We are so blessed to continue to use technology for great
online worship AND to see so many of
our friends coming back in-person! Thank you Lord for both!
As vaccines become widely available and risks are reduced, the
Leadership Team and Church Staff are monitoring the Ohio Department of Health
and CDC recommendations regularly to continue to provide a safe and healthy
opportunity for all to worship together. As promised, as the recommendations
change, our protocols are also changing. Here are the current changes and
guidelines, and thank you for helping us to care for one another!
CHANGES:
- Temperature checks for worship are discontinued.
- Seating in worship will now include both regular and
socially distanced options. The center pews in the sanctuary will be ‘un-roped’
and people may sit in the configurations they choose, while the balcony and
overflow seating will be completely socially distanced. In the Family Life
Center, the center rows will be returned closer to normal configurations, while
the side rows will be completely socially distanced.
CONTINUED:
- Mask wearing and Social Distancing is still expected indoors, with some exceptions
(based on the Ohio Health Director’s and CDC’s directions) such as leaders of
worship, active participants in a physical activity, groups that meet the CDC’s
guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals, people who are of the same
household, etc. Outdoors, if these exceptions do not apply and social
distancing is difficult, then mask wearing is expected.
- Hand washing is still expected, washing frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (or
use hand
sanitizer containing at least
60% alcohol)
- Self-monitoring for symptoms
of COVID-19 is still expected,
especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms,
please stay home and worship online, attend a meeting via Zoom,
etc.
For
further explanation or help with these guidelines, contact the Church office to
speak to Business Administrator Lisa Nichols or Senior Pastor Nathan Custer,
937-642-4712.
Additional Guidelines to be given to Staff and
Ministry / Event Leaders:
Van Usage:
When people who are not of the same household are sitting beside one another in
the same row, the center seat(s) should be left empty. Thus, in our 15
passenger vans, the total capacity for a group that includes entirely separate
households would be 10 (driver, front passenger, then two per row).
Singers:
No more than two unmasked singers grouped together at any one time (so for
instance, two married couples must be significantly socially distanced if
singing unmasked simultaneously, not gathered together as a quartet), distanced
approximately 18 feet or more from the congregation.
Overnight sleeping in the building: Prohibited for now unless given permission by
the leadership team.
Food:
Only food that is prepared in individual, non-shared ways following the basic
food preparation guidelines from the State Health Director for these COVID
times shall be provided (for instance: boxed lunches; canned beverages;
individually packaged pizza slices, etc.)
Paper & things given out: Distribution shall be limited and provided in
ways as safely as possible (such as placing cards on seats rather than handing
them out, placing devotionals out such that only one is touched if one is
taken, etc.)
Youth Group Activities: The indoor mask policy listed above shall be
followed, and for the various outdoor activities Pastor Mark may use his
discretion to determine whether masks need to be worn or not. To the extent he
can do so (and recognizing that sometimes last-minute changes have to be made),
Pastor Mark will notify the youth and their families of such mask expectations
ahead of time.
Updated on 4/23/2021
UPDATED_COVID-19_POLICIES_4_23_2021.PDF
