Staged Reopening Approach
- Determine a staged approach to reopening that is not triggered by dates but by the guidance provided by local health and government officials. This staged approach should include a plan for all ministries. This plan can be dialed up or dialed down, depending on the community’s level of infection.
- Communicating this to your congregation will build confidence that the staff is reopening with careful consideration, following local recommendations, and taking the health concerns of attendees very seriously.
Facility Signage
- Signage is a critical element for ensuring social distancing, and that your church’s safety protocols are followed.
- Over-communicate through signage. Do not rely on volunteers to provide clear instruction. Consider all of the sightlines an attendee will have and utilize those spaces to communicate:
- Direct attendees in and out of the church building.
- Direct attendees through the campus.
- Direct attendees in and out worship space.
- Direct attendees in the worship space on where to sit.
- Remind attendees about social distancing & use of masks.
- Remind attendees of healthy hygiene practices.
- Remind attendees of your safety protocols.
- Be creative, be funny, and over-communicate.
Before Service
- It is critical that a church communicates to its congregants the procedures you’ll have in place for ensuring social distancing and the following of all CDC, state, and local guidelines well in advance, multiple times, and through numerous media.
- If utilizing a registration process, make sure you inform your congregants every time you communicate about reopening.
- In your communications, include visual reinforcement of your procedures like pictures of signage placed on campus as well as campus maps with diagrams of traffic flow. Consider creating a video walking guests through all your procedures and walk them through the process of attending services.
- Be creative, be funny, and over-communicate.