Although communities, families, individuals, and even entire nations have been affected in real and lasting ways, we don’t know how life will be after the dust settles from the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing we all understand is that we’ll be experiencing a new state of normalcy. This guide will help your church navigate smoothly into this ‘new normal’ in a way that’ll strengthen your ministry’s impact.

Initial Church Assessment

From what it seems, the permission to gather publicly might roll out in different ways, according to the geographical location of your church. Assess the current impact the pandemic has had in your church’s locale to ensure it’s not one of the hot spots where cases can flare up rapidly.

Reflect on how the local authorities are responding to anticipate the possibilities of what the days ahead may look like to develop thoughtful plans and making appropriate preparations before reopening the church’s doors for the community.

Depending on the size of the church, you should also develop a plan for how the church will approach ministry, the number of people that should attend the service, and set different worship times before re-launching in-person gatherings.

Preparing Your Church

Regardless of their ages, everyone will be cautious about returning to public gatherings. It’s essential for people to know how the church is planning to protect the community. You should especially communicate the measures your church is taking to keep people safe to new members that the church might have approached during the crisis. It’s time to think about the FDA-approved safety supplies and items you’ll need before reopening the doors to your church for the community. Here’s a list of items to get you started.

#1 Hand Sanitizing Stations

This is one of the few items that will become commonplace and a crucial part of this new normal. Set up a hand sanitizing station at the church’s entrance; try to get ones with the touchless feature to maintain hygiene instead of ones with manual pumps. It’s best to get efficient stations that can be easily filled with any sanitizer to enhance cost-effectiveness rather than those that require special sanitizer bags inserted to refill the station.

#2 Face Masks

Make sure that you have plenty of face masks available for your members, staff, and volunteers. Many churches have hosted drives where they distribute safety gear and essentials to those who need them but can’t afford them. Encourage everyone attending the worship gathering to adhere to all safety rules set by the CDC, WHO, and other concerned local authorities to demonstrate your commitment to safety and care.

#3 Safety Signage

Don’t forget to install signage to communicate the safety precautions that all employees, volunteers, and members need to adhere to at all times. This helps inform people what is expected of them and shows your concern about the safety of everyone who visits the church.

Concerned about additional measures to protect the ministries? Experienced church insurance agents at one of the leading church insurance companies, Integrity Now Insurance Brokers, can help. We understand that churches today live on extremely tight budgets, and even a single incident without proper insurance can sometimes wipe out the church financially.

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Schedule an appointment with us through call or email to discuss ways to safeguard your ministry with suitable and affordable church insurance coverage options.