Brookfield Congregational Church
Guidance for In-Person Gatherings
June 11, 2020

Your Church Council is taking guidance from the government, Conference and experiences other churches to address the idea of reopening the Church.  With Brookfield Congregational Church made-up of a generally older group we are at greater risk.  As such it is better that we move with caution.  During the June Council meeting members took assignments to better understand guidance from various sources and protective equipment needs to formally adopt a gathering plan.  While we would want to assemble in person it may be September or later before that is safely possible.

We are directed by these words, "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." ~ Jeremiah 29:7

To give everyone a sense of just how complicated a safe opening would be consider these things:

This is a time unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetimes. This is a challenging time for all of us. We have had moments of creative ingenuity and moments of overwhelming exhaustion. 
  
We entered this time in chaos, we plan to move through it with intention. We're not reopening.  Because we never closed.  We have engaged ministry in new ways.  We will move forward in new ways.   

First, there is no way to ensure the overall safety of our congregations and communities until there is a trusted vaccine.

Second, in person worship in sanctuaries is one of the types of gatherings that is most likely to spread the infection. 

· In an enclosed room over a length of time the airborne viral particles can reach every corner.  6-foot or 12-foot physical distancing will not prevent this.   
· Speaking, praying and singing aloud propels the virus even further than just breathing.  
· Using masks limits but does not prevent the transmission of the disease.  
· Common surfaces abound. 

We know that people can be carriers of the virus without any symptoms.

Third, we don't know everything about this disease and its impact on all ages.  New information is coming out daily. This makes it hard to predict trends, safety measures, and phases. 
  
Fourth, our congregation is comprised of the populations most vulnerable to Covid-19.    

Fifth, an outbreak in our churches impacts our communities and the capacity of our health care system.  

This document is an integration and distilling from many sources. We are presenting a phasing approach beginning with where we stand today and next step phases tied to local conditions and the guidance of local government and health care professionals. 
  
There is no one date that can be universally applied to every church and every community.  Things differ; local regulations, building size and condition, age of congregation, size of congregation, health care capacity in community, rate and incidence of spread in community.
   
There is the possibility of new spikes in infection that may return us to Stay Home.

Where we are:

· Stay-at-Home Order by your State and Local Government AND
COVID-19 case count is beginning to decrease over a span of 2 continuous weeks
We need to consider and plan Requirements for Church Worship Leaders:
▪ Applies to but not limited to ministers, worship leaders, choir director, and choir members.
▪ Age (older than 60 years old at higher risk)
▪ Those with auto-immune challenges
▪ Willingness to wear gloves and mask and observe physical distancing
▪ Willingness to have temperature taken

• Developing your Plan for Returning to In-Person Worship including:

† Consider Physical space – 
† Non-contact worship - Estimate required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for worshipers and begin planning for procurement
▪ Estimate required purchases to implement non-contact worship, cleaning and touch free facility navigation

• Developing a plan for Youth, Sunday School and Faith Formation

▪ Council will act as Task Team to implement the guidelines and provide support to staff and volunteers
▪ Institute a Protocol Program for essential staff and lay leaders on how to clean and sanitize as well as products to use and safe use of the products. Include planned refresher sessions on changes to policies and procedures

• Develop Church Health Policies and Screening Practices such as:

▪ Whether or not to require touch free temperature checks prior to in-person worship
▪ Health check: Weekly ask worshipers, and daily ask staff to confirm they have not experienced COVID-19 CDC-defined symptoms and to monitor their own symptoms.

• Confirm action in the event of a positive COVID-19 case: How will we encourage worshipers to inform their faith leaders and follow state guidelines and protocols as they relate to quarantine and contact tracing? Who will decide and implement next steps?

• Develop cleaning plans and checklists that incorporate these guidelines. Ensure it is clear which faith leaders, staff, worshipers and any users of the facility are responsible for implementing the plans.

 

• Consider a complete deep-clean of facility before reopening and include entrances, lobbies, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, elevators, door handles/knobs, and all equipment (e.g. printers, scanners, phones, vending machines) desks, chairs, computers, monitors

Next Phase (Phase One) 
· We have completed preparations during Base Phase
· Confirm that your State and Local Government has lifted Stay-at-Home Order AND
· Confirm with local health agent that you meet the criteria to gather
o and that COVID-19 Case Counts in your state and local area have decreased over a minimum span of 2 continuous weeks
o there is widespread availability of testing    
o there is No Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Shortage

RECOMMENDED:
Limited in-person worship of 10-25 maximum (including lay/clergy leadership and depending on ability to maintain social distance) and paired with online worship.  

Scheduled far enough out to finalize safe worship planning and allow for "dress rehearsal" of safe protocols.
o Follow recommendations for all In-person worship during the Covid-19 Pandemic designed to increase safety for gathering including No Singing and No Communion
o Continue holding online worship
o Encourage those at high-risk to worship online
· IMPORTANT: If there are Covid-19 case infection increases in your area at any time or there are cases amongst your in-person worshipping community, your Church Should Immediately Close and Return to Base Phase.
· Online Meetings only
· Church Offices remain closed  

Phase Two 
· A minimum of 4 continuous weeks of declining COVID-19 Case Counts in your state and local community. There is no one in your in-person worshipping community that is exhibiting COVID-19 Symptoms AND  
· Confirm with your local health agent that you continue to meet the criteria for in-person worship
o there remains widespread availability of testing    
o there remains No Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Shortage
AND the Stay-at-Home Order remain lifted
RECOMMENDED:
In-Person Worship of 25 – 40 people maximum (including lay/clergy leadership and depending on ability to maintain social distance) paired with online worship and with prior scheduled rehearsal of new larger service protocols. 

• Follow recommendations for all In-person worship during the Covid-19 Pandemic designed to increase safety for gathering including No Singing and No Communion

o Continue holding online worship
o Encourage those at high-risk to worship online
o Consider holding services and gatherings in a large, well-ventilated areas - if they can be safely organized.

We will amend this document as we prepare for additional phases as the world works towards treatments and vaccines.

Be the “change” you want to see in the world

One of the many things I’ve thought about while sitting at home is that as we have been unable to gather in our beloved church, Gertrude, our hungry goose has not been fed either.   

     I quote an article I found and believe it still holds true today, props do work.  Whether it be a plastic goose, a shopping cart or a plastic bank shaped as a Church.  The children, and some of us adults, loved feeding Gertrude during coffee hour.  Kudos to the person who started with this prop.

     From article of 2012 in the South New England Conference United Church of Christ

     We have a post of our focused Missions for each month.  If your heart is being called to support any of these focused Missions, please submit your donation to the church at P O Box 457, Brookfield, MA  01506.  In the memo line, please note:  feed Gertrude - Focused Mission (and the month). 

     Our Lenten giving mission, which was to benefit Dismas as well as Abbey’s house, was impacted by the outbreak of Covid19 and as we will be unable to plan a Suicide Awareness and Prevention vigil in May, as hoped, I would request that we allocate any funds raised during May to donate to Dismas and Abbey’s Feel free to visit their websites for ways you can help…at: http://www.dismasisfamily.org/donate/”  and https://abbyshouse.org/donate/

I’ll sign off with the following….perhaps til we can be together and you can feed Gertrude directly, a fun little prop to make with the kids...a “feed” bag with scraps of material to stick your loose change into...

                                                                                    In His light and love,

                                                                                    Tammy, aka “T”, Mission Chair

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY DONATIONS

Patti Coltey would like to call anyone who can knit or crochet to join this important mission.  There is nothing like being wrapped in a shawl made with love – care – blessing when you need some comfort!

CHURCH SCRAPBOOK

Calling All People

We are looking for pictures for the Church Scrapbook.  We only have ten pages for the 2019 book.  If you have snapshots of any of our church activities such as:  Fusion Youth Group (let’s get our teens in this book), Boy Scouts, spaghetti suppers, pie baking  for Apple Country Fair, tag sale pictures, nursery and Sunday School pictures please contact Jane Snyder.  We do have pictures of VBS.
Thank you, Patti Coltey