• Cleanliness: Our buildings are cleaned and sanitized, with surface touch points minimized. Hymnals, Bibles, Communication Cards, pens, brochures, Children’s bags, etc. have been removed from worship spaces, entrances, and common areas to allow for more complete cleaning of those spaces. Some bulletin boards have been removed. Bulletins, paper Messengers, and Communication Cards will not be available. Please bring your own Bible, pen, and paper if needed. Keep up to date on ministry with the weekly eNews. Staff and Volunteers will have their temperatures taken, will be evaluated for health, and will wear masks.

• Health and Hygiene: Those entering our buildings should carefully evaluate their own health prior to attending. Please stay home if you have a fever or any COVID-19 symptoms, if you have been exposed to the virus, if you are in an at-risk category per the CDC guidelines, or if you are not yet ready to return to worship for any reason. We will continue to offer online worship for those not yet returning to in-person worship. Everyone is asked to maintain proper hand washing and hygiene procedures. Hand sanitizing stations will be available.

• Social Distancing will be expected, with no handshaking, hugging, or other close contact. Please greet each other with God’s love, but maintain an appropriate distance of at least 6 feet. Please respect social distancing as you wait to be ushered to your seat for worship upon entering the building, during worship, and upon exiting the building directly after worship. Please be mindful of directions from Elders and Ushers.

• Masks: Out of Christian love and concern for others, everyone entering the building is encouraged and expected to wear a mask. Those not wearing a mask will be offered a mask to wear. PLEASE NOTE: If a worship attendee does not wear a mask, they will be seated in a designated section of the worship space. Staff, Elders and other Volunteers will wear masks and take appropriate health and hygiene precautions.

• Entrances and Exits: To allow for minimizing touch points, doors will be held open by volunteers for worship attendees to enter and exit. All regular entrances will be available for use at the usual times.

• Hand sanitizing stations will be available at entrances and exits.

• Size Limitations: We will limit the number of people attending, based on social distancing and worship space size parameters.

• Seating: Elders and Ushers will show worship attendees to their seats. Pew and chair spacing has been adjusted to accommodate social distancing. Please wait to be directed to your seat, and maintain social distancing while in line. Family groups will be seated together, but will remain distanced from others. Those without masks will be directed to a designated seating area. Please be respectful of the directions given by our Elders and Ushers to ensure the safety of all.

• Drinking fountains are closed for use. Please bring a personal water bottle if needed.

• Children: Nursery will not be available at this time. Bible Adventure and other children’s programs are also suspended at this time. Children’s activity bags will not be provided. Please bring quiet activities for your children to use during worship, if needed. A quieting room is available in the main worship center.

• Services will be revised and shortened to allow for proper cleaning of spaces and to limit the time spent within the enclosed space. Singing will be minimized as well. Masks are to be worn for the entire service, including singing.

• Offerings will be taken by Elders at the exit of the worship space, with no plates or baskets passed during service.

• Communication Cards will not be used at this time.

• Communion: At this time, communion will only be offered at our Wednesday 7pm Drive-In Services, on the first Wednesday of the month. We will not offer it during our Sunday services.

• Bible Classes for all children, youth and adults have been suspended at this time.

• Fellowship Refreshments: Coffee, donuts and other food items will not be provided at this time.

• Exiting Worship: Elders and Ushers will dismiss worship attendees in a socially distanced fashion. Please be patient as you wait to exit, and leave the building in a timely fashion.

• Accessibility of Buildings: For the continued safety of our staff, and to ease the burden on our cleaning staff, our buildings remain closed for walk-in visitors during the week. Anyone wishing to meet with a staff member should contact that staff member directly or the church office to schedule a time to enter and meet. Proper entrance protocols will be adhered to at that time (including temperature taken, exposure evaluated, etc.).

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• Updates to Contact Info: updates@st-matthew.org