Worship indoors, and online are currently taking place. We have enjoyed a highly successful and very inspirational relaunch of indoor worship and have received many inquiries, for which we are immensely grateful. Indoor worship takes place in the sanctuary at 9:00 a.m., livestreaming online beginning at 9:00 a.m. (and later viewed as a recording). Our Regathering Task Force has prepared the following answers to questions we have heard. Thank you for your questions, and please let us know if you have more of them so that we can be as supportive and transparent as possible.
How will I know for sure if indoor worship is cancelled or postponed?
Pastor Nik is the only person authorized to make this decision. If you do not receive a legitimate, verifiable message from Pastor Nik or someone acting on his behalf, presume that indoor worship will still happen. If you hear it may be cancelled or postponed, contact the church office to verify its status. If someone tells you that it has been cancelled or postponed, ask where the person heard it, and recommend that the person call the church office to confirm if it is accurate information.
If Beautiful Savior learns that someone in indoor worship was infected with Covid-19, will there be indoor worship the next week?
Yes, in almost every situation, there will be indoor worship the next week. We trust our science-based cleaning/sanitation procedures, improved ventilation, over-and-above safety precautions, and thorough preparations we make to keep people as safe as possible. We also recognize that if we shop for groceries, stop to get gasoline, pick up a sandwich at a restaurant, grab a cup of coffee, step into the office for paperwork, meet with a client, pullover somewhere to use a bathroom, or do many other things that are part of our so-called “normal lives” in a Covid-19 world, it is very possible that there are people in those places who currently are infected with the virus. This is why our communal dedication to practices such as wearing face coverings in the building, maintaining a physical distance at all times, improving ventilation, and preemptive personal decisions not to enter the building if we feel unwell are part of what keeps everyone safer.
How does Beautiful Savior respond when we learn someone in worship was infected with Covid-19 at the time?
We begin by making personal calls as soon as reasonably possible to the people who were in worship that day. When it is difficult to reach someone quickly, we may need to leave a voicemail, send a text message, or send an email. Out of respect for our fellow children of God, we prefer to offer a person-to-person conversation unless someone has requested otherwise. This rapid responsiveness is why preregistration, which requests the best phone number, is not only important, but is essential. Additionally, even though there is no evidence that the virus can live on a surface for a week, we doubly clean the areas where the infected person was in the building.
What are some of the cleaning and sanitation procedures Beautiful Savior has put in place to support our safety?
To keep our congregation and guests as healthy and safe as possible, Beautiful Savior implemented new sanitizing procedures before we reopened the building for groups and indoor worship. These procedures include:
We placed stocked sanitizing kits throughout the building so that groups can sanitize their meeting spaces before and after gathering. The custodial team does additional sanitizing in these areas.
Our custodial team is using a medically recommended alcohol-based sanitizing spray throughout the building.
New touchless hand sanitizing stations throughout the building have been added along with additional sanitizing pumps.
Face coverings are required to enter the building. We are supplying face coverings and gloves for those who need them.
Meeting spaces are set up to accommodate at least 6 feet of physical distancing space per individual.
Worship capacity in the Sanctuary has been limited to 25% of capacity, which is 81 people. The normal Sanctuary capacity is 365 people.
The Sanctuary pews are covered with plastic so that they can be wiped down with sanitizer after usage.
We limit the number of people in worship in the Sanctuary to provide at least 6 feet of physical distancing between families/households. Ushers are seating worshippers to ensure 6 feet of distancing. Ushers also dismiss worshippers to help ensure the same effect.
For worship overflow, the Worship Tech Team is now streaming worship into the Welcome Center to help seat people there when the Sanctuary has reached capacity. This area is also helpful for people who feel comfortable entering the building, but who prefer to be seated away from the primary worship space.
Pre-sealed, sanitary elements (a wafer and grape juice) for Holy Communion are given to individuals as they enter the Sanctuary.
Offering plates/baskets are not currently passed, but instead are at the entrance/exit of the Sanctuary.
A new air filtration system has been installed to help with airborne bacteria and viruses.
Windows are left open in the Sanctuary during indoor worship.
Are there refreshments and an indoor fellowship time?
No. Currently, we are not offering refreshments before and after worship. We ask people to converse once they have left the building so as to improve traffic flow.
What do I need to know about indoor worship before arrival?
If you are sick, or you think you are sick, or you have recently been exposed to someone with Covid-19, please utilize our online worship opportunity instead of indoor Sanctuary worship.
Face coverings over both the mouth and nose are required. This is the overwhelming desire of the questionnaire respondents. Face coverings will be adjusted just once for taking Holy Communion.
Preregistration matters since our maximum worship attendance capacity is currently 81 people (25% of normal capacity). We will still register people at the door, but not be able to guarantee a seat without preregistration. Keeping track of names also assists with contact tracing. You can preregister on our church website or by calling the church office at 248-646-5041. CLICK HERE to preregister for Indoor Worship.
You do not need to bring your own bread and wine/juice for Holy Communion. We will provide you with prepackaged communion elements.
We will sing hymns, but only a verse or two of each.
Offerings will be deposited in a basket upon entry or departure so that we are not passing a plate.
The entire order of worship will be on the screen to limit physical contact with bulletins/hymnals.
There will be designated spaces for households to sit, which will be spaced generously from other people, and ushers will seat as well as dismiss people. (Imagine what happens at a wedding.)
The windows will be open, fans utilizing the filtration system will run constantly, and the heat radiators will be running. (Consider dressing for the weather, but indoors.)