December 26 2020 – Actualizarea stării Bisericii Grace
Datorită situației în care ne aflăm la ora actuală, trei frați din Corul Bărbătesc fiind diagnosticați pozitiv Covid-19, iar alți frați cu simptome, care nu știm dacă este o răceală de sezon sau Covid, serviciile divine din ziua de duminică 12-27-2020 se anulează.
Serviciile divine nu vor avea loc nici dimineața nici seara.
Săptămâna următoare vom anunța cum și când vor avea loc slujbele la biserică.
Frați și surori, va îndemn in Numele Domnului să nu avem o atitudine de bănuială unii împotriva altora ci să mijlocim în rugăciune cu mulțumire pentru Harul și Binecuvîntarea pe care El ni le-a dăruit pâna acuma. Credem căci Dumnezeu ne va ajuta să trecem și prin această încercare și prin puterea Duhului Sfânt, în Numele Domnului Isus vom fi biruitori.
Va multumim pentru intelegere si va dorim din toata inima binecuvantarea Domnului pentru voi si familiile voastre.
“Harul să fie cu toți cei ce iubesc pe Domnul nostru, ISUS HRISTOS, în curăție”. Efeseni 6:24
Pastor Vasile Streango.
Grace Romanian Pentecostal Church – COVID-19 Policy and Protocol
April 27th 2020
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”. (Matthew 7:12)
RESPECTING OTHER PEOPLES LIFE IS A HIGH VIRTUE OF A CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves”. (Romans 12:10)
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. (Philippians 2:3)
Grace Romanian Pentecostal Church Board through its Senior Pastor Vasile Streango, will organize, monitor, and continue updating the church members about the church services based on the state regulatory and additional recommendation orders.
Our main focus is for Everyone who chooses to attend our church service, to be able to receive the best spiritual experience in a safe and friendly environment.
In order to accomplish this, our Board will hold a special preparatory meeting with our Team of
Ushers in the next few days to prepare for the next church service.
A new Health Church Department Minister will be appointed , in order to advise, implement , and monitor the church sanitation and the safety of the congregants. The HCDM will report directly to the Senior Pastor, will organize his/her own volunteer team, and will work in close coordination with the church’s Team of Ushers and with the church’s Administrator. Reports and recommendation will be sent weekly or as needed to the OSP, for information, review and decision.
Health Protocol for Serving the Attendees
1. As a congregation, we strongly encouraged the at-risk population such as those who are 65 or older, especialy those with chronic lung disease; moderate to severe asthma; chronic heart disease; severe obesity; diabetes chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis; liver disease; or weakened immune system to watch or participate in the service remotely.
2. We designated an area inside the facility reserved for the at- risk population and if necessary we will offer a service for at-risk population attendees only.
Senior Citizen Accommodations: Senior citizens and those with vulnerable health conditions may be fearful of returning with the entire congregation, and it may be advised for them not to attend. For people over 65 years old the church will prepare special accommodations in the back gathering room. The church will continue to offer online worship and discipleship for this population.
3. We ensured proper spacing between attendees by keeping at least two empty seats or 6 feet separation between parties in a row, except as follows:
a. Two or more members of the same household can sit adjacent to one another, with two seats (or six feet separation) empty on either side.
b. Two individuals who are not members of the same household but who are attending together can sit adjacent to one another, with two seats (or six feet separation) empty on either side.
We will alternate rows between attendees(every other row left empty) with proper signage posted. Seating must be coordinated by the Team of Ushers in order to maintain social
distancing. While families can sit closer together, there should be appropriate spacing on either side of each family unit. The seating will start with the front row of the church, continuing with every other row until the sanctuary capacity is filled. If no more seating space is available, the congregants will need to return home. If special pastoral assistance is needed, an usher needs to be informed to arrange this with the scheduled minister. The scheduled minister, in the office, will decide regarding the need and advise the next step (special prayer request; anointing of oil; special donation; visit request; etc)
4. Attendees will be advised to refrain from hand shaking or other physical contact.
5.Our attendees will be adviced to use face coverings, if they choose.
6. The dismissal from our services will be done in groups (each family) starting with the back row. The Senior Pastor will advise about the church dismissal and the Team of Ushers will assist to implement the direction in an orderly manner to aid in social distancing.
7. In the lieu of “social distancing” and “6 feet separation” our congregation will not have Sunday School classes for an unlimited period for time. Classes will resume when the Public Schools will be ready to re-open.
8. Nursery room, Toddler room and any other classroom will be kept locked during this period of time.
9. Offering: The church’s Administrator will install Special offering boxes in various entrances to receive offerings instead of passing the offering plates. Online giving, will be encourage as well.
10. Communion: Prepackaged communion sets will be used. The individual sets can be picked up from the hallway tables as people enter the service or from the drive-thru scheduled pick-up session and used at the appropriate time in the announced service.
11. Bulletins: Bulletins will not be distributed because they can be germ carriers.
12. Masks: The church will consider providing masks for those who don’t have them, if wearing masks is suggested by health officials.
13.Hymnals and Pew Bibles: It may be best to eliminate the use of these items until the threat is over.
14. Worshipers: Passing microphones and other materials on the stage must be avoided.
15 Pulpit usage: The pulpit will be sanitized after every use.
Health Protocol for Employees and Volunteers
1. All of our employees and volunteers are trained on appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.
2. Screening of our employees and volunteers before coming into the sanctuary it will be done before each service. Signage with signs and symptoms of possible COVID-19 will be posted in a visible area:
- cough
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- chills
- repeated shaking with chills
- muscle pain
- headache
- sore throat
- loss of taste or smell
- diarrhea
- feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
- known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19.
We will adhere to the Executive Order No. GA 18 and not allow employees or volunteers with the new or worsening signs or symptoms listed above to return to work until:
A. In the case of an employee or volunteer who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to work when all three of the following criteria are met: at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of feverreducing medications); and the individual has improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared;
B. In the case of an employee or volunteer who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to work until the individual has completed the same three-step criteria listed above; or
C. If the employee or volunteer has symptoms that could be COVID19 and wants to return to work before completing the above selfisolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.
D. Do not allow an employee or volunteer with known close contact to a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 to return to work until the end of the 14-day self-quarantine period from the last date of exposure (with an exception granted for healthcare workers and critical infrastructure workers).
3.All our employees or volunteers will wash or sanitize their hands upon entering.
4.All of our employees and volunteers will strive to maintain 6 feet distance from other individuals, but when not possible other measures including face covering, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, cleanliness, and sanitation it will be carefully practiced.
5.Our employees or volunteers will be adviced to use face coverings, if they choose.
6. At this point, the congregants temperature will be checked if they have not checked it prior to coming to church.
Health Protocol for our Facility
1. Regularly and frequently clean and disinfect any regularly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, tables, chairs, and restrooms.
2. Disinfect seats between services.
3. Disinfect any items that come into contact with attendees.
Hymnals and Pew Bibles: It may be best to eliminate the use of these items until the threat is over.
Bulletins: Bulletins will not be distributed because they can be germ carriers.
4. Make hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap and water, or similar disinfectant readily available.
Masks: The church will consider providing masks for those who don’t have them, if wearing masks is suggested by health officials.
5. Place readily visible signage to remind everyone of best hygiene practices.
A special sanitation station will be placed at the church entrance. The Ushers and Health Team volunteers will provide assistance.
It is mandatory for each congregant to follow the hand sanitation procedure. The church building must be considered a clean, safe zone, and must be carefully maintained in order to not cause
contamination.
6. Signs: Post signs about not shaking hands and doing non-contact greetings. You can promote the idea it is ok to smile and wave.
7. Air Quality and Ventilation: In the next few days the church’s Administrator will do a maintenance check to the HVAC system and install the highest quality air filters in order to provide the best air quality for the congregants.
8.Restroom usage: The ushers will monitor the restrooms in order to ensure there are only 2 people in the restroom at the same time. The men’s restroom requires to close a urinal and a stall to create social distancing in the restroom. The other option is to close both urinals. Outside Portable Restroom units usage will be explored if recommended.
Communication
The chain of communication in case of COVID-19 positiv test result in our congregation is as follows:
1. The person infected has the responsibility to call the Senior Pastor and let him know the circumstances, measures to contain the infection already implemented (quarantine) and the list of people who came in contact with the infected person.
2. Based on the information provided and measures already implemented the Pastor and family will decide how to procede.
3. The information will be kept private until the need to make it public in order to prevent the spreading of infection.
All other type of announcements will be done through our website, Whatsapp groups and personal text messages.
All of our services will be Live streamed and archived to be viewed later.