What Does Re-opening Look Like?

With the release this past Thursday of the reopening guidelines from the White House & CDC, we now have some framework from which to evaluate the future of worship and ministry. The plan and criteria are available on the White House’s site. Auxilio has summarized the relevant information for churches as we see them impacting public worship. 

The disappointing reality is that many churches, depending on context and cases in their area may not be able to worship publicly before the Fall. The government has set out a phased approach. The criteria for moving between each phase is 14 days of decreased documented cases and reported symptoms as well as ample testing for healthcare workers. Here’s what these phases might look like for your church. 

Phase 1

All individuals, WHEN IN PUBLIC (e.g., parks, outdoor recreation areas, shopping areas), should maximize physical distance from others. Social settings of more than 10 people, where appropriate distancing may not be practical, should be avoided unless precautionary measures are observed.

LARGE VENUES (e.g., sit-down dining, movie theaters, sporting venues, places of worship) can operate under strict physical distancing protocols.

What this could look like for your church

In Phase 1, small groups in your church could begin to meet while practicing physical distance. Vulnerable individuals and those not comfortable with gatherings should not participate. Virtual worship will remain the primary way churches will “gather.” Consider having small groups gather physically to experience the virtual worship together.

Phase 2

All individuals, WHEN IN PUBLIC (e.g., parks, outdoor recreation areas, shopping areas), should maximize physical distance from others. Social settings of more than 50 people, where appropriate distancing may not be practical, should be avoided unless precautionary measures are observed.

LARGE VENUES (e.g., sit-down dining, movie theaters, sporting venues, places of worship) can operate under moderate physical distancing protocols. [Note: no definition yet of what “moderate” means]

What this could look like for your church

In Phase 2, small groups can continue to meet. Vulnerable individuals should not participate. If space permits, consider holding in-person public worship for no more than 50 people which may include multiple services, multiple spaces within your building. There will be much thoughtful planning required to do this safely. How will you limit to 50 people? Can you stagger service times and/or create one-way traffic flow to aid in physical distancing? It’s unlikely that offering nursery or children’s programming will be recommended. Consider continuing to offer a virtual worship experience for vulnerable and sick members of your community.

Phase 3

VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS can resume public interactions, but should practice physical distancing, minimizing exposure to social settings where distancing may not be practical, unless precautionary measures are observed.

LARGE VENUES (e.g., sit-down dining, movie theaters, sporting venues, places of worship) can operate under limited physical distancing protocols. [Note: no definition yet of what “limited” means]

What this could look like for your church

Our best guess with the limited information there is now on Phase 3 is that it will look similar to Phase 2 but with fewer restrictions. Churches may still be limited to smaller sized gatherings. You may want to identify vulnerable individuals in your community and think through how to provide protection for them (a separate service, a designated place for them to sit, etc.). It’s hard to know what this will look like until more guidance is provided. Virtual worship options may or may not be needed. 

If your church doesn’t gather to worship in-person until the Fall, consider some of these implications: If such is the case, there are immediate and next-fiscal-year impacts:

• Worship space rents: If your church rents space, consider negotiating with your landlord for a suspension of rent until October. 

• Tithes: with unemployment near 15% and expected to continue to rise, it is highly likely that we will see impacts on giving that go beyond just those who prefer to give in-person by check. There are already discussions on social media that churches could see 25% decreases. Consider your context and plan accordingly.

• Expenses: impacts that can be planned…

  • Worship: with the exception of the costs to provide virtual worship, your typical worship expenses can be reduced from your budget for the next 5 months at least. 

  • Retreats: Consider cancelling any overnight retreats for 2020. Even if you are allowed by the guidelines to hold such an event, you should expect a significant drop in attendance.

  • Events: Reconsider all gatherings and their related expenses; what can be done online?

  • Personnel: Regardless of whether you participated in the Paycheck Protection Program or not, consider in advance how you will steward your staff if your church is not able to meet physically until the Fall. 

Lastly, these phases are less dependent on time and more dependent on the conditions. Having a clearly defined plan for how each phase will impact your organization given a set of conditions will allow for greater clarity in decision making. Every organization is different and even members of your church will have different risk tolerances as we enter new phases or even retract back to more stringent guidance at a later date if conditions worsen. Flexibility will be key and for more on how economic impacts of COVID-19 on your church, see our article on Budgeting in a Time of Uncertainty.