GCC Regathering Plan-Phase 1

GCC Regathering Plan-Phase 1

I.  Why do we plan to regather for worship?

  • Principle of Christian Corporate Gathering. Public in-person assembly/gathering is God’s ordained and prescribed way for His people to worship Him and love/serve each other throughout redemptive history (Heb. 3:1–6). Scripture teaches the importance of public gathering of God’s people (Ex. 3:12, 20:3–6; Neh. 8; Matt. 18:20; Jn. 21:2; Acts 1:12–14, 20:7; 1Cor. 10–14; Heb. 10:25). Therefore, we must be faithful to follow this command and principle. We do not want to fall into Satan’s trap of thwarting God’s people to come together to worship God (Eph. 6:11–12).
  • Principle of Love & Charity. We are also sensitive to the different needs, feelings, and opinions of different people, especially those who have underlying health issues and are vulnerable. This is based on the principle of love and charity (1Cor. 13; Col. 3:12–15; 1Jn. 4:7–11). As God alone is the Lord of the conscience (Jas. 4:12; Rom. 14:4), we do not wish to bind anyone’s conscience in returning to church too soon. Proper human reasons and light of nature (common sense) are not in conflict with God’s Word.
  • Principle of Civil Obedience. As our local government has taken steps to reopen local businesses since May 29, we will diligently follow our public officials’ directions and regulations to plan for our future regathering of our church each step of the way (Rom. 13:1; 1Pet. 2:13).
  • Principle of Sustainability & Light of Nature. Our endeavor to regather will also be done according to the sustainable and available resources/capabilities/time the Lord has given us, as we also understand that much of it relies on the light of nature (common sense) and Christian prudence, according to the general principles of the Word (1Cor. 14:20; Prov. 21:20; Luke 11:28; WCF 1.6).

II.  What will future gatherings look like?

As our area begins the reopening process, we’re pursuing a phased reopening, taking us from online only to gathering in increasingly large groups until all restrictions are lifted. The phase definitions as well as our ministry plan for each phase are outlined in the table below:

Phase 0Phase 1  Phase 2Phase 3
Date3/16 – ?TBDTBDTBD
Summary
Virtual Operations
(Current Status)		Reduced OperationsLimited
Operations		Steady-State Operations
COVID-19 ScenarioCase increasingCase steady or decreasingCase decreasing and no new spikesSignificant decrease or containment
CapacityMax 10LimitedModerateNo size limit
Vulnerable PopulationStay at homeStay at homeAs instructedDiscretionary
Ministry Plan
Worship Services

Online OnlyOnline & In-personCM 09:00 AMEM 11:15 AMOnline & In-personArrangement TBDOnline & In-personArrangement TBD
Sunday
School
Online OnlyOnline OnlyOnline & In-personArrangement TBDOnline & In-personArrangement TBD
Children’s Worship Service
Online OnlyOnline OnlyOnline & In-personIn-person Only
Children’s Sunday School
Online OnlyOnline OnlyOnline & In-personIn-person Only
Sunday Fellowship Lunch
CanceledCanceledCanceledResumed
KitchenClosedClosedTBDResumed
Small Groups

Online OnlyOnline OnlyOnline & In-personOnline & In-person
Prayer Meeting

Online OnlyOnline OnlyOnline & In-PersonOnline & In-person
Pastoral Counseling/ VisitationOnline OnlyOnline & In-personOnline & In-PersonIn-person Only
Pastor & Staff Location

100% Remote100% Remote, At church for appointments onlyAll Staff on SiteAll Staff on Site

III.  Phase 1 Planning Details

A. Who can come to worship at church?

  • In accordance with CDC guidelines, we ask the following to stay at home and continue to join the worship services online:
    1. People who are 65 or older
    2. People of all ages who have underlying medical conditions
  • Due to the closure of our nursery, we ask parents with infants to stay at home as well.
  • We ask that you stay at home if you or anyone in your family has flu-like symptoms—fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat, etc.
  • Additionally, we ask that anyone in the following situations to self-isolate for 2 weeks:
    1. You have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients
    2. You traveled out of town
    3. You have out of town guest(s) staying with you

For anyone who decides to come to worship at church, it should be with the understanding that even though our church is doing all that is necessary and exercising prudence to prevent the spreading of COVID-19, there will always be some risk of exposure when we gather. Therefore, we urge you to exercise good judgment and bear personal responsibility, as our church, in good conscience, cannot guarantee 100% safety for anyone from getting infected. If we know of any attendee being infected, we will immediately notify the congregation and evaluate how to move forward.

B. What will the church do to get ready for reopening?

Based on government guidelines, practices of fellow churches, and input from our brothers and sisters, we will make sure the following preparations and measures are in place prior to church reopening:

  • We have stood up a Health Advisory Team with brothers Tony Wang, William Wu and sisters Huiping Tu and Yufang Zhang who will review and advise coworkers in COVID-19 related planning and preparations.
  • Sanctuary seating will be reduced and rearranged to ensure social distancing among member families. Additionally, CM and EM will use different rows to further minimize the chance of contact. Our sanctuary has a maximum capacity of 400. With reduced seating, we can still accommodate around 100 members (well below the county suggested 50% occupancy). If we start to approach that limit, we will consider using an online signup form, or consider multiple worship services.
  • Pastors and coworkers will wear face masks (unless on stage, away from the congregation).
  • We will make the following changes in our worship services:
    • We will not print and hand out bulletins and flyers but will continue to distribute them online via emails and on church website
    • For the Lord’s Supper, we will use prepackaged elements (wafer and cup)
    • We will provide a box for offerings instead of passing offering bags. For those who send their offerings online or by mail, please continue to do so in Phase 1.
    • In Phase 1, praise teams will remain suspended
    • All Bibles and hymnals will be removed from sanctuary
  • Touchless thermometers will be made available at church entrance. To minimize risk of contact, we will not require all church members take temperatures when coming to church but rely on each member to bear personal responsibility and follow church guidelines. However, we will require temperature checks for new visitors as an extra precaution.
  • In Phase 1, fellowship lunch will remain suspended.
  • In Phase 1, kitchen will remain closed and no coffee, tea, or water will be served (please bring your own water bottle if need to)
  • Conduct thorough cleaning in between and after services.
  • Use separate doors to enter and exit; isles and hallways will be marked with directions to ensure one-way traffic in church, to minimize chance of contact.
  • Allow interior doors to remain open to limit touching of door handles.
  • Provide sanitizing stations (hand sanitizer).
  • Tissues, wipes and hand sanitizers will be placed outside and inside bathrooms.
  • Health signage will be posed in accordance with county and state government guidelines.
  • Keep sufficient inventory of PPE and cleaning supplies.

C. How should I prepare myself to join worship services at church?

We look forward to seeing you again at church! Please use the following instructions as a guideline:

  • One again, if you are (or a family member is) not feeling well, stay at home!
  • Please do wear a mask or face covering during your stay at church.
  • Please use hand sanitizer to clean your hands at church entrance.
  • Please observe social distancing, sit only at assigned seating, and follow traffic signs inside the church.
  • Please observe social distancing in the church parking lot.
  • Please bring your own Bible.

D. When will we reopen?

The session will decide and announce the exact date based on the input from the Church Reopen Planning Committee, the Health Advisory Team, and feedback from the congregation. The decision will be based on the following criteria:

  • Virginia and local businesses have started gradual reopening
  • All necessary preparations mentioned above are completed
  • We observe a three-week downward trend in the COVID-19 hospitalization and death numbers in Virginia

E.  What can I do in the meantime?

  • Pray! Please pray for our pastors, elders, deacons, and all church reopening team members/co-laborers, that they would have wisdom, discernment, ability, and resources to prepare and plan for reopening of church worship services and ministries. Pray also for the reopening of our society, for the steady decline of COVID-19, and for our government leaders to make sound judgment and prudent decisions in reopening our communities.  
  • Continue to join all church ministries online—worship, Sunday School, small groups, and prayer meetings.
  • Please provide your feedback to church coworkers.
  • If God moves your heart to join in-person worship at church, please consider volunteering for ushers and cleanup duties.

Please watch the following video for Church Reopening Guidelines