A TEMPLATE YOU CAN USE IF YOU CHOOSE TO OPEN YOUR CHURCH

(The following is a template created by District Elder Ron Stephens, pastor of Temple Church Of Christ of the Apostolic Faith in St Louis, Missouri. He works closely with me as assistant treasurer in the St Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition. He is also 1st Vice Chairman of the Midwestern District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World).

FIRST CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

Transition Plan 2020

(Returning to church during the Pandemic)

Phase 1

Pastor John Doe

May 15, 2020

The First Church Of God In Christ Board of Directors has decided to implement a social distancing plan for Temple Church of Christ. The plan is divided into two phases. Phase 1 proposes to protect the health of our members, guests, and community as a whole and to play our part to slow the spread of this virus in our community. Phase 2 proposes to address the ministerial and operations of the church such as evangelism, small group meetings, structure of Sunday morning worship and Men’s Ministry. Phase 2 will be submitted under a separate cover.

The Phase 1 outlined below will go into effect starting Sunday, June 7, 2020, and will extend until Sunday, August 31, 2020.  On or before August 1, the First Church Of God In Christ Board of Directors will evaluate whether or not to return to normal operations on August 31. Please monitor our Facebook, FCOGIC App and FCOGIC Web page for the most up-to-date information.

What we have done in the past will be different from what we do now. Therefore, the purpose of Phase 1 clarifies, “how we enter the church, find our seat, use the restroom and make the church a safe place to worship”.

The first aspect of Phase 1 is changes in our church calendar. All meetings (revivals, conferences, and special events on our 2020 FCOGIC calendar have been cancelled or postponed until further notice.  The weekly changes are as follows:

• Sunday School (Virtual/Online on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. until further notice)
• Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:30 a.m. 
• Children’s Church (Cancelled for Sunday)
• Monday Night Prayer (Virtual/Online 7:00 p.m.)
• Wednesday Bible Study (Virtual/Online 7:00 p.m.)
• Thursday Choir Rehearsal – (changed to Sunday Morning 9:00 a.m.)

To reduce the spread of germs, the following steps will be taken at FCOGIC:

1. Masks will be distributed to all members and guests who enter the sanctuary.
2. Sanitizers and hand wipes will be available in the church lobby.
3. While in the lobby area, the Nurses Ministry with take the temperature with an infrared thermometer to ensure no one is infected with the virus. Temperatures will be taken on a “voluntary basis”.

4.                  FCOGIC leadership team will clearly communicate the FCOGIC cleaning plan to the congregation. Communication is paramount for instilling confidence (in members and guests) that pews, doors and the building have been sanitized.)

1.      Ushers’ and Hospitality Ministries

 Each Sunday morning, men will be in the lobby area (frontline).  During the first day of returning to FCOGIC (June 7^th), only men will serve as Ushers and Greeters (Hospitality). They will continue to serve in this capacity until August 31^st.   Ushers will escort members and guests to a designated seat in the sanctuary.  The following guidelines are for the Ushers and the Hospitality Ministry:

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1.      Wear mask (and distribute masks to members and guests without masks)

2.      Rubber gloves will be available (upon request for members)

3.      No shaking of hands of Greeters and Ushers (sanitizer will be available in the lobby area)

4.      No hugging

5.      Ensure no loitering in lobby area

2.                  Prioritize physical distancing in the sanctuary.

 While maintaining the existing layout of pews in the sanctuary, seating will be assigned to accommodate the latest recommendations for safe physical distancing.  Seating will also be available in the balcony.  Members and guests will be seated in a staggered fashion, as shown on the diagram.  Members will sit 6-feet apart from each other.  And every other row will be closed for seating.  

While using every other pew will cut our seating capacity in half or more, making seating available in the churches’ balcony will increase the seating capacity while maintaining physical distancing.  We anticipate seating 100 people on the lower level and 100 people on the balcony. All seniors will be seated in a designated area on the lower level. 

  

3. Track who sits where.

The Counting Ministry will continue to count members.  Knowing where members are assigned and their likely circulation paths throughout each Sunday can support a focused cleaning response if a member does exhibit symptoms.  Using a seating chart, members will put names to seats to clearly communicate which pews are assigned to everyone now and for future states as more members return to the church.

4. Nurses Ministry 

Nurses Ministry is critical to the transitioning plan.  To mitigate the chance of bringing COVID-19 to the church, we are implementing voluntary screening protocol for all members. Every Sunday before a member enters the sanctuary there will be an opportunity to be screened. Screening is NOT MANDITORY.  Screening questions may be asked.  Screening questions range from travel-related questions to health symptoms.  An infrared thermometer may be used. The results of the screen will indicate whether the member should enter the sanctuary or remain home on that Sunday.  Again, screening is conducted on a VOLUNTARY basis by our Nurses Ministry.

5. Identify essential church ministries.

While many members have transitioned to worshipping God from home, some members must come to church. They cannot work remotely due to the nature of their role at church. Some of these individuals are Deacons, staff on audio/visual ministry, janitorial staff etc. These essential individuals must be identified and scheduled to work at specific times and days. 

6.                  General Building

FCOGIC staff will post signs indicating symptoms and urging people to stay home/seek medical attention if they have symptoms.  As previously stated, FCOGIC will maintain a good stock of tissue, soap, hand sanitizer and disposable paper towels for drying hands

7.                  Cleaning of pews.

Cross-contamination from multiple people sharing pews is a key concern.  The Men’s Ministry will wipe down pews and doors before and after worship service until the COVID-19 threat is over.  Clean pews are key for a safe environment. The Men’s Ministry will clean the building regularly, paying extra attention to high-touch surfaces.  In sum, with cleanliness on top of everyone’s mind, the Deacons and the Men’s Ministry will execute a plan for keeping the entire church clean.  

Therefore, to reduce the spread of germs, pews will be cleaned weekly. This will be communicated to the congregation. The message (of weekly cleaning) will be paramount for instilling confidence in FCOGIC members that pews have been sanitized and the church is clean.

8.                  Designate isolation rooms.

In the event a member begins to exhibit symptoms — whether in the lobby or sanctuary — FCOGIC will isolate anyone who is or becomes symptomatic while at church.  Pastor John Doe will designate a location necessary for ensuring their well-being of people who exhibit COVID 19 symptoms. As we proceed through this pandemic, I hope Phase 1 of this 2020 Transition Plans will support the balance of church continuity and the safety of members and guests who enter our church. 

I believe church should be a safe place to worship. I hope this plan will provide the safety and success during these uncertain times. 

If you have any questions about this plan, please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience. 

Pastor John Doe – 314-867-5309