Church No Matter What • Congregational Life • Events

Preparing to Regather | Resources for Congregations

12 months ago

BCM is here to help you as your congregation considers both a regathering plan and a plan for vibrant hybrid ministry designed to reach members and participants whether they are online or on-site. Please email us at [email protected] for more information about how we can help you:

  • create a process that creates a safe space for dialogue and involvement;
  • develop a practical, clear plan of action;
  • provide support for your staff & leadership throughout the process; and
  • offer practical suggestions, ideas, and tools that will move you toward a new future.

Ministry leaders continue to make critical decisions about future worship and on-site gatherings at our physical locations. These decisions require much prayerful and practical discernment in a constantly evolving environment.  These resources are designed to help you in that discernment.

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Click the links below to jump down to find additional resources on each topic:

 

MCSP Communication and Resources

  • COMING SOON: Additional practical tools for developing a hybrid ministry plan that can be customized for your congregational context.
  • A Plan for Regathering: A Guide for Church Boards (May 20, 2020) – Board of Cooperative Ministries (PDF of plan & worksheets | Worksheets in Word format)
  • How Will We Gather? Planning Exercise: Rooted Good offers an interactive and engaging exercise to help congregations or organizations have a good conversation and make decisions about how to gather given the current context.
  • Hybrid Church: A Way Forward for Church Leaders This post by the Rev. Tim Schenck, provides some food for thought for congregational leaders as we navigate church beyond the pandemic.

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COVID-19 in 2021: What We Know Now Webinar (March 23, 2021)

Get an update on the virus, its new variants, and learn more about vaccines. Why we should trust the vaccine? What have we learned? What do we still need to learn? What will it take for us to physically re-gather?

 

Regathering Webinar (May 20, 2020)

During this workshop, we explored the latest information from church and government authorities, heard practical guidance from those already addressing these issues, and shared useful resources as we build our own bridge to the church of the future. One KEY question for congregations to consider: Is the quality of the on-site experience going to be better than the online or alternate experience?

 

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PEC COVID-19 Congregation Updates

  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Revised Guidelines for Worship Gatherings, Meetings, and Church Offices (April 9, 2021)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Congregation Councils (March 12, 2021)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Revised Guidelines for Worship Gatherings, Meetings, and Church Offices (March 1, 2021)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: COVID-19 North Carolina County Alert System (November 13, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Revised Guidelines about Church Gatherings, Meetings, and Offices (November 11, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: On Reopening Activities (September 17, 2020) | On Screen and Notification (September 18, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Reminder of Health and Safety Precautions for Church Offices and Gatherings (August 8, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Health and Safety Precautions for Church Offices and Gatherings (June 17, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: on Worship Gatherings (May 28, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Choirs, bands, and congregational singing (May 22, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: COVID-19 Precautions for Church Offices (May 13, 2020)
  • PEC Memo UPDATE: Re-Opening Activities (May 8, 2020)
  • PEC Memo: “Re-Opening” Church Activities and Events (April 27, 2020)

Government Guidelines

Nationwide

 

North Carolina Health and Human Services- NCHHS (Statewide)

 

Forsyth County (NC)

Please check with your local public health department or state government for specific information outside of North Carolina.

Singing

 

When Can We Sing? (May 8, 2020) | The Rev. Dr. Nola Knouse, Moravian Music Foundation

Can’t We Sing Yet? (Nov 7, 2020) | The Rev. Dr. Nola Knouse, Moravian Music Foundation

PPE Supplies & Cleaning Equipment – Possible Sources

  • Outreach.com: Prepare Your Church For Reopening
  • Indera Mills (Face Masks)
  • Project Mask Winston-Salem (mask pattern; opportunity to sew masks)
  • The Nightingale Face Mask (used for the Masks for All project)
  • Mill-Chem (NC): OdoBan Virucide (disinfectant cleaner) by the gallon, touchless hand sanitizer dispensers, stands. See supply source PDF below for account rep and contact info.
  • Look Our Way: Reusable, custom, and disposable masks. Discounts for larger quantities.
  • Restaurant Depot: Possible source for gloves, cleaners, equipment. Free membership at warehouse stores for non-profits.
  • Global Industrial: Disposable masks, face shields, infrared thermometers, other cleaning supplies,
  • Amazon and other online retailers: Miscellaneous items such as gloves, reusable masks, mask supplies, sanitizer, hand pumps for gallon sanitizer, spray bottles, dispensers.

 

Supplies for reopening:

  • Hand sanitizer, touchless dispensers, stands
  • Disinfectant multi-purpose cleaner
  • Gloves
  • Masks (re-usable and disposable)
    • Hanesbrands: Offering high quality and low-cost cloth face masks available in bulk quantities for organizations large or small.
  • Signage
  • Pastors Toolbox: Save A Seat

Optional:

  • Floor stickers & decals, touch tools, individual hand sanitizers & wipes
  • Electrostatic disinfectant applicator (sprayer)*

*A Word about Electrostatic Disinfectant Applicators: UCMC the Clorox Pro 360 applicator, which kills 99.9% of bacteria in 5 seconds, kills cold and flu viruses, MRSA and norovirus in 2 minutes or less. 65% less solution used than hand spraying and wiping, 75% faster (covers 18,000 square feet per hour).  Less expensive than hand-spraying and wiping down all surfaces.  We’ll use weekly (Fri/Sat) in preparation for Sunday. Allow at least 12 weeks for delivery.  Learn about system efficiency and effectiveness in this video. Review supply source PDF below for source information.

Special thanks to Dan Johnson, Trustee chair, Union Cross Moravian Church for sharing their supply sources.

Other Resources for Consideration

 

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