How to Open the Church

[Deacon]

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

 

[Salty]

I would use the keys

 

[tyndale1946]

I would use the keys

Open air preaching sounds good to me... We can sing Shall We Gather On The Lawn... Brother Glen

 

[Deacon]

Open air preaching sounds good to me... We can sing Shall We Gather On The Lawn... Brother Glen

We have a outdoor baptismal surrounded by a natural amphitheater on the church grounds. Behind the baptismal is a stream; “river” would do quite well.

Rob

 

[tyndale1946]

We have a outdoor baptismal surrounded by a natural amphitheater on the church grounds. Behind the baptismal is a stream; “river” would do quite well.

Rob

I was just thinking is there a state law or city ordinance about having outdoor worship?... Neighbors might complain... Of course I can't get the police to come out when they are blasting their deafening music after midnight... Brother Glen

 

[Van]

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!

 

[JonC]

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]

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.​

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.
​

2. High risk individuals: older, those with heart disease, diabetics, should exclude themselves.

Yes.
​

3. Everyone should (properly) wear a mask ( covering mouth and nose) and medical gloves should be passed out to those attending.​

Nope. Wearing masks could be provided but the wearing of them should be optional.

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.​

Yes, if it's possible to do it outside this might work. I would space seating six feet apart in groups of two, four, or six chairs per grouping.

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.​

No, I would not have a sterilization attendant in the bathrooms. Yes, I would encourage those who could not make it through a service without using the rest rooms to 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]

People know what to do they do not need to be handled like they are infants.

 

[Reynolds]

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

I know about 20 people who have or have had Covid 19. None had symptoms. They were tested because of contact tracing. I dont see a health screening questionaire as helpful. I personally would tell anyone who sent me one to go jump in a lake.

 

[InTheLight]

How about going to the local Walmart and holding church services?

They don't have any restrictions on crowd size.

 

[Salty]

How about going to the local Walmart and holding church services?

They don't have any restrictions on crowd size.

HEre in NY they are talking about 50% capiticity for stores and churches.

But I love your ideal!

 

[KenH]

How did churches handle worship service attendance during the other pandemics in the past 2,000 years?

 

[just-want-peace]

People know what to do they do not need to be handled like they are infants.

AMEN, AMEN, & AMEN!!!

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.

 

[Deacon]

How did churches handle worship service attendance during the other pandemics in the past 2,000 years?

“Those who are engaged in a spiritual ministry such as preachers and pastors must likewise remain steadfast before the peril of death. We have a plain command from Christ, “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep but the hireling sees the wolf coming and flees” [John 10:11]. For when people are dying, they most need a spiritual ministry which strengthens and comforts their consciences by word and sacrament and in faith overcomes death. However, where enough preachers are available in one locality and they agree to encourage the other clergy to leave in order not to expose themselves needlessly to danger, I do not consider such conduct sinful because spiritual services are provided for and because they would have been ready and willing to stay if it had been necessary. We read that St. Athanasius fled from his church that his life might be spared because many others were there to administer his office. Similarly, the brethren in Damascus lowered Paul in a basket over the wall to make it possible for him to escape, Acts 9 [:25]. And also in Acts 19 [:30] Paul allowed himself to be kept from risking danger in the marketplace because it was not essential for him to do so.”

Originally posted by
Martin Luther, Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague (1527) [link]