We ask that you evaluate your health circumstances to determine your comfort level in returning to church. While a high degree of safety precautions are being taken the church cannot guarantee that there will not be a transmission of the virus.
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Reopen Plan
As we prepare to gather as a congregation in a world impacted by COVID-19, it is our sincerest hope to be able to gather in a manner that accounts for the well-being of staff, congregants, and visitors. With that in mind, Gloria Dei’s plan takes into account Symptoms, Safety, and Service(s).
Symptom: If anyone feels like they are ill, are experiencing symptoms such as fever or cough, or believes that they have been exposed to someone who is suspected or known to have COVID-19, they should refrain from attending services, events, or meetings at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
As you contemplate whether or not you should attend an in-person worship service or attend an in-person meeting at Gloria Dei, here are questions to help guide that decision. If you respond YES to any of the questions, you should not attend in-person worship services or meetings. Individuals who are at high risk for COVID-19 are asked to stay home.
Have you experienced one or more of the following symptoms over the past seven days?
Persistent cough
Shortness of breath
Fever (temperature of above 100.4 F)
Chills
Repeated shaking/chills
Muscle Pain/Aches
Headache
Sore Throat
Loss of Taste/Smell
Have you recently (in the past 14 days) been in close contact with anyone who has exhibited any of the above symptoms? (Close contact means within less than six feet for a prolonged period of time.)
Have you recently (in the past 14 days) been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or been advised to self-isolate by a medical professional due to COVID-19 reasons?
Have you recently (in the past 14 days) traveled internationally?
Safety: In order to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church will continue to practice social distancing. We ask that individuals do not congregate in the Gathering Area when entering the church. There will be no coffee served. Pews will be marked off so people can maintain a distance of at least six feet. Individuals, including children older than 2, will be required to wear a mask or face covering while in the building. Masks will be available to those who need one, but without a mask individuals will not be permitted to enter the worship space. Hand sanitizer bottles will be available in the Gathering Area and other spots through the church. We ask that you evaluate your circumstances to determine your comfort level in returning to in-person worship services.
Service(s): To be compliant with Phase-4 of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s plan, services will be limited to 50 people. We know that many people want to return to in-person worship as quickly as possible, while there are others who may not be ready to return to a public gathering space. Gloria Dei will expand the number of services from three to four. Services will be 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM on Saturday and 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM on Sundays. On-line services will continue to be available on Saturday nights at 5PM. These times are temporary and as Illinois progresses into other phases, these times may change. Individuals/families wishing to attend an in-person service are asked to sign up for a service time. This can be done through an online signup sheet, emailed weekly by the church office, or for those without computers, they can phone the church office.
To maintain appropriate social distancing recommendations of at least six feet, some pews will be roped off and the rows that are open should be limited to one or two families.
Over the next couple of weeks, opportunities for groups to meet in person will be phased in. This includes Bible studies, committee meetings, and youth group. Mask wearing and social distancing expectations will remain in place.
EDUCATING THE CONGREGATION
The Health and Wholeness committee is tasked with educating the congregation on appropriate measures to maintain health and safety. This will be done through a series of articles for the Gloria Dei newsletter on mask wearing, hand washing, and sanitization. The Health and Wholeness Committee will create a short video to be posted on the Gloria Dei Facebook page as well.
WORSHIP
Worship may look and feel different. In order to decrease the risk of contamination, all hymnals, offering envelopes, pencils, and Bibles will be removed from the pews. There will be no printed bulletins or announcements and all services will be using the screens. Individuals will only be able to enter through the south doors which will be propped open to avoid touching the doors. Exiting the church will be done through the doors in the nave that lead directly outside. Accommodations will be made for those with mobility impairments. Upon entering Gloria Dei for worship, greeters/ushers will ask to take individual’s temperatures using a thermal thermometer. If an individual has a temperature of above 100.4 or if they decline to have their temperature taken, entry into the worship space will be declined.
There will be no offering plate passed, but there will a plate stationed in the back of the nave for any offerings. Individuals will be encouraged to give on-line using the QR code.
Since COVID-19 is airborne, the congregation will not be singing to avoid the spreading of aerosols and droplets. Instrumental music may be part of a worship service, but will not include any woodwinds or brass instruments. The services may have 1-2 cantors or singers who will be appropriately spaced out. Individuals are encouraged to sing “in your hearts”.
The sign of peace can be shared in a number of ways, including using the American Sign Language sign for peace or a verbal acknowledgement. Congregants are asked to avoid shaking hands or hugs.
Communion will be offered at all services. There will be no intinction of the wafer/bread. Individual Communion kits will be given out at the beginning of each service to avoid a line forming. Dismissal will occur in an orderly manner.
There will be no greeting after the service. Individuals will be asked not to socialize in the Gathering Area before and after services. Individuals and families are asked to exit through the exit doors in the nave immediately after the service.
The bathrooms will be open, though only two individuals may be in the bathroom at one time to adhere to social distancing expectations. The water fountains will be off limits. Per recommendation of the Synod, all faucets throughout Gloria Dei will be run for five minutes, three times a week to prevent the development of Legionella bacteria.
After the service the ushers will wipe down the pews and commonly touched areas with appropriate disinfectant. This is not a deep clean or sanitizing procedure. A cleaning service will be used to sanitize the worship space. Ushers/greeters will monitor compliance with masks as people enter the church.
Items that are handled during the worship service by the pastor, assistants, or ushers will be wiped clean with disinfectant. This includes the candle-lighters, books, and chalice.
All pastors, worship assistants, and ushers will wash/sanitize their hands before and after the worship service. Pastors, assistants, and ushers should wear masks during the service if they are not speaking.
The downstairs, including Fellowship Hall, the classrooms, and the washrooms will be off limits and will be roped off. This is to prevent cross contamination with the space being occupied by the Community Adult Day Care.
As Gloria Dei prepares to offer in person worship services again, there will be a one-week trial period for the pastors, assistants, and ushers to run through the plan and make any necessary adjustments.
Thank you for your patience as we all adjust to the “new normal” of post-COVID-19. Please pray for us as we’ve been praying for you.
Pastor Tim Robertson Bob Agnoli Senior Pastor Council President
Members of the Reopen Task Force