COVID-19 UPDATE

^{Voyagers LIVE!}

^{Information and Instructions for Gathering Again On Campus}

Voyagers LIVE! is coming to our church campus this coming Sunday June 7!  A lot of planning has gone into this event, to help assure it is healthy, safe, and successful.  

This message gives important details. Please read it carefully, and in full. By understanding and following the procedures we have put in place, you will help us achieve a successful reopening of the Voyagers campus. Thanks for your attention to the information that follows!

A team of Elders, Pastors and staff, Deacons and Lay Leaders have spent many hours meeting and reviewing official guidelines and articles, and have had many conversations with other church leaders. We have identified and documented best practices to prepare our True Family and the Voyagers campus for a healthy and safe Voyagers LIVE!  

Our final Plan centers on these key points:

·      Social distancing (six feet or more) everywhere on campus.

·      Face coverings inside every building (optional outside).

·      Lots of hand sanitizer and handwashing.

·      Enhanced cleaning of rooms and surfaces before and after use.

·      Limit occupancy of any room to no more than 100 people, or 25% of the room’s rated maximum, whichever is lower (a current requirement from the state).  

WE ARE OPENING STEP-BY-STEP

We will reopen the church campus in defined Steps. The five key points above will remain in effect throughout all our reopening Steps, until they can be safely relaxed. This will be based on guidance from civil authorities, current best practices, and our own experience. Throughout these Steps, please remember:

·      First, and most importantly, cover all this effort in prayer! May the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit be our strength, and may God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord, be honored throughout!

·      As Pastor Chris said on Sunday May 31, some of our True Family will not be entirely satisfied with every element of our Gathering Plan. Therefore, we all must exhibit both Unity and Flexibility.  

·      We must all manage our expectations. Voyagers LIVE! will look different for a while. So, let us all celebrate what we can have now, and be patient for an eventual return to normal. 

·      For each in our True Family, returning to campus is an option, not an obligation or expectation. We respect anyone’s decision to hang back until they feel comfortable returning in person. We are upgrading the online experience by live-streaming Sunday services, and will post a recording on our website, so that we all can gather either face-to-face or virtually.  

·      We welcome your input! Send to truefamilygathers@voyagers.org.

STEP 1:  VOYAGERS LIVE!

The Campus is Prepared for Voyagers LIVE!, Including:

1.     Enhanced cleaning of all seats, hard surfaces, bathrooms etc., before and after each service, and throughout the campus every Thursday.

2.     Sanctuary seating to assure six-foot social distancing between households (which will sit together), both side-to-side and in front and behind. Overflow seating with appropriate social distancing will be available outside on the Patio (where masks are not required!) and possibly in the MPR, both with live-streaming of the service in the sanctuary. 

3.     Doors propped open to minimize need to use high-touch surfaces, and to promote air flow.

4.     One-way doors and walking routes to minimize cross-traffic and social-distancing violations.

5.     In the restrooms, maximum occupancy of three. 

6.     Water fountains turned off and kitchens closed.

7.     No food or drink served or allowed on campus.

8.     Unused campus rooms and playground closed. 

9.     Minimal use of repeat or high-touch items:  bulletins, pens, paper, offering plates, etc. You can give online, or use the box in the back of the sanctuary!

10.   Lots of signage to instruct and illustrate all the above, and more!  Please observe and obey!

Before You Leave Home:

1.     Check yourself and your household for symptoms: fever, dry cough, body aches. If any are present, none of you should come on campus. 

2.     None of your household should come if any of your household has a confirmed active COVID case (with or without symptoms), or if any of your household has been in close and prolonged contact with someone who has COVID (e.g. a family member, or if you have been told by an official contact tracer of such contact), until 14 days have passed.   

3.     Do not come on campus if you have symptoms of any other infectious illness.

4.     Consider carefully whether to come on campus if you are in a high-risk group (e.g., elderly, underlying chronic medical condition, frail health, compromised immune system).  

5.     For everyone who is coming to campus:  wash your hands and grab a mask for everyone (for people 2 years and older!  And if you will have young children sitting with you, consider bringing along something to occupy them (e.g., crayons and paper).

When You Arrive:

1.     Park in the church lot (IVC is not open). Exit (and later re-enter) your car when no one else is nearby.

2.     Bring your mask!  If you need one, we have one for you.

3.     Maintain social distancing of 6+ feet at all times everywhere on campus (households exempt).

4.     Note and observe all signs posted to direct foot traffic, identify Enter and Exit doors, etc.  Avoid congestion at doorways, on the Patio, etc.  

5.     Avoid hugs, handshakes, fist bumps, and any other physical contact.

When You Enter Any Building on Campus:

1.     Put on a mask before you enter, and keep it on until you have left the building and are well away from the door. 

2.     Use hand sanitizer before entering, and upon exiting (it will be available for all in many locations). 

3.     In the sanctuary, sit only in the Yellow Rows for 9:00, and Blue Rows for 10:45. 

4.     Sit as households, and leave three empty seats between households sharing a row. 

5.     Bathroom occupancy is limited to 3 at a time. Ushers will be at the doors to help. Wait your turn in the hallway (6 feet apart!). Use sanitary wipes to clean handles and levers after use. 

During the Worship Service:

1.     Keep your mask on (optional outdoors).

2.     Keep your distance (6+ feet!).

3.     If you begin to feel sick, please exit and go home.

As You Leave the Service:

1.     Maintain social distancing as you exit.

2.     Keep your mask on until you are outside and away from any crowding.

WHAT ARE THE FOLLOWING STEPS?

After Voyagers LIVE!, the following Steps will add more on-campus activities cumulatively.  We will provide more details on each of these further Steps as we approach their implementation, as needed. 

Step 2 – Ministry meetings for grade 7 through adult, typically involving modest numbers of attendees such as bible studies, discipleship groups, mid-week Student Ministry meetings, leadership team meetings. 

Step 3 – Student Ministries (grades 7-12) on Sunday mornings. 

Step 4 – Children’s Ministries (infant through 6^th grade) on Sunday mornings. 

Step 5 – Non-Voyagers ministries that we host on our campus.   

Thank you for your attention to this important information. These efforts are in place to protect our True Family brothers and sisters as we return to Voyagers campus.      

We look forward to seeing you soon, in person!