• All who feel sick in any way or demonstrate any symptoms (such as regular sneezing, coughing, aches, chills, etc.), even if believed to be merely seasonal allergies, should stay home and watch the service online. 

• The CDC recommends those considered vulnerable – i.e. those with underlying conditions or over age 65 – should strongly consider staying home and watch online; for those considered vulnerable who decide to come, we encourage you to wear a facemask, regardless of your service choice.

• All who come, come with the understanding that these protocols are put in place to minimize the risk, but do not eliminate all risk. Those who come assume their own risk. Those who are not comfortable with that should feel free to stay home and watch the streamed service. 

• People are encouraged to use the restroom at home before coming to church, and avoid using the church restrooms if possible.

• The Clergy and Staff will work to limit services to 45 minutes.

• At all services, ushers will wear facemasks. 

• Everyone gets a squirt of hand-sanitizer upon entering the service, inside or outside

• We will register everyone who attends each service by name. This is so that if someone does become infected with COVID-19, we can work with health department officials to contact everyone quickly. 

• We will develop one bulletin that works for all four services. We will email this to the congregation on Friday so they can pull it up on their phones at their service. We will print some out, and will have trash receptacles available.

• Initially there will be no congregational singing, but only singing by a soloist.

• There will not be a processional or recessional; clergy will enter and exit the services from the Sacristy. We will not initially be using acolytes.

• The Gospel will be read in front of the congregation, not in the midst of the congregation.

• There will be a “Peace”, as is liturgically appropriate, but we will only hug/touch the members of our immediate family. For all others, we wave, bow, or flash a peace sign. 

• Offering plate will be available at the back of the services, both inside and outside.

• Priests will disinfect their hands before celebration in view of all parishioners, will wear masks during the celebration and distribution of the Eucharist, and will bring the bread to the parishioners in their seats. Priests will hand a wafer to parishioners, intending to avoid skin to skin contact. 

• After the service, ushers should dismiss parishioners, beginning at the rear of the service. This must be clearly communicated during announcements.

• Bathrooms, chairs, pews, door handles will be disinfected between services.

• There will be no breakfast, communal coffee, Sunday School classes, Nursery, or Kid’s Word until further notice.

• Though we would not initially expect more than 100, we don’t intend to put a cap on service size for outside services. 

• Parishioners who are able to carry them are asked to bring their own chairs to these services, and sit a minimum of 10 feet away from anyone that is not in their immediate household. 

• Anyone who uses available COOS chairs will be asked to wipe them down when they’re finished using them.

• We will continue these outside services, even into the warmer months, because heat and humidity are believed to work against the SARS-CoV 2 virus. (Reference) “Picnic” attire is perfectly acceptable, and people may feel free to bring their own coffee, water bottles, etc. Worshippers should expect to see unvested priests in flip flops, if the weather requires it!

• Facemasks are recommended, but not required, for outside services; however, we ask that everyone bring a mask because there may be someone you’d like to talk to who is more comfortable with the conversation if you are wearing a mask. This is the loving thing to do, but it is not intended to encourage lingering after the service.

• The plan now is to limit inside services to 50 parishioners (including ushers) with a little flexibility; If there are 60 or more, at least 10 (whatever number to get the attendance in the nave down to 50) should go to overflow seating in the Great Hall, and watch the service streaming on the TV. This number could change in either direction if authoritative guidelines (CDC, Diocese of FL, etc.) require it on any given Sunday. 

• Streaming depends on the technology installation and volunteers to run it. If we have a rainy day and more than 50 show up for either of the first two services, we will need to be able to stream the service, or be forced to turn people away. (Though we will only live-stream the 11:00 service, the technology will allow us to stream at any time if we need to for overflow situations) If you would like to volunteer for this new ministry, please call the church office.

• For now, masks are required for inside services, including Thursday morning. Disposable masks are hard to come by these days, so parishioners are asked to bring their own. If the church is out of disposable masks, parishioners without masks will be asked to leave. This is not because we are against you or your decisions; it is because we love you and the rest of our parishioners.

• Pews will be clearly marked as to where people are allowed to sit.

• Ushers will be available to assist parishioners with finding seating if needed