The Minnesota Conference recently changed its COVID-19 policy guidelines for churches, reverting to the Yellow Phase of reopening. At their September meeting Trustees discussed these guidelines and adopted specific policies for Centennial UMC. Each Conference guideline is listed below, along with the Trustee response.
Trustees tried to keep the policies simple and to avoid dictating implementation details. Taken together, these responses are the CUMC policy and procedures for minimizing risk from COVID-19 infection among staff, congregation, ministry participants, and visitors.
For convenience, each of the Conference guidelines is numbered. To shorten the document, abbreviations are used for Roseville campus RV) and St. Anthony Park campus (SAP). The Conference guidelines and Trustee responses follow.
Worship and Life Events
You may hold in-person worship of up to whatever number of people your space can accommodate with at least six feet between each family unit. Have a contingency plan for overflows beyond the approved number of people. Thoroughly clean surfaces and common areas between services.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE:
To maintain social distancing in services and ceremonies, pews will be marked at RV, and chairs will be arranged at SAP.
In addition, meeting rooms and fellowship halls will also be marked.At both RV and SAP the Fellowship Halls will be used for overflow at services or ceremonies.
Thorough cleaning is not necessary because neither RV nor SAP have multiple services, and the sanctuaries are not used until the next week.
Groups can worship outdoors if social distancing is maintained between family units. Masks should be worn if there are more than 500 people.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Neither RV nor SAP contemplate outdoor worship this fall, so Trustees will address this issue in the spring.
Continue holding online worship (even if you also do in-person), recording from home or the sanctuary with participation from small groups of people.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: RV is recording services and SAP will be live-streaming beginning Sept. 12. These practices should continue.
Have people spread out in the sanctuary. Allow only one family unit per pew with measured markers indicating proper physical distance in approved and marked seating areas. Explore meeting in a fellowship hall or outdoors if your space is small.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Same as response to Guideline #1 above.
At children’s time, children should not come forward. Instead, create from you-to-the-pew story moments engaging children from safe distancing.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Life ritual services can be offered in more traditional ways—but funerals, weddings, and graduation and confirmation celebrations should pay careful attention to limiting guests and keeping proper physical distance.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Same as response to Guideline #1 above.
High-risk individuals (those over age 60 and/or with underlying health conditions), particularly those who are not vaccinated, are encouraged to stay home and should be given options to participate in the life of the church through virtual means.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Same as response to Guideline #3 above. In addition, Trustees have purchased the technology for blended meetings so that some people can participate face-to-face and others can participate virtually.
Recommendations for those leading and attending worship during this phase:
Require people to face masks while at church, per CDC guidelines.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Everyone must wear a mask while in the church buildings. Exceptions are: (1) worship leaders while speaking or musicians while performing in worship, provided there is at least 25 feet between the speaker or performer and any person in the congregation. (See Guideline #17 below for details on music). (2) Staff if working alone in an enclosed office (per MN Dept. of Health guideline under the Governor’s Emergency Order).
Have people spread out in the sanctuary space. Allow only one family unit per pew with measured markers indicating proper physical distance in approved and marked seating areas. Explore meeting in a fellowship hall or outdoors if your space is small.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Already addressed in Guideline #1 above.
Use no-touch alternatives for greetings and passing the peace. Consider a friendly wave, a slight bow of the head, or crossing your arms over your heart.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Collect offering without person-to-person contact. Consider having one or more baskets around the sanctuary that people could simply place their offering into during worship or on the way out.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Minimize the number of items that need to be touched or distributed. Consider using screens or bulletins (one-time use only) rather than Bibles, hymnals, or other worship books to avoid having multiple people touch surfaces that could carry the virus.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Have designated individual(s) record the names of each person present, not only for attendance purposes but also should it be needed for contact tracing later on.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Use no-touch alternatives to communion, if you choose to offer it during this phase. For example, have each person pick up a set of pre-packaged elements as they enter and remain socially distanced as they take communion in their seats, or have a masked and gloved steward place individual cups and bread in people’s hands as they exit the sanctuary at the end of the service. The safe alternatives for communion might mean some congregations will choose to further postpone offering in-person communion.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Modify baptisms so they include no skin-to-skin contact. Consider having parents hold babies and small children as the pastor performs the rite.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Do not sing when gathered inside of your building, given that singing is considered a riskier practice when it comes to spreading aerosols that carry the virus, and cloth masks and physical distancing are unlikely to be adequate protection. Instead, think about playing pre-recorded music and asking those gathered simply to listen or to hum along. (Singing during outdoor worship is considered much safer because the aerosols dissipate much more quickly.)
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Singing is not allowed by the congregation in any service or ceremony, and meetings will include no singing.
A small number of music leaders who are singing do not need to be masked while performing, but they must be adequately spaced out. Instrumentalists (if not a wind instrument) should be masked. No choirs should perform.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline, with a minimum of 25 feet separation between any unmasked performers and the congregation.
Create opportunities for fellowship time online instead of before or after worship. For everyone’s safety, encourage people to leave the building as soon as worship concludes rather than mingling.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Consider eliminating or limiting volunteer-based nursery care when you first begin in-person gatherings given that social distancing guidelines likely couldn’t be followed in a nursery with young children.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
At the end of service, direct people row by row to leave the building to maintain physical distancing. The pastor should not stand at a door to greet people. If possible, have people come in through one entrance and exit through a different entrance, one family unit at a time—and think about propping open the entry and exit doors to eliminate the need for people to touch door handles.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: People should not congregate indoors before or after a service, ceremony, or meeting. Church staff should implement procedures to minimize indoor congregating.
Small groups and faith formation:
You may offer both in-person and online opportunities for Bible studies and small groups, as well as perhaps for leadership and ministry team meetings. Try to maintain online options you established during earlier phases for at-risk populations and those who do not yet feel comfortable attending in-person.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: See Trustee response to Guideline # 3 above.
You may consider offering children's ministries such as Vacation Bible School (VBS) if you are able to offer it primarily outdoors and have safety protocols in place; we recommend daily temperature checks, keeping kids in the same small groups each day, and requiring masks to be worn at all times.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Do not offer in-person mission trips or lock-ins until we reach the next phase. While the risk to children and youth has been recorded as somewhat lower than other age groups, children can be asymptomatic carriers who transmit the virus to others.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Staff and building operations:
Church staff should work from home as much as possible. If multiple staff are in the office at the same time, they should maintain physical distancing, wear masks and follow safety and sanitizing protocols.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement this guideline.
Consider church liability and guidelines recommended by your insurer.
COMMENT: Centennial UMC insurer, Church Mutual, has a web site with advice, similar to guidelines, for churches. The only guideline not addressed in the Minnesota Conference guidelines is to follow CDC recommendations on cleaning and protective equipment.
TRUSTEE RESPONSE: Church staff should implement the CDC recommendations on cleaning and protective equipment.
