Safely Reopening
our Doors
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May 13, 2020
We have heard from many of our faith community partners who have asked for tips and ideas on how to safely reopen after the Illinois stay-at-home order expires.
We have compiled a variety of resources that we hope will be helpful as you plan to welcome congregants back and resume your faith community programming and activities.
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May 14, 10:30 a.m.
Learn what important steps you can take to stay healthy and hear more about what you can expect from Advocate Aurora Health when you visit the doctor’s office or come to one of our campuses.
May 14, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
The interactive webinar will include representatives from the Centers for Disease Control interacting with ecumenical leaders.
May 15, May 22 and May 29, noon-1:00 p.m.
A panel of church experts will frame this important conversation by sharing insights and answering questions from participants.
Wednesday, May 20, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Wisconsin Council of Churches Executive Director, Rev. Kerri Parker, will discuss protocols and best practices for returning to church in the coming weeks and months.
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Prepare Your Church for Reopening
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- Deep clean your entire church. Consider shampooing carpets, sanitizing pews, bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, and microphones.
- Pay attention to the preschool and children’s areas. Consider removing everything nonessential from the room to limit surfaces for potential contamination and do a thorough cleaning in between uses.
- Remove Bibles, hymnals, pens, information cards, etc., from the backs of chairs/pews.
- Post signs about not shaking hands and doing non-contact greetings. You can promote the hashtag #itsoktosmileandwave.
- Consider placing some kind of blocks in your sanctuary or classrooms to ensure social distancing. Tape, remove chairs, use cones, etc. to indicate the distance needed.
See additional guidelines for the following:
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Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago Provides Guidance on Reopening Mosques & Schools
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- Having assigned times for worshipers to pray at mosques.
- Requesting worshipers to place their shoes in their own bag upon arrival and keeping the bag with them while in the building.
- Requesting worshipers perform Wudhu, the ritual washing, at home before arriving for prayer.
Those are some of the guidelines, developed by the
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, to help imams, mosque administrative personnel, educators and others prepare to reopen the more than 60 mosques, schools and service organizations throughout the Chicago region.
Learn more about the work of the Council in ensuring the half-million Muslims, who call Chicagoland home, stay safe as facilities open.
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Questions for Church Leadership to Consider Before Re-Launch
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The Wisconsin Council of Churches recommends church leadership consider questions, like these, before re-launching:
- How many people can your worship space hold if you are worshiping in family groups sitting 6 feet apart?
- How will you discourage the receiving line after church and/or congregating after worship services?
- How will you cap attendance at events so you don’t go over guidelines?
- How will you ensure sanitation and disinfection in regards to communal spaces?
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A Model for Returning to Church
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- Phase 1: Returning to the Church Building
- Phase 2: Groups begin meeting again on campus
- Phase 3: Regaining Strength and Ministries
In his blog, Ken Braddy, Jr., of LifeWay Christian Resources, says these four phases may not work in every church, but may make sense for some. He encourages faith leaders to adjust the phases to fit their church.
"Move items from one phase to another. Move some up, others down. But develop a phase-in plan that you and your congregants can accept," he says.
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