WBC’s COVID 19 Church Re-opening Guidelines
Updated 6/18/2020
*This is a living document and is subject to change as needed to comply with local and state ordinances and CDC guidelines.
In response to the COVID-19 epidemic and the impacts concerning a safe reopening of our facility for corporate worship, our goal is to create a clean no-touch or “contactless†worship experience where members and visitors can feel safe when they worship in house. When we re-open, we will simultaneously continue all of our virtual online services and bible studies.
****Please Note: Westminster Baptist Church has not released a re-opening date as of yet and these guidelines serves as a strategy road-map in preparation for and will serve as operating procedures once a re-open date has been determined. ***
WBC will adhere to CDC recommendations and the KC Missouri Health Guidelines for reopening churches to include but are not limited to the following practices:
Guidelines:
*Volunteer Staff and ministry teams such as ministers, deacons, security, ushers, choir, p&w, media, admin, and finance teams will have special social distance protocols that will be addressed outside of this communique’.
Updated 6/18/2020
*This is a living document and is subject to change as needed to comply with local and state ordinances and CDC guidelines.
In response to the COVID-19 epidemic and the impacts concerning a safe reopening of our facility for corporate worship, our goal is to create a clean no-touch or “contactless†worship experience where members and visitors can feel safe when they worship in house. When we re-open, we will simultaneously continue all of our virtual online services and bible studies.
****Please Note: Westminster Baptist Church has not released a re-opening date as of yet and these guidelines serves as a strategy road-map in preparation for and will serve as operating procedures once a re-open date has been determined. ***
WBC will adhere to CDC recommendations and the KC Missouri Health Guidelines for reopening churches to include but are not limited to the following practices:
- Requiring Face Coverings
- Promoting Healthy Hygiene Practices
- Intensify cleaning and disinfection protocols
- Promoting Social Distancing
- Taking steps to minimize community sharing of worship materials and other items
- Promoting Self-Monitoring and discouraging attendance if feeling sick or showing symptoms of sickness
- Comply with KCMO mandate to take attendance of members and visitors to aide in contact tracing should there be a COVID-19 occurrence
Guidelines:
- In advance of opening, the church website, app and social media will be updated to reflect our new operating procedures so that members and visitors will know what to expect upon attending a service in person at WBC.
- Potential attendees should self-monitor for fever and or symptoms of illness before deciding to attend church in person. Online service will remain available to accommodate.
- Designated signage will be placed at church entrances and throughout the main corridors of the facility to convey entrance requirements.
- PPE Masks will be required for entry into the Church facility at all times for any service or meeting and designated volunteers will be at the entrances enforcing this rule and offering a cloth mask if needed.
- Services will be limited to Sunday Morning Worship and Sunday School only for the foreseeable future.
- Tuesday Night Teaching and Wednesday Bible Study will remain online via zoom and conference call respectively.
- The facility will be closed to all non-WBC church functions.
- All previously scheduled building usage requests both internal and external are canceled for the remainder of 2020.
- There will be no food service offerings for the remainder of the calendar year as the fellowship hall and kitchen will remain closed.
- Weddings / Funerals will be handled on a case by case bases depending on volunteer staffing levels to help ensure that attendees adhere to these guidelines. There will be no receptions nor re passes for either function for the time being.
- There will be no children/youth classes or gatherings in the facility for children/youth ages 11 and under due to social distance limitations.
- Sunday School class rooms will be reconfigured with chairs only (no tables) spaced at a minimum of six feet apart and will commence in designated areas. (Class facilitators will be required to sign a waiver agreeing to comply and maintain the aforementioned social distance standards).
- Touch-less hand sanitizing stations will be located in the Foyer
- There will be no seating areas in the foyer.
- We will continue to encourage online giving while providing one centrally located “Tithes and Offering†box for patrons to give in person.
- Offering Envelopes will be available self-serve at a designated station in the Foyer.
- Pre-packaged Communion will be available self-serve at a designated station in the Foyer.
- There will be designated Seating throughout the sanctuary with 6 feet intervals between congregants of a different household.
- Restrooms will be converted to be used one person at a time to ensure proper social distancing.
- Baptism scheduling and the mode of baptismal will be re-evaluated to ensure safety of participants with some baptisms possibly being delayed.
*Volunteer Staff and ministry teams such as ministers, deacons, security, ushers, choir, p&w, media, admin, and finance teams will have special social distance protocols that will be addressed outside of this communique’.