Response to coronavirus, March 12, 2020

Greetings Life Church,

At Life Church we take the health and well-being of our congregation and community very seriously. With the increased concern and spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), we're writing to let you know what measures we are taking as a community in that regard.

With a heart to encourage all of us to be prayerful about this as well as careful in applying practical wisdom we are taking the following steps to address it. We rest in the shadow of God’s faithfulness to watch over His people (Psalm 91) as we closely monitor the situation and follow the guidelines and recommendations of public health experts.

Worship Gatherings

We are attending to public spaces in sanitizing highly touched surfaces before and after our worship services and providing hand sanitation stations located in several places around the building. You may also want to carry your own hand sanitizer so you can use it as often as you wish.

When greeting one another, we encourage a warm smile, acknowledging head nod, and/or feeling free to bump elbows or give a fist pump instead of hugging or shaking hands until this season of concern about the coronavirus subsides.

Children’s Ministry

The children’s ministry team have put in place extra precautions to provide a safe environment for your kids. We have increased our cleanliness practices regarding the nursery and Life Kids Sunday. We will be requiring all children to use hand sanitizer, be extra vigilant as we sanitize all toys, and thoroughly ensure children’s hands are washed after any restroom use.

We ask that if your child has experienced any of the following symptoms that he/she does not attend church gathering until those symptoms have been absent for 24 hours.

-Fever

-Persistent Cough

-Respiratory Illness

While the extent and severity of the virus is still unknown, we want to do our best to keep your children healthy and we feel these steps are helpful in preventing the spread of the virus. We appreciate your help in creating a safe space for children and adults.

Communion

You will see some changes in our communion service to you. Communion volunteers are committed to practicing good hygiene. We will be adding an extra level of protection by having communion served to you. These volunteers will be wearing gloves. Please let the servers hand you both the bread and the cup. We will provide waste baskets at the doors to place your empty cup in as you leave.

Personal Responsibility

Here are some basic guidelines for us to follow as a congregation and individually:

· Wash our hands frequently – with soap and warm water – for at least 20 seconds (about as long as it takes to say the Lord’s Prayer :))

· If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

· Sneeze or cough into the crook of our elbow or a tissue, not our hand.

· Wash immediately after coughing, sneezing or blowing our nose

· Avoid touching your face, mouth, nose, and eyes, with unwashed hands

· Stay home if you are sick.

· Follow the guidelines from the CDC to help prevent the spread of the virus.

· If at any time you are feeling under the weather or not comfortable attending worship, we invite you to join us online at lifeonline.church as we live-stream our services at 10:00 a.m.

As believers, we remain optimistic and faith-filled that we will see God’s hand of healing and protection extended as we pray and apply practical wisdom. Bless you church! And see you Sunday!

Thank you,

Life Church Staff