Back Into the Fold: Returning to Church During the Covid-19 Outbreak

Many Good Shepherd parishioners have been asking when can we come back to church? The answer to this question begins with the Bishop of Georgia who is responsible for the safety and well-being of the people of our Diocese. Bishop Benhase and Bishop-Elect Logue have provided real “step-up” leadership to the challenges facing all Episcopalians in South Georgia during this pandemic. 

The Bishop of Georgia will move to authorize in-person worship when counties in the Diocese meet the conditions set forth by the White House and CDC for opening up America again. These are: 

1.     The number of new COVID-19 cases has declined for at least 14 days 

2.     Rapid diagnostic testing capacity is significant to test, at minimum, all people with COVOD-19 symptoms. 

The Bishop will consider broader regions than the county in making a determination, so it is possible some areas of the Diocese will be authorized to proceed before others.

This will not occur before June and a recent poll of Americans finds a majority saying they think it will be mid-summer (July) before it is safe for assemblies of more than 10 persons to gather. 

Once the Bishop has authorized the resumption of in-person worship, it will then be left to the Rector and Vestry of those congregations to determine what is safest and best for their own congregations. You can read the Diocesan guidelines for returning to in-person worship HERE. 

We would welcome your comments and suggestions as we continue to create a plan for continuing our life and ministry in the time of COVID-19.

Two things are known: it will be some time before we are able to return to anything closely resembling what we knew before the outbreak and because the situation is so fluid, the steps of any plan must be constantly re-evaluated in light of new developments.

We are grateful for your encouraging words of support and appreciation for our responses to this situation.

Guidelines For In-person Worship at Good Shepherd

The Church lives and acts by a different set of values and obligations than the State. Life in the Church is guided by Jesus’ own example and teachings. His Way is the way of agape, the way of sacrificial, serving love that does not insist on its own way but on a high regard for the interests of others. 

In this situation then, the safety, health and even life of others is our primary concern. Church should be the last place where anyone’s spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical life should experience harm or injury. This is a difficult, but reasonable, expectation of the Christian Community. 

This Plan attempts to set out a path forward in the midst of this outbreak. Each step will require constant re-evaluation prior to implementation. The Rector and Vestry will make all final decisions about moving forward. 

Phase One: Now in progress

•        Online worship continues      
•         Baptisms are on hold as per the Bishop of Georgia
•        Funeral services or weddings may take place in the church, cemetery or other outdoor setting with physical distancing and immediate family present
•        The Parish Office is closed but Staff are authorized to come and go as needed to accomplish necessary tasks
•     Shelter in Place and work from home guidelines are encouraged
•     Required meetings of the Vestry and other committees are conducted online

Phase Two: Commences when the Bishop authorizes in person worship

• Online services continue
•        The Office is opened for abbreviated or regular hours as the situation merits
•       The Rector and Vestry consider when to begin worship in the church or in the churchyard with physical distancing and other safety practices such as masks, hand sanitizing, etc., in effect
•        The Parish House is cleaned regularly with special attention to doors, restrooms, light switches and other high touch surfaces
•        Funerals or weddings may be conducted in the church according to the same guidelines authorized for Sunday worship
•        Vestry meetings or other committee meetings, involving 10 or fewer persons, may take place in person, following distancing and other safety requirements, or online
•        Online formation opportunities continue to be offered 
•        Pews are emptied of all touchable items
•      Some use of the Parish House by outside groups may begin sometime during this phase

Phase Three: To commence when the risk of infection is very low due to vaccines or other medical strategies

•        Good hygiene practices continue
•      Regular cleaning of Parish facilities with special attention to high touch surfaces continues
•      Facilities are open for community use
•     Distancing requirements are dropped  
•     Multiple services resume
•     Sunday school, breakfast, suppers, youth group resume 
•     Coffee service resumes
•     Parish Office volunteers return

Appendix One 

Phase Two Worship Guidelines

•        The Holy Eucharist is celebrated at 8:00 am, 10:00 am and 6:00 pm
•     There is no congregational singing
•     Communion is received in one kind only, worshippers bringing a cracker from home for consecration
•     Orders of Service are set out in pews prior to worship
•     Seating is limited to 60-75 persons maximum sitting two per pew, every other pew, with persons living in the same household allowed to sit on the same pew 
•      Offerings may be placed in a receiving basin at the West Door of the church
•     The Peace is passed verbally between worshippers
•     Masks are required
•     Attendance is by prior reservation
•     There are sanitizing stations at each entrance and in the Sacristy
•     The fronts and backs of pews are sanitized in between services

Appendix Two

Office and Staff Protocol for Phases One and Two

•       Individual work spaces of the Staff are to be sanitized each day
•     Masks are to be worn in the Parish Office
•     Interactions are to pay attention to physical spacing
•     No meetings in small offices

Appendix Three

Phase Three Worship Guidelines

•        The Holy Eucharist is celebrated at 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 11:15 am and 6:00 pm
•     Congregational singing is permitted
•     Choir and acolytes return to worship services
•     There are no special seating requirements
•     Communion is in one kind and received at the altar
•     Offerings are brought to the altar at communion and placed in a receiving basin in the crossing of the church
•      There are sanitizing stations at each entrance and in the Sacristy