Safety Procedures & Social Distancing Guidelines for Phase 1 Worship Services “Re-Opening”

Dear Brethren,

The purpose of this letter is to provide information regarding safety procedures and social distancing measures once we “re-open” gatherings at the building on June 7^th. We are following local and state guidelines regarding a “phased” reopening approach. The following information is in regards to our phase 1 re-opening plan of action. We ask you to please read these guidelines carefully and adhere to them to the best of your ability. For your safety and the safety of others:

What Services Will We Have During Phase 1?

We will have Sunday morning services ONLY during phase 1. As announced earlier, we plan on tentatively resuming Bible class on Wednesday night and Sunday morning in September. In the meantime, our Wednesday Bible class will continue to be streamed on Facebook and YouTube and we will continue to use Zoom for some of the youth classes.

Beginning Sunday, June 7^th we will have three services at the Cawson Street church building:

• 9:00am (for those 55 and older)
• 11:00am
• 1:00pm

These services will be held in the multi-purpose room. Once the ongoing renovations to the auditorium are complete we will move our services to the auditorium (likely corresponding with our transition into “phase 2”). All members who plan on attending services at the building MUST register by: (1) ONLINE at https://reopen.church/r/2d20xoce OR (2) By calling the church office at (804) 458-3563. The church office remains open Tuesday and Thursday until further notice. Registrations can be made via the office phone Monday through Friday.  We request all members to register for services for the month of June by Sunday, May 31^st.

Will We Continue to Have Services Streamed Online?

YES! As we enter this “new normal” we do not want anyone who feels uncomfortable to attend services. Our services will continue to be LIVE streamed on Facebook and YouTube with one change – the LIVE streamed services will be streamed at 9:00am. In fact, we plan to continue our LIVE stream of services from this point forward.

What Safety Precautions and Social Distancing Procedures Do We Need to Be Aware Of?

The following is a list of safety precautions we are taking and social distancing measures during our “phase 1” of re-opening:

• Clean Meeting Space – Prior to services on June 7^th, and each week following, we will perform a deep cleaning of the area we will be utilizing for worship services. In addition, in between services additional cleaning will take place.
• Single Entry/Exit Point – We ask all members/visitors to enter the building through the office doors at the 3^rd Street side of the building and proceed immediately to the worship area. Greeters will be stationed at the doors to allow for touchless entry and exit of the building.
• Limited Meeting Space – The only areas of the building to be utilized are the hallway by the offices, the restrooms by the offices and the multipurpose room.
• Limit Physical Contact – While we understand the great desire to give a hug or handshake, we ask that members limit physical contact at this time.
• Masks – Mask are suggested but not required during phase 1.
• Communion / Contribution / Singing – Disposable communion supplies will be located on a table near the office doors. Upon entry, we ask you to collect your communion supplies and hold on to them until we take the hhhhLord’s Supper. Please dispose of your trash upon exit in the trash container located by the table where you picked up your supplies. There will be a single contribution collection point where you can deposit your contribution. Songs will be projected on screens. Song books are only available upon request.
• Sitting Together as Families – Rows of chairs will be six feet apart in the multi-purpose room. We ask that all families sit together. We ask that parents please be responsible for their children following social distancing guidelines while in the building.
• Restrooms – While restrooms will be available we ask members to restrict use of the restrooms as much as possible.
• Exiting Services – After the closing prayer, members will be dismissed by rows. We ask that everyone exit the building immediately.

What If I Am Sick Or Have Been Sick Or Around Someone Who Has Been Sick? What if I Am Considered “Immune System Compromised”?

Members who are in the highest risk categories should strongly consider staying home during phase 1 and utilizing online streaming. Again, this is for your safety and the safety of others.

If your answer is yes to any of the following questions you MUST stay home:

1. Have YOU traveled outside of the STATE or COUNTRY or to any area with WIDESPREAD transmission of Covid-19 in the past 2 weeks or been EXPOSED to someone who has CORONAVIRUS?
2. Do you have a FEVER?
3. Do you have a NEW OR WORSENING cough OR shortness of breath?
4. Do you have FLU-LIKE symptoms?

We realize that many of these suggestions might seem burdensome to some and not enough to others. Like you, we are anxious to resume services but want to do it in the safest manner possible. If we all work together, we believe this can be achieved. If you have any questions or concerns please contact one of us at your earliest convenience.

The Elders,

David Crutchfield                    Matt Meadows          

Rolf McDaniel                         Melvin Jones