The following essential guidelines will be adhered to by everyone on church property:

• Wearing Face Masks and Gloves – Each individual must properly wear a surgical or cloth face mask at all times after exiting a vehicle on the church parking lot and/or walking on church property. Face masks will be worn by everyone while in the church building and no one will be permitted into the church building without wearing a face mask. The face mask can be removed from the face once reentering a vehicle and/or off of the church property. Each person must be responsible for providing a face mask for self or family. The church will not be responsible for providing one for you. By now, a face mask should be a household product. Face masks will be available, at a cost, for those who left their mask home. Also, wearing rubber or latex gloves is optional unless performing duties in a serving capacity. A person wearing rubber or latex gloves to the church must sanitize the gloves with hand sanitizer upon entering the church lobby.                                                       
• Physical/SocialDistancing–Physical/social distancing of at least six (6) feet should be followed by everyone and all forms of physical contact while on church premises should be avoided. This includes physical contact while on the church parking lot, grassy areas, the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and in restrooms. Each person should obey directional signs for movement throughout the facility. Of course, it may be necessary for a parent to hold a child’s hand as appropriate.                                                                                                                                                      
• MaintainingPhysical/SocialDistancing-Physical/social distancing will be adhered to throughout the church facility and grounds.                         
• Entering the Sanctuary-Personal healthy hygiene is paramount. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water just before you leave home for church. Your temperature will be taken using a “touch-less” thermometer before you enter the sanctuary and/or fellowship hall. Each person must use one pump of hand sanitizer on hands upon entering the lobby. Do not bring food or liquids into the church – except for baby and child care needs; such as, milk or juice bottles. (Bottled water used with medication is permissible, but empty or full bottles must be taken with you when leaving the sanctuary and church premises or they should be placed in trashcans. If possible, take your medication before coming to church so that you do not have to lift your face mask to take medicine.) Also, take all personal items with you upon leaving the church after a service. Items left behind will be discarded. Bibles and hymnals have been temporarily removed from the pews in the sanctuary and the length of services will be modified to limit the time sitting together in an enclosed area. The fellowship hall will be used for overflow and its seating will maintain physical/social distancing. Please stay home if you are ill, suspect you are ill, or have come in contact with someone who is ill within the last 14 days. A person with a temperature will be asked to leave the premises. Until further notice, the church van will not transport members to and from church.

• Seating in the Sanctuary:
  Follow the directional signs upon entering the sanctuary and obey the ushers, deacons, and/or security personnel. In order to maintain physical/social distancing, some pews will NOT be used for seating purposes. Only sit in the pews identified for seating and abide by the pew markers used to maintain distancing on that pew. To the greatest extent possible, persons living in the same household will be seated together on the same pew without distancing. Children should sit with their parents. Youth and young adults not living in the same household will be seated separately from seniors and “Precious Jewels.” Be aware of who is sitting around you although physical/social distancing will be in effect.

• Movement in the Sanctuary:
  Traffic movement in the sanctuary will be one way in order to maintain distancing. Follow the directional signs on the floor and walls. Each person’s tithes and offerings will be collected in a basket located on a table while worshippers leave the sanctuary after the benediction. Directions for depositing contributions will be given by the presiding officer before dismissal. No one will be holding an offering basket. At the end of a service, the congregation should follow the directional signs while exiting the sanctuary promptly. Please do not socialize in the sanctuary or impede movement. Remember to use physical/social distancing while leaving the sanctuary and walking on the church grounds. We will get through these temporary inconveniences caused by COVID-19. God’s light is at “the end of the tunnel.”                                                    
• Face to Face Activity:
  For the most part, all large group activities, such as, church services and Bible study will be held in the sanctuary. This will facilitate the cleaning and sanitation of the area after use. Utilization of the fellowship hall will be limited to small group activities for the most part and under no circumstance will food be served there until further notice (See additional information regarding the use of the fellowship hall in the phase in “Protocols” section of this action plan.). To the greatest extent possible, face to face seating will be eliminated and all face to face activity will be avoided in the sanctuary. This means that choirs will NOT be singing during indoor worship until further notice. Again, the congregation will exit the sanctuary as directed while maintaining physical/social distancing and without socializing. Pastor will NOT greet exiting church members at the door as customary. Any member that needs Pastor should call him on his cell or contact his/her deacon.              
• Using the Restrooms:                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A parent must accompany his/her child under the age of eight years old to the restroom. Otherwise, only one person at a time can be in the restrooms in the lobby and fellowship hall unless a second person is needed to assist someone in his/her care to and from and in the restroom. If possible, use the restroom in the lobby during service if you are sitting in the sanctuary. Please do not use the restrooms in the fellowship hall except in an emergency. Those persons sitting in the overflow may use the restrooms in the fellowship hall. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the restroom and discard paper towels and other personal hygiene products appropriately in the trashcan.

• Movement between the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall:
  There will be limited times when a person will need to leave the sanctuary and go to the fellowship hall and vice versa. Physical/social distancing will be observed. Because the stairs leading to the sanctuary and fellowship hall do not accommodate distancing in two-way traffic, a person should call out in a moderate tone “Coming down” or “Coming up” before proceeding. Be courteous and move aside to a space that will allow distancing and wait for the other person to safely come up or move down the stairs. Entry and exit doors leading to the fellowship hall will remain locked.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
• Outdoor Services:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                At such time when outdoor services are held, wearing face masks and physical/social distancing are in effect unless a person remains in an enclosed vehicle. A person must bring his/her own chair when sitting on the parking lot or grass while at the same time maintaining the appropriate distancing.

PROTOCOLS

The phases listed below will be used to guide reopening the church building to “in- person” public gatherings. Once the reopening decision has been made, a timeline that includes a proposed amount of time that will be spent in each phase prior to moving into the next phase will be communicated to you. The amount of time spent in each phase will be driven by any updated guidelines by national and state health officials; as well as, benchmarks established by SPBC to govern movement from one phase to the next.