Return to Saint Paul Plan

“But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” —Second Peter 3
“We are on virus time, not human time,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and Lutheran. It has certainly been a time to face what is always true: we are not in control. Our actions matter: we can have—we already have had—an influence on the trajectory of the pandemic, on how many and who dies. And, for at least the next year, coronavirus will set the timetable. For the sake of the least of these, we get to practice patience and a lot of letting go and letting God.
Plan Background
St. Paul's council adopted this plan on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. To create it, St. Paul leaders adapted the Wisconsin Council of Churches’ “Model for Returning to Church” (www.wichurches.org/2020/04/23/returning-to-church). The WCC “consulted with public health experts, church leaders, and guidance developed by churches and judicatories around the United States.” Like the WCC, St. Paul leaders expect this plan to evolve, because it cannot anticipate every circumstance. Using it well requires discernment, wisdom, and patience.

Plan Overview
Returning to church will happen in phases. Phases’ start and end are not fixed in time but depend on Iowa’s daily case count and test count data, available at coronavirus.iowa.gov/pages/case-counts. 

Weeks of declining case counts and increasing testing will mark the move from one phase to the next. We may not progress straight through the phases. Instead, second or third waves of infection may “reset the clock,” so to speak.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus in every phase.
"Safer at Home," as of May 29, 2020...
St. Paul is in the “Safer at Home” phase. New cases have been about the same for the past three weeks, with a slight downward trend on average from 400 to 350 new positives per day. Testing rose to just shy 5,000 per day.

Safer at Home

  • Online worship only.
  • Online meetings only.
  • Service ministries use safety protocols and address only essential needs.
  • Minimal, drop-in staffing sufficient for essential operations (deposits, mail processing, etc).

Phase One

After two weeks of declining case counts in Iowa and the number of daily tests in Iowa is above 7,000…
  • Online worship. Fewer than 10 worship leaders participate in recording.
  • Funerals kept to less than 10 in attendance. No funeral luncheons.
  • Online bible study and small group meetings.
  • Church councils and leadership teams of less than 10 might consider meeting in person while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, or continue meeting online.
  • Office functions as limited as possible to ensure essential operations. Those in the office should be wearing masks.
  • High risk individuals (people over 60 and those with underlying conditions), whether staff or volunteers, should continue to shelter in place.

Phase Two

After several weeks of declining case counts in Iowa and the number of daily tests in Iowa is above 10,000…
  • Worship:
    • Online worship only, or...
    • Livestream in-person worship with fewer than 50 people all practicing social distancing and wearing masks with no singing, no communion, no coffee or fellowship time, no-touch sharing the peace and collecting offering, and little speaking in unison. Maybe more than one service per week, or groups alternating by week.
  • Funerals kept to less than 50 in attendance. No funeral luncheons.
  • Offer options for both in-person and online Sunday School, Bible study and small group meetings.
  • Church councils and leadership teams of less than 10 might consider meeting in person while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, or continue meeting online.
  • Regular office functions may resume while maintaining social distancing and wearing masks. Continue cleaning and sanitizing the office.
  • High risk individuals (people over 60 and those with underlying conditions), whether staff, volunteers, or program participants, should continue to shelter in place.

Phase Three

After a few months of declining case counts in Iowa and the number of daily tests in Iowa is well above 10,000…
  • High risk individuals (people over 60 and those with underlying conditions), whether staff, volunteers, or program participants, should continue to shelter in place.
  • Wear cloth face masks while at church and in community ministry, as is recommended in public spaces.
  • Worship:
    • In-person, livestreamed worship with no physical distancing requirements but avoiding crowding as much as possible
    • Maybe offer two service times, as people may want to spread out.
    • Continue no-touch sharing the peace and collecting offering.
    • Consider resuming communion.
    • Watch for public health recommendations on group singing.
    • Consider waiting before resuming coffee or fellowship time, encouraging people to leave the building rather than mingling.
  • Consider resuming in-person Sunday School, Bible studies and small groups and maintaining some online options.
  • Office functions could resume as normal, with attention to cleaning.
  • Groups, teams, and committees could meet in person.
Resources