I have been posting about our church’s efforts to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, and I thought I would bring you up to date. We ended public worship on March 22nd. We’ve webcast our worship services now for six weeks, and more people have viewed our services online than came to public worship. We observed the Lord’s Supper online, and we held a business meeting by asking people to vote by email. In the last three weeks, we’ve used ZOOM for some of our adult Sunday school classes, and that has gone well. We never closed the church office. Except for the first week of shut down, our offerings have been good.
The question we’ve discussed in our staff meetings is: When shall we resume public worship. Our church is located in Texas, and we were anxious to hear Governor Gregg Abbott’s speech on reopening the state’s economy on April 27th. In his speech, Governor Abbott announced that many classes of businesses, including restaurants and theaters, could reopen at 25% of capacity on May 1st. Further, he stated if that goes well, then businesses could operate at 50%, beginning May 18th. To be clear, the state government declared that churches could reopen for worship on May 3, but the authorities advised against it.
Well, what did we decide to do? We did not see how we could open at 25% capacity and still practice social distancing, which the state recommends. However, we do believe that we can operate at 50% capacity. We reasoned this way. Our auditorium is certified by the architect at 800 occupants. Our normal Sunday morning worship is between 300-400. So, if we have 400 in attendance, we’ll be at 50% capacity. The state government is recommending social distancing, and our state convention has published suggestions on how to do that. In accordance with the convention’s guidance, we will rope off every other row of pews. We’ll ask family units to sit apart from each other. So, for example, if my wife and I sit on one end of a pew, another couple could sit on the same pew, but six feet away from us. We won’t pass the offering plate, and we plan to keep the doors open so that people need not touch them. We’ll disinfect the buildings before and after the worship services.
We plan to have worship, but not Sunday school, on May 24 and May 31. We expect to resume our full Sunday program on June 7th and our full Wednesday evening programming on June 10th. Of course, all of this assumes the governor will permit the 50% capacity on May 18th.
I realize that the situation is different in other locations. If our church was located in a hot spot, like New York or New Orleans, we would adopt a different timeline. In our small town, we’ve only had one case of COVID-19. Beyond that, our town mayor, who is a member of our church, has encouraged us to resume worship in May. Churches with a high percentage of senior adults may choose to wait longer to resume. It is interesting, though, that several of our senior adults have been quite vocal in urging the staff to resume worship. We realize that some senior adults will wait to return to worship until they feel safe. I’m sure that will be true of parents with young children, also.
What have you decided to do about resuming public worship?
We are a little frustrated here in Sioyz City. When there was almost NO virus here we were shut down because of the outbreaks elsewhere. Now, we are talking about opening up and NOW there’s a major outbreak here.
Most of Iowa is opening up and the NY Times just listed us #1 outbreak site in the US by percentage.
So, we are still shut down for several weeks
Its a new day in Paradise.
Interesting Times
The TBMB just released a document on TN church openings. It’s good, IMO.
They don’t recommend a date because all churches are different. But they do suggest guidelines regarding practical steps, sanitation, distancing, not using commonly handled items like offering plates and hymnals… it’s a long list.
TN has lifted it’s stay at home order. My thought is to wait at least a few more weeks to see if there’s another spike now that the cages are open. I don’t want us to open on Mother’s Day because there’s usually much higher attendance than usual. In our case it’s more about grandmothers than mother’s because we’re old.
So we’re considering May 17th, no earlier. And then it will be morning worship service only. No other services, programs, or classes. We plan to close all the building other than the Sanctuary and two restrooms near the entrance in order to keep sanitation needs down. No nursery or childcare…no hugs, kisses, or handshakes…and bring your own mask if desired. Stay home if you’re sick or just not comfortable…
Oh, and rule one will be don’t breath on the preacher or his wife.
Staff says June, maybe.
Another question I’d like to add is, have any of your churches given thought to VBS this summer? Ours is usually in mid June, so we have to make that decision soon.
We are moving our to the week before school is planned to open… We are small, probably will have only 20 to 25 kids at best. We are planning on doing a lot of the activities outdoors so we can still keep the kids from being under each other. Working with parents and other ideas. Of course we keep one eye on the news.
Given thought? Yes. But a decision is long in the future
First Baptist Church of Dallas will resume public worship on May 31st. They state on their website that none of their members has contracted COVID-19. D E asked about VBS. Our VBS was scheduled for July, and we plan to go ahead with that, assuming the situation does not get worse. We did cancel camps in June.
What about ZBS – Zoom Bible School ?
Thanks for the responses.
I like the idea of pushing the date back. Ours is scheduled so soon it concerns me, some. If we push VBS back that gives us a little more time to hash it out.
How about improving ventilation? Smaller churches could maybe go back to the brush arbor paradigm and hold services outdoors. Big churches could open every window. Every cubic foot of outdoor air is carrying zero virus-laden droplets.
Back when tuberculosis was a major cause of death, architects went in for high ceilings and big windows. Different disease, similar mode of transmission: one person inhales what another exhales. Fresh air good, stale air bad.
I think your point is valid. I heard a guy on a Moody radio program this morning say his church isn’t going to have congregational singing because that would project droplets farther than 6 feet.
It’s kind of crazy the way the mind starts thinking about these things but I guess we have to.
That’s going to be a real disappointment if people can’t sing in church. I wonder if they can adapt the veterinarians’ “cone of shame” to human vocalists, so the spit droplets fly down and out and the sound wafts upwards? Sound tends to go where it’s directed, that’s the principle behind the megaphone. Just thinking out loud.
I’m a little confused because governor Abbott also declared well over a month ago the churches were essential businesses. Well we have not been meeting and will start again this Sunday, I was under the assumption that he had already authorized purchase to resume meeting. In any case, we are going to have a worship service for those that feel safe coming in the building, keeping them 6 feet apart my family units… We are also going to simultaneously broadcast the service to those who wish to park in a reserved parking lot over FM radio. And then we will be uploading the service to YouTube later on tomorrow afternoon
As I understand it, Governor Abbott never forbade public worship. However, he did appeal to churches to stop public worship for a time. Of course, almost all the churches in Texas did stop worshiping in their buildings. In his April 27 announcement, the governor relaxed the restrictions on some businesses, like restaurants, and he and the attorney general issued special guidelines for churches to follow. The government is advising churches in Texas to resume worship at 25% capacity. As I explained above, our church staff decided to wait for 50% capacity, which is to come on May 18th. The Baptist General Convention of Texas has posted all these decrees and the convention’s suggestions on its website.
Could I suggest that when public worship occurs is whenever a believer lives out our testimony in public. We can do that whenever we go out in public.
I believe you are asking the question about corporate worship. I am not trying to be a smart aleck. Truly. I just believe we need to remember that the greatest act of worship we can do is to live out our testimony and to share how our lives are different because of Jesus the Messiah.
Now to answer your question – we have been doing corporate worship outside in the parking lot for the last 5 weeks. I believe we will move inside after May 18.
With all due respect I don’t believe living out one’s testimony in public will fulfill the scriptural command to “not forsake gathering together as is the manner of some.”
The church must gather corporately. Public testimony is wonderful but its not the church gathered.
But I am glad to hear your church has found a way to safely gather together.
So, D. E. Clemons, does your Bible tell you how often you should gather together? According to church history in the USA people did not always congregate every Sunday.
No, not at all.
I’m simply saying public testimony is not equal to nor can it fulfill the scriptural command for the church to gather together.
Yes, I’m aware of the circuit riding preachers of old and the fact that some frontier churches were unable to meet on a regular basis.
What does that have to do with the point?
D. E. – You are missing my point as well. Public Worship should be or is a continual act if you are a believer in Jesus. Corporate worship is the church bodies coming together.
I hope every action you seek to do is an act of worship. I know mine is not but I am working on it.
The question is, do you believe individual acts of public worship fulfill the Lord’s command for His church to gather together? If you do, I disagree. If you don’t we’re in perfect agreement.
Of course I believe our every breath should and can be an act of worship. But that worship doesn’t constitute the assembling together of the church.
D. E. Clemons, you said, “The church must gather corporately” and my question is how often and even where. The Bible does not say.
Doesn’t matter as long as they gather. Acts says the church began to meet on the first day of the week and that’s what most do as a matter scriptural traditional. The point, again, is that each church is commanded to gather. Over and over the New Testament speaks of the assembly. When you assemble…
I agree, there’s no specific command as to when or how often but good exegesis brings us to understand it should be regular and often.
What’s your point?
D. E. Clemons, you asked me “what’s your point?” My point is that many who profess Christianity pick and choose verses that suit them, ignoring many others. You quote Acts as indicating weekly meetings but does your church practice everyone giving all that they have to the common good?
You know what? They tried trap Jesus with slanted questions too.
But to answer your new slanted question I offer 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.
Yes, our church makes every effort to be obedient to God’s Word.
We also practice Titus 3:10.
I think I’ll do that now.
I’m done.
D. E. Clemons, I too am done…your response eluded me.
Context – Missouri Laymen
We have a large VBS (500+) with lots of planning reqired, and it (was) scheduled for June. That has now been cancelled, along with kids camp, etc. In fact, May and June non-worship services ministries canceled.
We are a large church, so there will have to be some adaption to worship services, I.e., spreading people across the campus, no small groups for a time. That is still being discussed by our staff.
As we’re in the St. Louis metro area, they have a longer stay at home order than the rest of the state, so we’re looking at mid-late May restart.
i hope that when they start reopening, they go away from numerical guidelines and give % of capacity standards.
My church can seat 300 to 350. Others can seat 75 to 100. Others 5000+. Saying only 50 can gather is dumb. Say 33% of building capacity or something like that.
FWIW, we have basically thrown summer out the window. We’re hoping to VBS later and deployed (possibly to parks). All other camps, etc., are pretty much off at this point. We are hoping to do a kids camp with Pine Cove later in the summer (normally the week after school gets out). We also may band together with several local churches for a DiscipleNow-in-the-summer kind of student camp replacement. That has all transpired this week.
Edit for context: 400 Sunday morning, 2 services, normally have 500 kids in VBS.
We have a small church and have met every Sunday morning. If we were larger it probably would have been a little different situation.
We practice social distancing: no shaking hands, no hugs. I’ve joked our folks even practice social distancing in the parking lot – they leave a parking space or two between cars! We’ve learned to bow, and wave to each other.
We leave the doors open during worship so everyone does not have to grab the same door handle to get in or out.
Some of our people have stayed home, knowing we respect their decision. We are also not at all critical of those who have postponed Worship for a while.
David R. Brumbelow
It doesn’t matter for us, other than we will miss zoom church. We won’t be at church since we live where folks see it as their God given right not to wear a mask and not to social distance. We also won’t be spending our money shopping in any stores that do not require that of both staff and customers. Parking lot services were open window and did not space out the cars, so there was no 6 ft. social distancing.
Until folks around us get the idea that to get through this we have to put the needs of others ahead of our own, we will worship at home.
Hopefully many will take the stance “want us back, practice safety.”
Good points and I think many feel the same way.
I used to tell my football players ( I was a coach before I was a pastor)…
It only takes a little more effort to do it right than it did to do it wrong.
This is no time for churches to be lazy.
We were supposed to have waited until May 10 (Indiana) but we went ahead and met last Lord’s Day on the 3rd. The deacons and I decided that the early response of “hunker down” was wise, back in March, but that the extension of the lockdown was edging towards government over-reach. Everybody’s got to allow for everybody else to apply their own biblical wisdom to re-opening.