COVID-19 STRATEGY

WIN SHERWOOD PARK RELAUNCH STRATEGY

INTRODUCTION

As restrictions had been implemented last Mid-March, Word International Ministries - Sherwood Park (WINSP) have followed strictly all directives based on the Sherwood Park United Church (SPUC) where our Sunday services are being held. The health and safety of our congregants is our priority, our on-site Church Sunday service has been suspended to conform to Government Agencies directives. We have continued our Sunday service through live streaming. However, we still have made the importance of keeping connected during the pandemic. We have continued our small group studies and mini equipping is via video conferencing platform through zoom and messenger as possible. Our engagement, connectedness, health, and safety continue with our faith-based activities are with strict compliance and on top priorities at all times.

Following the Government of Alberta’s directives, our Relaunch Strategy will be made in conjunction with SPUC’s Relaunch Strategy. As WINSP will gradually open physical Sunday services, we will adhere to the public health orders in line with the Guidance for Place of Worship directives under the Chief Medical Officer of Health Orders, we are required to -

· Implement practices to minimize the risk of transmissions of infection among attendees;

· Provide procedures for rapid response if an attendee develops symptoms of illness

· Ensure that attendees maintain high levels of sanitation and personal hygiene

· Comply, to the extent possible with the COVID-19 General Relaunch Guidance, this guidance, and any other applicable Alberta Health Guidance found at https://www.alberta.ca/biz-connect.aspx.

In conformance with the use of the facility for places of worship where we are a renter of SPUC building facility, we are to follow orders of the SPUC guidelines and all applicable public health guidance documents as stated in the Guidance for Places of Worship.

This document has been developed in conformance to the Guidance for Places of Worship requirements, which are hosting faith-based activities in reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 among attendees including congregants, workers, and the public.

RE-OPENING DURING COVID-19 - STRATEGIES AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR WIN SHERWOOD PARK

Re-launch strategy has been created in conformance with the United Church of Canada; the information is made available through the website for safety consideration with the reopening during the pandemic. We are closely monitoring this requirement as we transition from one stage to another.

The Contact for the designated organizer can be found in Appendix A.

Our respective Church Ministries have created protocols to be implemented by the Ministry Heads for compliance. These protocols shall be strictly followed when we are within the SPUC building facility or elsewhere whenever a gathering is made. The respective ministry strategies can be found on the link Ministry Relaunch Plan Protocol.

WIN Sherwood Park is composed of four (4) small groups who are meeting in the respective households which forms part of the cohort family category as follows: -

1. Sherwood Park Small Group Bible Study

2. North Small Group Bible Study

3. South Small Group Bible Study

4. Youth Small Group Bible Study

The groups will be on routine assignments approximately once a Month who will perform the implementation in compliances with the General Guidance, which is stated in WIN Sherwood Park COVID-19 Strategy. A checklist will be made with our routine requirements to be made before and after use as approved with SPUC with the use of the building facility.

Applicable protective devices will be installed to provide extra layers of protection with the interactions between the Preachers, Praise and Worship Team, and the Congregants.

RE-OPENING IN PERSON GATHERING AT SHERWOOD PARK UNITED CHURCH

Under the Guidance for Places of Worship to host services and faith-based activities in reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 among attendees (including congregants, workers, volunteers, and the public).

• A designated individual who is in charge as part of organizing faith-based activities for WIN Sherwood Park. (Please refer to Appendix A)

• Faith-based activities within SPUC would include Sunday Services and other selected special occasions such as Christmas and Anniversary. Other special activities shall be dealt with by the individual booking separately.

Also, SPUC has included an additional layer of safety considerations for reopening during pandemic. We are to closely monitor and check the updates with the big picture, public health directives, gradual reopening, moving through the phases, and related downloads for Health Canada and Alberta Health Services (AHS).

Under the Phase 1 reopening the building during the pandemic found on the United Church of Canada Website, the following activities will be made during our use of the building facility:-

The Building

· There will be no ministry or church meetings to be held in the building facility other than the approved scheduled Sunday services.

· This plan forms part of the opening plan, which indicates the provisions for safe opening.

Worship Guidelines

· In addition to our physical onsite Sunday services, the praise worship, and preaching will also be recorded simultaneously with live streaming to be made available for those who are not allowed or not able to come for the on-site or physical Sunday service.

Communion

It will be held once a month and will be prepared as follows: -

· The servers will use hand sanitizer before offering the communion

· Individual pieces of bread will be distributed from the communal plate by a server-wearing mask, face shield, and handed using a tong as they come to get the elements maintaining a physical distance.

· Cups are placed individually in the serving tray and the congregation will come and pick them up maintaining the physical distance. Cups are single-use only and will be disposed of immediately after use.

Tithes and Offering

· Tithes and offering can be made online

· A mobile machine tap may be available on site.

· Cheques and cash may be placed in an envelope, dropped in a box, which will be sanitized before counting with the finance ministry wearing gloves.

Singing

· There will be no congregational singing.

· A maximum of two soloists will be performing during our praise and worship as part of our Sunday services. If possible, they are part of the cohort group within the small group bible study and the soloists will be performing within the plexiglass barrier between the soloists and the congregation. Otherwise, they have to maintain physical distance requirements.

· The instrumentalists can stay at the back, wearing a mask on the stage and paced at an approved physical distance.

Cleaning

· After each gathering, cleaning our instruments, and other highly used areas will be made or as directed by SPUC.

Immune Compromised or Over 60

· Congregants with an immune-compromised or underlying medical condition are requested to stay at home.

Under the Phase 2 reopening In-Person Worship during the pandemic found on the United Church of Canada Website, the following activities will be made during our use of the building facility:-

Masks, Social Distancing, and Limited Singing

· Using the building facility in-house could resume and practice physical distancing

· Masks will be worn at all times.

· Instrumental music will resume with performers wearing mask or face shields following AHS regulation

· No congregational singing is allowed except for the maximum of two vocalists who will be in plexiglass and allowable physical distance.

Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals

· Any of the activities above are booked separately and on separate compliance and strategy.

Administration and Maintenance

· Deep cleaning requirements to be done after every gathering which will be discussed and approved with SPUC.

Under the Phase 3 full return during the pandemic found on the United Church of Canada Website, the following activities will be made during our use of the building facility:-

Worship Gatherings

If worship services in attendance, in-person, and in-person gatherings of all kinds may be allowed including fellowship, we will also consider following directives whatever the most current Alberta Health Services regulations.

Reopening Guidelines for the use of SPUC as a renter for both the congregants and the general public will follow the guidelines below: -

· Encourage attendees to use the online Alberta Health Services Covid-19 Self Assessment Tool

· Before every event, it is strongly discouraging attendance if feeling unwell.

o Advise any interested attendee who is symptomatic or has been advised by public health to report their symptoms, to self-isolate and, stay at home.

· Maintain detailed attendance records for contact tracing that will identify for public health officials’ attendees of events. For confidentiality purposes, the names and contact information can be sealed in an envelope and kept in the possession of the church administration. If not needed, it can be shredded after 30 days. The following information is required for contact tracing:

o Name and phone number or email of the people who were in the building

o Date and time that the gathering took place

o Purpose for the gathering

· Where possible, 2 meters is the required space between individuals. Mark out, rope off otherwise indicate spaces for attendees to cue, sit, or participate.

· Encourage attendees to wear a mask for all activities.

· Encourage attendees to cough or sneeze into their elbow when necessary to limit possible contamination of surfaces.

· Discourage practices that increase droplet transmission including singing other than a maximum of two vocalists who will be having plexiglass in front of them and 2 meters distance physically. Do not use ceiling fans or portable fans as they increase air movement and potential spread.

· To use appropriate information posters and tips when necessary.

RELAUNCH PLAN AND GENERAL GUIDANCE STRATEGY

During worship service, we are considering options to limit the in-person attendance of congregants to facilitate physical distancing such as:

• Establishing caps on attendance and events,

• Establishing an online registration form and advance calling to monitor attendance.

• Encourage congregants the option to stay at home and opt to watch our online live streaming in replacement for in-person attendance.

WINSP shall adhere under the recommendation of the United Church of Canada's and Alberta’s relaunch Strategy

Distancing Measures

· Congregation has to maintain 2 meters between each other. Where 2 meters cannot be maintained a mask will be worn always.

· To follow directional traffic flow were specified by SPUC, otherwise, a plan will be in a place where for entrance and exit.

· On washroom, a designated number of users will be considered and posted on the door and we brief the congregation regarding the limit of person per washroom.

Cleaning / Disinfection

• Hand sanitizers are placed in a highly visible location at entrances and convenient locations

· Cleaning in high-touch surfaces will be identified e.g. bathroom, chairs, doorknobs, to discuss with SPUC regarding responsibility requirements before and after use.

· Working to ensure all our equipment’s; musical instruments are properly cleaned and disinfected before and after use.

· We shall monitor high tough areas and proper disinfectant as approved for use.

• Ensure washrooms filled with handwashing signs, and supplies including liquid soap, paper towels, and garbage containers, to inform SPUC if any of the supplies are needed to be refilled. Brethren are encouraged to follow the Hand Hygiene Procedure by AHS.

Screening for Symptoms

· Each congregant upon entry, we shall perform a temperature check. The congregant will not be allowed to enter the sanctuary if the temperature is equal or beyond 38 degrees.

· The congregation is encouraged to educate themselves with all information available from the Local, Provincial, and Federal websites relating to COVID-19.

· Congregants experiencing symptoms of illness are advised to stay at home and watch the live streaming.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

· Congregants are encouraged to wear non-medical face masks following with masking guidance when the physical distance is not possible.

· A plexiglass will be used to the vocalists and the welcoming at the entrance.

· To discuss with SPUC if there are barrier requirements or we shall make sure we have the required distance and approved requirements for interior mobility with the congregation.

Responsibilities

• The church has designated each ministry to have its own Ministry Relaunch Plan Protocol and responsibilities. Ministry Heads will act as the administrators on their respective ministries for compliance. Ensure the plan are communicated to all ministries and assigned responsible groups for cleaning

• After each Sunday Service, no food will be served until further notice.

· Congregants, volunteers have the contact information, the organizer shall act and ministry heads to ensure their respective ministry team and members are properly informed and have an immediate update and appropriate response period.

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APPENDIX A

Contact for the designated “organizer”:

Name: Eduardo David

Designation: Pastor – Word International Ministries Sherwood Park

Telephone no: 780.800.0838

Email address: eduardo.david@wordalberta.com

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