⛪✅

Re-Opening Checklist

& Guidelines for Returning to
Church Amid COVID-19

In This Guide
Before You Open 5
Worship Service Guidelines 12
Communications & Marketing 20
Double Down on Digital 21
Prepare for a Second Wave 22

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 Are you ready to re-open your church?

As we move past what seems to be the worst of this global pandemic that has forced
us to quarantine and close everything, churches have some very tough decisions
ahead of them.

The big question is, “when should we re-open our church building… and HOW do we
even go about it?”

Many churches are opening up right away, even among the strict restrictions and
guidelines they must follow. And of course some are opening while ignoring the
restrictions and guidelines all together. While others are waiting until things can be a
little more normal before they open up their buildings.

Whatever you decide, this is a huge decision and should be done carefully and
strategically. There are a ton of things to consider and be aware of, and no one has
ever gone through this before so there’s little guidance on how to do it.

We’ll do our best to help you through it.

First, Weigh the Options

The decision to re-open your church amid this COVID-19 pandemic is not something
that should be taken lightly or rushed into. There are so many nuances and implications
to think through and consider.

Is opening up where you have to severely restrict your capacity, wear masks, and
space people out throughout your auditorium worth it?

There are also incredible digital options available to churches that allow us to continue
gathering together, live in community with each other, and even build disciples. There is
a strong argument to be made that church doesn’t need a building at all in order to be
a church. Sure it will look different, and bring its own set of problems, but you should
consider the options fully before proceeding to try and do church like you always have.

Think beyond just streaming your services online, and get creative with how you can
continue to be the church without your building.

When it comes to when and how you re-open your church, you must decide what is
best for your congregation and your community. You must also know and follow the
specific orders of your local city, county, and state in addition to federal orders and
regulations being put into place.

Every church is going to be affected in different ways, depending on the situation in

your specific community.

If you have any hesitancy to re-open, we suggest you wait. With the availability to use
digital means to continue to do church, we do not need to be in a panic to re-open our
buildings. Churches have a great advantage over other businesses because of the
nature of what we do and the ability to adapt to any situation, if we are open to it.

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Assess The Situation
Every church operates in a different context. You need to assess the situation from
your particular context, including the current health status of your staff and church
members, and the health statistics for your specific community and city.

Just because nationwide churches are opening, doesn’t mean it necessarily makes
sense for you. The White House guidelines suggest not opening until there is a
downward trajectory of illnesses reported within a 14-day period in your area.

Take into consideration the common age group of your congregation as well. If your
people are majority over 65 years of age, it will be a much greater health risk for
everyone if you re-open and encourage them to attend. People will follow the guidance
of their church leaders more so than their government leaders, so don’t squander that
responsibility.

You also need to assess the mindset and needs of your congregation. If you open, will
people come? Will they come because they feel pressured or because they want to?

Consider asking them, via an email survey or social media posts, whether they want
you to re-open right now. You’ll likely open yourself up to a debate, as people will be on
both sides, but it should give you a general idea where most of your people stand. It
may also help you in your decision-making by being able to listen to different
perspectives and arguments for or against re-opening.

Check Your Budget

Lastly, evaluate your financial situation. Opening back up may help you with a boost to
giving, or it may not. But it certainly is going to increase your expenses.

Not only will you need to pay for electricity and air conditioning again, but the cost to
continually clean your facility and enforce new policies is going to be an unavoidable
cost. That may be too costly for you, particularly if you’re only able to start meeting 10
or 50 people at a time.

Take a look at your entire budget and determine if opening back up makes sense right
now, or if it’s still better to wait. Later down the road it may cost less as there will be
less cleaning expenses.

There are likely entire ministries and programs that don’t need to be funded right now,
and that money can be re-allocated. At the same time there may be entirely new
ministries and programs that are being launched (such as live streaming, marketing,
content creation, new software, new volunteer teams, etc.) that need funding as well.

Review it all in context and determine if it’s in the budget to open now, or if you should
continue to double down on digital means.

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Make a Plan
If you do re-open, in consideration of everyone’s health and safety, it is important to
have a solid plan in place.

In addition to the logistics of the worship service itself, there are many things to
consider, including the legal risks, PR risks, insurance risks, and most importantly, the
health risks of re-opening.

The last thing you need is to open and then be forced to close again because of legal
or insurance issues, or worse, end up in the news because someone got sick.

To assist you in re-opening your church, whether you do it now or later, we have
created the following guidelines and checklists, compiled from federal guidelines, CDC
and OSHA guidance, state and local considerations, and valuable input from legal
counsel, pastors, and church leaders.

As you develop your plan for re-opening, use this information to help you with your
decisions, as well as a practical guide and template that you can use to put a solid plan
in place.

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Before You Open

Be Well Informed
As employers, and shepherds, it is the church’s duty to be well informed and to help
communicate important information to all staff, church attendees, and volunteers.

Continue to read and study the ever changing information being put out by government
authorities and recognized health organizations, such as the CDC and OSHA.

• Check cdc.gov/coronavirus and coronavirus.gov often for updates.

• Implement the CDC Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility

• Read the White House Guidelines for Opening Up America Again

• OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

It is important to know all of the facets of the virus and how it will affect your
congregation. It is doubly important to communicate necessary important into when
communicating about your re-opening, so that people can make the best decisions for
themselves, despite what the majority in your church may be doing.

For example, we currently know that the COVID-10 virus is a bigger threat to those with
certain pre-existing conditions and those over 65-years old. So when communicating
about your opening, it may be prudent to communicate that those who are a higher risk
should continue to stay at home and participate in church online, or whatever options
you are making available.

Consider a Phased Approach

Depending on when you plan to open up, things are going to look differently down the
road. Some restrictions and guidelines will lessen and go away, while others may be
introduced. Look ahead as much as you can, and follow the advice of the CDC and
White House to create a phased approach to opening.

This leaves a lot of room to make changes as needed and not commit to definitive
plans, and will limit the need to “roll back” . It also lets families know that you have a
well-thought out plan, and allows them to decide when it is best for them to participate
in physical church again.

You may also consider these phases and make the decision not to open until you are
able to execute services at phase three or four.

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Based on White House guidelines, a phased approach will look something like this:

Phase One: Strict Distancing

• This initial phase will have the strictest physical distancing protocols in place.

• All vulnerable individuals should continue to shelter in place, and those living with
vulnerable residents should not attend church services.

• Close all common areas, cafes, bookstores, lobbies where people congregate.

• No kids ministry, Sunday school or other classes.

• Distance all guests at least 6 feet from each other (families can be together)

• Clean and sanitize everything after each service and use.

• Encourage the use of masks among guests.

• The White House recommends no large gatherings over 10 people at this phase.

• Staff should continue to work remotely.

Phase Two: Moderate Distancing

• Gatherings can be expanded to up to 50 people per service.

• Strict cleaning and sanitization practices should resume.

• Vulnerable should continue to stay at home.

• Kids ministry can be introduced with strict protocols and distancing in place.

• Staff should continue to work remotely.

Phase Three: Limited Distancing

• When there is no evidence of a rebound in your area.

• Vulnerable should continue to stay at home.

• Large gatherings can continue, but distancing protocols should be practiced as

much as possible. Practically you might be able to expand to 100 or 150 per
service.

• Can resume on-site staffing, but should limit as much as possible.

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Phase Four: New Normal Operations
• Vulnerable individuals can attend, but should continue to limit exposure and
practice social distancing rules.

• Resume normal church services at full capacity, but continue to be cautious and
accommodating to needs and concerns.

• Kids ministry can resume as normal, but precautions should still be made.

• Continue to implement new safety and health protocols and sanitization

standards.

• Anyone who is sick or has has sick family members should be encouraged to not
attend for 14 days.

• On-site staffing can resume.

Timeline of the Phased Approach

The timeline of these phases is going to look different for every church context.
However, here is a general idea on how it would look as of May 2020:

PHASE ONE PHASE TWO PHASE THREE PHASE FOUR

June - Aug 2020 Sept - Dec 2020 Jan - Mar 2021 April 2021

This timeline is one example, and may change over time, particularly if there is a
second wave of sickness and restrictions that hit us. This timeline may be conservative
or optimistic, but this is a volatile situation that is hard to predict so you need to stay
adaptable and air on the side of caution.

One thing we do know, is that implementing church at a Phase Three or Phase Four
approach too early may have some serious consequences, and could go against
government orders if implemented too soon.

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Deep Clean Your Church
Go above and beyond here. You may want to hire a professional service to come in
and do a deep clean of your entire building. Below are some guidelines to preparing
your church, whether you have it professionally cleaned or do it yourself.

Follow the CDC instructions for Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility

Sanitize everything people touch. Doorknobs, seats and pews, light switches,
microphones, podiums, check-in counters, etc.

- Here is a list of approved disinfectants for COVID-19 from the CDC

Deep clean the bathrooms.

Shampoo carpets, rugs, and cloth seats.

Pay extra attention to children and student environments. Clean each toy and
structure individually.

Prepare Your Building

You are not going to be able to conduct regular worship services like you are used to.
As we comply with social distancing and health regulations, there are a few things to
consider as you prepare your church to open again.

Consider removing Bibles, hymnals, pens, and informational cards from the
backs of seats and pews. Things that will be shared by multiple people across
services, should be removed and limited during this time.

Consider removing cloth couches, and seating areas that can absorb germs and
use solid surface furniture instead. You may also want to limit the amount of
lobby seating so that you can discourage loitering.

Use your pre-service slides or signage to encourage people not to shake hands,
and to practice social distancing rules. If you are requiring masks, make sure this
is communicated well.

Where people normally queue up, such a bathroom line, cafe or bookstore line,
connect desk line, etc. consider adding floor signage or tape to indicate a safe 6-
foot distance between each person.

If you will be re-opening restrooms, consider closing every other stall and urinal
in order to help enforce distancing rules. Also provide hand sanitizer and ensure
toilet paper, paper towels, and soap are refilled frequently.

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Implement Staff & Volunteer Health Policies
Before you open, consider any new staff and volunteer health policies you will need to
put in place.

Consider enforcing temperature checks on all staff and volunteers as they arrive
at the church. Send anyone home who has a fever, and re-sanitize anything they
came in contact with.

Encourage and enforce frequent hand-washing.

Enforce no-contact policies (no hand shaking, hugging, etc.)

If you are implementing new policies, even if they are temporary, consider a
revision to your employee manual or provide a written amendment that you can
distribute to all necessary staff and volunteers. When things are in writing, there is
less room for confusion or misinterpretation.

While your staff may be well versed on social distancing and other requirements, as
they’ve likely heard it everywhere, it is still advised that you make your policies known
and do so in writing.

Implement New Cleaning Policies

Deep cleaning your church before you open is a must, but you will need to create and
implement new cleaning policies and routines going forward.

You will need to clean your church after each service, clean your bathrooms often, and
thoroughly clean any children’s areas and small group rooms that are used. Create new
written policies that must be followed for each worship service, and distribute them to
all staff and volunteers.

Stricter cleaning procedures are likely to last a very long time, so you should consider
these the new rules going forward.

Create a cleaning checklist that can be posted in each room, so your volunteers
and staff can easily follow it and not miss any steps.

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Check with Local Authorities
Review your local governing authorities guidelines relevant to churches in your area.

Consider reaching out to your local law enforcement in advance of your first service, to
discuss any concerns and compliance issues.

This may help prevent surprise visits or issues that may disrupt service later. It will also
ensure that you are aware of all guidelines that you need to be in compliance with that
may not have been communicated to you.

Check For Insurance Compliance

Review your current insurance policies relating to your facility, employees, and events.
Reach out to your insurance company to ensure they do not have any additional
restrictions or concerns about you re-opening.

The last thing you want to happen is someone getting sick because you re-opened,
and having your insurance company cancel your policy or not cover the incident.

Make Contingency Plans

What is your plan if you re-open and someone reports being sick or tests positive for
COVID-19 after visiting your church. Never-mind the PR risks involved should that
become a public news story, but what is your plan to either continue or cease
operations?

Don’t wait until something happens to think of a plan or convene a committee to figure
it out after it’s happened. Think through and create a written plan now, so that you can
be swift with your actions and operate from a stance of authority and confidence.

You will also need to follow the CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting your
building if someone is sick.

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Communicate About Safety
Tell your congregation about the steps you have taken to deep clean your church and
prepare for their arrival. Continue to be mindful of pre-existing conditions and other
high risk factors and list all available options for worshiping with your church. Also be
sure to advise that anyone who is sick should not attend services at the church.

Keep them well informed about any new policies you have put in place and new
practices you have for health and safety. Also be sure to overly communicate all
expectations you have for them (social distancing, mask wearing, etc.). Don’t scare
them, but don’t down play what you need them to do or don’t do.

If you’re taking a phased approach, communicate ahead of time what those phases are
and what changes with each phase. Let people decide for themselves which phase
they will start attending again. Maybe even consider poling them ahead of time so that
you can better plan for their arrival when you reach each phase.

Send an email to your church with all the necessary info about the safety
precautions you have taken and what they can expect.

Consider posting an FAQ on your website about the re-opening, anticipating

everyone’s questions and providing answers

Collaborate with Your Neighbors

Reach out to other churches and businesses in the area to see what they are doing.
They may have thought of something that you didn’t, or are aware of something you
missed. Likewise, you may be able to share your policies and ideas with them. No
reason to duplicate work. And no reason to compete or keep things from each other.

When you open up dialogue like this with your neighbors, it can also help to minimize
any concern that your church is “going rogue” or not being as safe as others are.

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Worship Service Guidelines
Once you are open, there are many precautions and policies you must put in place to
hold effective services that comply with government regulations and orders. Be sure
you are informed about what is required for your specific area.

Bulletins and Handouts

You want to eliminate anything that is passed from one person to another. Consider
ditching the bulletin and communicating all necessary announcements from stage,
screens, email, and social media. You can also create a digital bulletin and connect
cards and make those available through your website.

We do not recommend providing a stack of bulletins or a self-serve option, as that will

encourage groupings of people and will be hard to maintain sanitization standards.

Greeting
Continue to provide a welcoming environment, it will just be done differently than you
may be used to.

Prop open doors before services begin, so that people do not have to touch
handles and door knobs.

Instruct greeters not to shake hands, high-five, or hug guests.

Consider making your greeters wear gloves as an extra precaution, particularly if

over zealous guests end up shaking hands.

Inform your greeters, ushers, and security staff and volunteers about all policies
and train them on how to answer questions as they come up.

Communion
When administering communion, do so in a way where the elements are not passed
among people. Consider using pre-packaged elements that will remain sanitary and
untouched. If you prefer to use raw elements, provide them on tables and space them
out so people can limit exposure to each other or cross contaminate bread or crackers.

Those who setup the communication elements should wear gloves and treat the
experience like food service.

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Baptisms
Baptisms may look completely different for your church for awhile. While it is exciting
to include baptisms as part of your church service, until there are less restrictions you
may want to perform baptisms individually in more intimate settings with just the pastor
and the person being baptized. Many churches will film it and show the video during
service, or livestream the event online.

While other churches are postponing baptisms all together for the time being, as well
as some churches are encouraging families to perform baptisms on their own at home,
with the guidance and instructions of the church leaders.

How you wan to implement and conduct baptisms going forward is up to you as
church traditions and beliefs vary greatly on this issue. However, you definitely need a
plan in place that incorporates social distancing practices for the time being.

Giving
Consider not passing the plate, and instead offering options to drop cash and checks
in receptacles on the way in and out of the auditorium.

Implement and communicate well about digital options to give.

Be sure that staff and volunteers who handle money and checks utilize gloves and
wash their hands thoroughly when done.

Seating
Follow government recommendations for the spacing of seating. In order to enforce
proper social distancing, be prepared to reduce your seating capacity to 20% or less.
For example, if your normal capacity is 300, then no more than 50 persons should be
expected to be in attendance at one time.

In general you’ll need to keep people 6 feet apart from each other, even during
the worship service.

Families and those living together can sit together in groups.

Remove seating and space out your chairs before people arrive in order to
enforce social distancing. If you have pews, you may need to rope off every other
pew. Be prepared to remove 70-80% of your seats in order to accomplish this.

Because of this, you may want to consider opening up more service times in
order to keep attendance per service to a minimum.

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Clean In Between Services
You will need to clean after each service. If you have multiple services, this means
you’ll need to provide ample time between services for cleaning.

Have a volunteer team ready between services to jump into action.

Wipe down all services and things that people touch, including chairs, door
knobs, microphones, music stands, musical instruments, pulpits, etc.

Refill bathroom supplies, and hand sanitizers.

Parking
Have parking attendants helping direct car traffic as well as foot traffic, so that people
keep moving.

You may not have to space cars out, as people will drive at different times and
generally will keep their distance from each other naturally. However, you may want to
include parking guidelines in your communications.

Fellowship and Congregating

It is probably common between services for your church attendees to congregate in
the hallways and lobby. You may even be used to encouraging this through a
fellowship time, or offering coffee and snacks, or even full meals.

You may want to consider discouraging that for the time being, or coming up with
clever ways to do so in a way that ensures social distancing and allows for easy traffic
to and from your auditorium without wading through crowds.

You also may want to consider dismissing each service by section, in order to
encourage an orderly exit from the building. If possible, have people exit the opposite
way that they came in, so that there isn’t any cross traffic with people coming in for the
next service.

In your hallways and lobby consider creating one-way “lanes” with tape, furniture, or
line-rope. That way you can direct the flow of people through the building and prevent
a lot of idle gathering or crossing of groups trying to get from one place to another.

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Coffee & Other Amenities
We recommend not offering coffee, donuts, and other snacks at this time. There really
is not a great way to do it that would ensure social distancing and sanitary practices.

If you open your restrooms (most governor’s offices are recommending they
remain closed), consider having volunteer attendants who can limit the number of
people in the restroom at a time, as well as enforce social distancing in line and
proper hand washing.

If possible, provide hand sanitizer throughout the church, especially in

bathrooms and areas where people will queue up.

Also consider providing masks for those who want them, even if you are not
enforcing masks for everyone.

You may also want to implement and enforce a “no food or drink” policy, in order
to limit bathroom use as well as sanitary clean-up after service.

Close bookstores or resource centers.

Remove bulletin and handout displays where lots of people will be handling
paper and materials.

Consider closing prayer rooms or enforcing a capacity limit to only 1 or 2 people

at a time depending on the size of the space.

Sunday School and Other Classes

If you normally hold Sunday school or other classes during or after worship services,
consider putting those on hold for the time being. If they’ll resume, keep groups small
and spaced out.

Practice cleaning policies before and after each class, sanitizing all surfaces and
door knobs of each room that was used.

Clean and sanitize craft supplies after each use, or use disposable supplies.

Consider offering these classes and groups via Zoom or other digital services.

Utilize open spaces, like outside or in larger rooms, even for groups of just a few
people. This allows people to spread out.

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Children Services
It is our strong recommendation that if masks are being worn or enforced among staff
and volunteers, or even church attendees, that you should wait to open up children’s
areas during worship services.

Encourage “family style” gatherings where kids join their parents for service.

Keep in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children 2
years old or younger do not wear masks. This may be something you want to
communicate to parents through signage, emails, or both. Ultimately, let parents
decide how to care for their children.

Consider providing individual bags with coloring books and crayons for each
child. Something to keep them occupied, and that can be educational as well. Be
sure that each bag is prepared by someone wearing gloves, and dispose of any
used materials that are left behind after service.

If you do open up children’s areas, limit the number of children in each room and
enforce strict social distancing rules. Consider taping off areas of the floor or
using mats to space children apart.

Allow children to use the restroom one at a time, and thoroughly clean the
restroom after each use.

If you have a child check-in system, consider having volunteers handle any
machines, iPads, and screens to limit the number of people who touch each
device.

If you will offer pens, consider having bins for “clean” pens and “dirty” pens, and
be sure to sanitize or dispose of the dirty pens before using them again.

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Drive-In Services
Consider offering drive-in services, either weekly or every once in awhile. This can help
you gather together in person, but relieve you of a lot of the requirements needed.

You can have guests arrive in their cars and, assisted by parking attendants, lineup to
watch your service on an outdoor stage or screen. The message and/or music can
broadcast over FM or Wifi.

As long as people stay in their own vehicles, only minimal efforts have to be made to
ensure social distancing and health protocols are obeyed.

Review noise ordinance and broadcasting rules for your area. If you plan to use a
speaker system, consider the ordinances you must comply with.

Run a sound check before services to ensure your noise levels are in
compliance.

Review any relevant insurance policies regarding outdoor events, parking, and
accidents that happen on your property.

If you are using an FM transmitter, ensure it is FCC compliant (use an FCC Part
15 certified transmitter).

If you are planning on using a low power FM (LPFM) radio transmitter, be sure to
register with the FCC (1-888-225-5322 or register online) to be assigned an FM
station to use.

You can also use broadcasting methods via Wifi (depending on the reach of your
network) that people can access on their phones.

Test the broadcasting system you are going to use to ensure that the signal can
reach every part of your parking area.

Maintain social distancing protocols among guests as well as all staff and
volunteers. As long as people stay in their vehicles they do not need to be
spaced out.

Inform your guests ahead of time to stay in their vehicles.

Staff and volunteers should not shake hands or mingle with people in vehicles.
They should wear masks at all times, particularly if needing to direct traffic and
talk to people when their windows are down.

Any vulnerable or elderly people should remain at home, even during a drive-in
service.

Depending on your parking capacity, you may want to implement an RSVP

system, or communicate that space is first come, first served.

Do not distribute or pass out physical items. You can communicate about how to
listen to the service ahead of time through social and email, or with screens at the
event.

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Outdoor Services
Another option is to hold services outdoors, either weekly or once in awhile. This too
can help reduce the efforts needed to keep everyone safe and compliant.

If you have a large grassy area, this could work well. You could also setup portable
seating in your parking lot if you have enough space for people and cars.

You could also check with local parks, malls, or other public spaces to utilize their
space.

As with drive-in services, check your local ordinances regarding noise and
broadcasting rules for your neighborhood.

Run a sound check before services to ensure your noise levels are in
compliance.

Review any relevant insurance policies regarding outdoor events.

Maintain strict social distancing protocols. Use tape, cones, chalk, chairs, or any
other means to indicate seating sections that are at least 6 feet apart from each
other. Do this ahead of time, as it may become impossible to space people out
once they start arriving.

Consider an RSVP system so you can know how many people to expect, and
can communicate when capacity has been reached depending on the space you
have available.

Consider creating walking paths, and designate the flow of traffic with signage or
tape. Keep everyone moving in one direction so there is no overlap as people
enter and exit or walk from their vehicles.

Close any outdoor common spaces such as playgrounds or areas where people
may congregate before or after service.

Do not distribute or pass out physical items. You can communicate about how to
listen to the service ahead of time through social and email, or with screens at the
event.

Prepare for weather contingencies. What is your plan if it starts raining? Be

prepared to help people find their way back to their vehicles in an orderly manner
obeying one-way traffic.

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Enforcement
You need to be prepared to enforce the rules and restrictions that you’ll have in place.
Particularly anything that is mandated by local or federal orders.

You could be held liable if people don’t adhere to social distancing protocols, for
example. Whether legally or in the court of public opinion.

In many areas, local law enforcement will be monitoring large gatherings at churches
and may be able to shut you down if you aren’t enforcing the rules.

Educate and equip your security teams on the requirements and create a plan for
what they should do if people are not complying.

If you don’t have a security team, now may be a great time to start a volunteer
team.

Communicate expectations ahead of time so there will be less incidents where

lack of compliance will have to be enforced.

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Communications & Marketing
When you finally re-open, you may want to hype it up like Easter, and get people
excited to meet in person again. However, you may want to reserve the big marketing
push for when things are a little more normal, perhaps in Phase 3 or 4.

How you market your service is up to you, but keep in mind that while people are
excited to get back to church, most people are still going to be hesitant and cautious
about it.

Just like the phasing of your opening, you can phase your marketing efforts as well.
Start out with a moderate launch when you first re-open, and reserve the big push for
phase three or four.

However you go about it, you’ll need to communicate well and communicate
everywhere.

Promote the opening on social media. (Consider spending money on Facebook

ads)

Send invitations via mail and/or email. Let people know that they specifically are
invited (be cautious with messaging in case your invitation reaches people who
are 65 or older, and those who should not attend in person gatherings yet)

Make sure you are communicating about all the precautions and safety
measures you have in place.

Communicate about the expectations you have for people and the requirements
that will be imposed on them for social distancing, mask wearing, bathroom use,
etc. Don’t be afraid to share this information, as people are expecting it.

If you have a large congregation, you may want to consider an RSVP type option,
where people can let you know ahead of time that they are coming and how many
people they have. Whether through email, or a form on your site.

You can then be sure your seating is spaced about appropriately, and you can limit the
number of people per service. While still providing room for walk-ins and first time
guests.

If you create hype around your re-opening, take into consideration the vulnerable and
elderly, as well as those who just aren’t comfortable yet. Consider including messaging
in your communications that makes them feel loved and included, but not pressured to
attend.

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Double Down on Digital
Whether you re-open your building or not, continue to provide digital options to attend
church and be the church. And more so than just streaming your services online.

Particularly for those who are vulnerable, elderly, or otherwise can’t or won’t attend
services, provide digital ways for them to participate in all aspects of church.

Here are some digital considerations to make:

Digital Small Groups

Provide and encourage digital small groups through Zoom, Skype, or any other service
you may be using for people to meet online via video. You can provide these instead
of, or in addition to physical small groups. Going forward, people are going to
appreciate the options.

Create More Video Content

Livestream or upload pre-recorded video of your sermon for sure. But also consider
creating additional content that can be uploaded throughout the week or in addition to
your sermon. There’s a ton of content you can create and make available besides your
sermon:

• Discipleship videos

• Devotions

• Live Q&A sessions

• Interviews with leaders, experts, or members

• Live stream or pre-record baptisms

• Training and teaching videos

Become a Digital Resource Center

Utilize your website, email list, and social channels to create, curate, and distribute
resources that meet the needs of your people or help educate them on subjects that
matter to you.

Curate & Meet Needs

Continue to use digital means to curate people’s physical, financial, and spiritual
needs, and find ways to meet them. Just because we can’t use our buildings and hold
services like we want to, doesn’t mean we need to stop being the church. Ensure
people that they are more important than your need to open up services again.

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Prepare for a Second Wave
We recommend that all of your communications and messaging regarding your
opening are not permanent sounding, but rather leave open the possibility of more
changes and limitations being implemented, or even having to temporarily close again.

We don’t know if there will be a “second wave” with this virus, or if government officials
will shut down large gatherings again.

• Avoid terms like “We’re back for good” or “We’ll never close again.”

• Your messaging should talk about “right now” or “currently.” Things are changing
weekly, and what was policy last week may not be policy next week, or may even
be more restrictive.

Be prepared to make changes in phases. Things may be very restrictive at first, then
loosen up over time, and then it is possible they’ll become more restrictive again. This
is the risk you are taking by opening up your building, and something you’ll need to
adapt to for many months or longer.

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