remove this from our service until it is safe to do so.
-Will we have greeters and how will we train the greeters to engage guests without handshakes and maintaining other social-distancing measures?
We will continue to greet our congregation in a cordial but safe manner. Members engaged in this activity will be trained how to properly do this safely before we reopen.
-Are there any new hospitality practices the church needs to adopt to make people feel welcome while maintaining social-distancing guidelines?
We will continue to keep the congregation informed on how we will operate during this “new normal” period.
-Will we open public bathrooms?
Yes. Our facilities will be cleaned and sanitized after each service. We will try to keep services short to reduced the time members are away from their homes.
-Do we have access to large enough quantities of hand sanitizer that you can make it available for your worship gatherings?
Yes. We will have enough hand sanitizer available for use when we re-open.
-Do we have access to facemasks that we can provide for guests that do not have them?
Yes. Disposable mask will be available.
-If the state Indians requires us to keep our attendance (or capacity percentage at a certain level), how we count people? What will we do if we begin to reach that capacity?
We count our attendee each Sunday and we will continue to do this. We will maintain access at a level that is approved by the State of Indiana and CDC recommendations.
-Will we need to host more services in order to minister to an equivalent number of people during Sunday service? How will we ensure people attend those services at relatively equal levels? Will we have some kind of sign-up process for services?
We will accommodate the need of our congregation. Based on our attendance prior to the Covid-19 virus, we were able to accommodate everyone who attended service with room for growth. If it is determined that we need additional services because we cannot meet the needs of the people with one service, we will develop a plan to accommodate it.
-How will we staff additional services with volunteers if we need to go this route.
We will review this if the need arises.
-Will we need to shorten the services in general?
Services will be shorter as a result of some thing we previously did will not be done for now. Things like greeting and shaking of hands.
-Will we encourage people to come to the altar and or talk with the pastor, how we handle that situation in a manner consistent with social-distancing recommendations?
Alter calls and discussions with the pastor will be done with social distancing in mind.
-How will we handle Communion/the Lord’s Supper in a way that is consistent healthy practices? Can we provide single-serve elements so trays do not need to be handled?
A plan is being developed to do the Lord’s Supper in a safe manner. Member may be providing the elements in pre-packed containers and do the Lord’s Supper from their home during special services set up via zoom or online conference call for this purpose.
-How will we handle baptisms and other “high-touch” church practices?
Each request will be review and we will determine if we can conduct the practice in a safe manner.
-How will the worship team handle social distancing?
Pastor will establish a protocol for service support that will be incorporate safety.
-Will we encourage corporate singing?
On a very limited basis.
-Who will be responsible (either between services or on a weekly basis) for cleaning instruments and other devices used for worship? Is the church’s mobile app set up to provide many of the necessary resources that you might typically hand out through paper (connection card, bulletins, etc.) so you can limit COVID-19 spread during your gathering? (Online bulletin)
Our church cleaning staff will handle the cleaning news of the church. Distribution of materials (handouts) will be limited. We will use our overhead for the projection of scripture, news etc. Members are encouraged to bring their own bibles or use electronic bibles on their phones
-Do we still provided “pew Bibles” to guests, can we provide a Bible on mobile app to cut them out or encourage everyone to bring their own.
Hymnal and bibles will not be provided for now. Members are encouraged to bring their own.
