PRACTICES AND POLICIES FOR SAFE INDOOR WORSHIP AT DEKORRA

Hello Folks,

You may find this useful if you are planning on worshipping indoors on Easter or any of the Sundays after during this phase of the pandemic. Below is the current set of practices and policies for safe indoor worship. The hospitality and worship teams considered early drafts, and the ushers settled on these during their March 18th meeting. 

These are informed by the MIT indoor safety tool I shared with you all back in February (​https://indoor-covid-safety.herokuapp.com), Dekorra's inputs into that tool (see below), and the ELCA's recommendations for indoor worship. 

These practices sit in a nice space of not being overly restrictive and not being overly permissive. Please keep in mind, that the more permissive the practices the fewer people that can safely worship in doors. At the same time, the more restrictive the practices the less constructive indoor worship may be. 

As members of this community one of the most important rules in these practices we can follow is stated under the first two points under the "behaviors" section of the "standards" (near the bottom). They say this:

• The presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers and other people supporting worship should be kind, direct, firm and gracious when enforcing these practices and policies. Please smile if it is in your heart to do so!
  

• Worshipers should be kind, attentive and gracious when being given instructions by the presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers and other people supporting worship while they are when enforcing these practices and policies.

For their own safety and the safety of this community, our leaders will be kind while applying these practices and we simply ask the same of you.
​
Included below are the inputs into the tool that was shared with you in the February newsletter. Below that are the current versions of the practices. 

If you have questions, please email me at pastorsterling@centurytel.net or call me at the office (608-635-7200).

Peace,
​Pastor Sterling

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​COVID-19 Indoor Safety Guideline Tool: https://indoor-covid-safety.herokuapp.com/
 
Sanctuary
Room Specifications:

• ~2500 sq. ft.
• ~10 ft. average ceiling height
• Mechanical Ventilation – 3.0 hr-1 (ACH)
• Hospital and Generation Surgery Filtration – MERV 14
• Moderate Recirculation – 1.0 hr.-1
• 60% Humidity

Human Behavior:

• Resting – 0.29 ft3/min
• Talking (normal) – 2.04 q/ft3
• Multilayer Cotton or Silk – 70% efficiency
• Mask Fit/Compliance – 95%

Sanctuary Capacity = 68 People for 90 Minutes at 0.05 Risk Tolerance (Extra Safe) OR 14 People for 90 minutes at 0.01 Risk Tolerance (Super Safe)
 
Fellowship Hall
Room Specifications:

• ~1870 sq. ft.
• 8 ft. average ceiling height

• Mechanical Ventilation – 3.0 hr-1 (ACH)
• Hospital and Generation Surgery Filtration – MERV 14
• Moderate Recirculation – 1.0 hr.-1
• 60% Humidity

Human Behavior:

• Resting – 0.29 ft3/min
• Talking (normal) – 2.04 q/ft3
• Multilayer Cotton or Silk – 70% efficiency
• Mask Fit/Compliance – 95%

Fellowship Hall Capacity = 42 People for 90 Minutes at 0.05 Risk Tolerance (Extra Safe) OR 9 People for 90 minutes at 0.01 Risk Tolerance (Super Safe)
 
Total Capacity: 110 at 0.05 Risk Tolerance. 23 at 0.01 Risk Tolerance.

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PRACTICES AND POLICIES FOR SAFE INDOOR WORSHIP AT DEKORRA
Updated: 03/23/21

​RESULT
The worship space, building, parking lot and webspace are welcoming and prepared for COVID worship that brings people closer to God with the Holy Spirit through Christ.
 
RESOURCES
Role with Primary Responsibility: Ushers
Supporting Roles: Worship Leader, Music Minister, Offering Counters
Materials Needed: Portable Camera, Wireless Microphone, A/V Cart and Building A/V System, Door Keys, Portable Door Fans, HVAC System, Parking Lot, Disposable Surgical Facemasks, Hand Sanitizer, Thermometers, Pre-Setup Worship Space, Worship Setup Checklist, Worship Takedown Checklist
 
STEPS

1. All people supporting worship should enter through the church office door, and each person should arrive 20 to 60 minutes before worship depending on responsibilities.
2. Before worship, turn on lights in the sanctuary, fellowship hall, hallways and bathrooms.
3. Turn on A/V system and local FM transmitter.
4. Connect instruments and microphones to those systems. Test to confirm all those tools work.
5. Turn on MP3 player, start its music and confirm its music is playing on the radio.
6. Set up portable video camera near pulpit. Test to confirm that it works, and then turn off until start of worship.
7. Turn on HVAC system in the sanctuary and fellowship hall to fan-only, so that it will run the entire worship.
8. Set up “sanitation tables” to ensure that everyone who enters the sanctuary or the building by near fellowship hall must pass a table. On or near the table should be hand sanitizer, disposable surgical masks, and a thermometer.
9. All of the people supporting worship (including the ushers, ministers, musicians, counters, etc.) should sanitize their hands and have their temperatures and masks checked.
10. Place a physical cue that access to the rest of the building from the sanctuary and fellowship hall is restricted, and that door should only be used in important and urgent circumstances.
11. Block off the north entrance of the parking lot.
12. Ushers and Minister: If there is communion planned, then the ushers and ministers should do a brief service of communion before getting into place.
13. Twenty-five minutes before the start of worship, ushers should begin to get into place. Outdoor ushers should set up by the south entrance.
14. Indoor Ushers: Unlock and prop open the sanctuary doors as well as one of the fellowship hall doors with access to the outdoors. Place portable/box fan into one doorway in each worship location, turn them on, with the fans blowing outdoor air indoors. 
15. Subtract the number of indoor ushers, musicians, ministers, etc. who will be stationed in the sanctuary from the number 68. Provide that many of one color of ticket to the outdoor ushers. Subtract the number of indoor ushers, musicians, ministers, etc. who will be stationed in the fellowship hall from the number 42. Provide that many of a second color of ticket to the outdoor ushers. If the outdoor ushers run out tickets, then we are at capacity indoors no one else may enter.  
16. Outdoor Ushers: As people arrive the following should happen:
    1. Offer each person in the vehicle a bulletin;
    2. If an individual wants to worship indoors, give them a ticket to one of the worship spaces (sanctuary first and then fellowship hall if sanctuary fills), and each indoor worshiper, including children, must have a ticket;
    3. Encourage indoor worshipers to wear their nametags;
    4. Outdoor worshipers wishing communion should receive the Communion elements from the outdoor ushers with words like “This is the body and blood of Christ given to you”, and offer a blessing to those not participating in Communion. Invite outdoor worshipers wait until that part of worship to consume the elements
17. Each person who enters the building must stop at the sanitation table, deposit their ticket, and sanitize their hands. Ushers must confirm each individual’s mask and mask wearing meets the minimal standard (see Standard 1), and provide an appropriate mask to those who need one. Also, the ushers should check individuals for a fever (see Standard 5g). Any individual who cannot meet these standards must worship outdoors or online, and should be kindly invited to do just that. Otherwise, an usher should escort individuals to their seats. Households and people who came in the same vehicle can sit together.
18. Ushers should escort indoor worshipers to their seats, keeping to the row maximum.
19. Ushers must keep count of the total people admitted to the sanctuary, including all the people supporting worship (presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers, etc.). If the sanctuary reaches capacity, no more individuals may be admitted and the outdoor ushers should be informed immediately. Otherwise, keep admitting folks even if they are late.
20. Before the start of worship and/or the musicians begin to play, turn off the MP3 player.
21. Turn on the portable camera.
22. During worship, people in the sanctuary may speak in a normal voice, respond during the worship, etc. Physical contact should be avoided and only ministers behind clear plastic shielding should ever sing or speak loudly.
23. After worship, indoor ushers will dismiss worshipers by rows.
24. People indoors should take care to maintain distancing and leave in relative silence as they exit. Sanitation tables and fans can be removed to facilitate that. Indoor worshipers can leave their offerings in provided common receptacles. They should take everything they brought indoors with them.
25. If there is Communion, indoor worshipers can collect the elements from the ushers as they exit, who will give them with words like “This is the body and blood of Christ given to you”. Indoor ushers can also offer a blessing to individuals who are not communing.
26. Outdoor worshipers can leave their offerings with the outdoor ushers, who will be stationed at the south exit of the parking lot
27. Turn off the portable camera, remove its microSD card, and transfer the digital file to the computer of the person responsible for posting the service to Dekorra’s YouTube, website and social media accounts.
28. Replace the microSD card into the camera, and plug the camera in for charging.
29. If there is another worship service, reset the sanctuary, pick up anything left behind by the previous group of indoor worshipers, and sanitize the seating.
30. At the conclusion of worship services, lock the sanctuary doors, store resources, turnoff A/V, radio transmitter, lights, fans, HVAC system, etc. Lock the church office door when the last person leaves (or even lock the door while the counters are busy).
31. Rejoice!

 
STANDARDS

1. Masks: The only acceptable facemasks are the following: multilayered cotton or silk masks with no vents; disposable surgical masks; and N95 respirators. Face shields, bandannas, handkerchiefs, balaclavas, and the like alone are not acceptable. Mask must entirely cover both nose and mouth. Ushers will provide a clean disposable surgical mask to those who need them.
2. Indoor Capacity: There can only be up to 68 (sanctuary) and 42 (fellowship) people inside the building during worship, the 20 minutes before worship and 10 minutes after. This number includes the presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers and other people supporting worship.
3. Outdoor Access: Please retain the designated disability parking for those with those needs.
4. Online Access: Recording of worship should be edited and posted to Dekorra’s YouTube, website and social media accounts by midafternoon on typical Sundays.
5. Behaviors:
   1. The presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers and other people supporting worship should be kind, direct, firm and gracious when enforcing these practices and policies. Please smile if it is in your heart to do so!
   2. Worshipers should be kind, attentive and gracious when being given instructions by the presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers and other people supporting worship while they are enforcing these practices and policies.
   3. Indoor worshipers should only enter and exit the building for worship through the sanctuary doors. The presiding minister, assisting ministers, musicians, ushers and other people supporting worship can enter and exit through either the office or sanctuary doors.
   4. Everyone aged 6 and older must properly wear a mask while indoors. The exceptions are the ministers leading worship and the musicians who are singing, and only while alone in the parts of the dais and clear balcony with plastic shielding.
   5. Everyone must refrain from singing, and speaking excitedly or loudly while indoors. The exceptions are the ministers leading worship and the musicians who are singing, and only while alone in the parts of the dais and balcony with clear plastic shielding.
   6. Worship practices like offering, greeting and Communion should be organized to avoid lines, passing elements, removing masks, physical contact, close personal spacing, etc. Put practices like offering and Communion at or near the very end of the worship.
   7. A person with a fever/temperature of 100.4 F or greater should not enter the building, this includes ushers, musicians, ministers, worshipers and anyone else. Ushers will use touchless thermometers to check for fevers.
   8. Generally, indoor worshipers should remain in their assigned seat in the sanctuary or fellowship hall. If someone needs to enter the rest of the building for an urgent need (i.e., use of the bathroom, etc.), that person should be encouraged to do so.
6. Worship Space Preparation: Sanctuary should be prepared ahead of worship to accomplish the following:
   1. Appropriate seating distance between households;
   2. Clear plastic shielding for singers and worship leaders;
   3. Removal of Bibles, hymnals, pens, info cards, welcome pads, children’s materials, etc.;
   4. Fans blowing outdoor air into the sanctuary and the HVAC fan on, filtering the air; and,
   5. Restricts use of doorways to the rest of the building.