ChurchSafety

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With the threat of an H1N1 pandemic, better known as the swine flu, schools are closing down, trips to Mexico have been canceled, and medical masks are becoming a common accessory around the world. Media coverage continues to heighten fears about the flu outbreak, while still trying to reassure us that it's still okay to ride public transportation.

As a ministry leader, you may be wondering what you can do to keep your congregation healthy. Although no one has total control over the spread of this illness, there are some important steps you can take to reduce its spread within your own faith community.

There are several steps your church can take to help prevent further spreading of this virus:

1. Make adjustments to your typical Sunday morning activities at church. Physical contact, for example, is inevitable for your pastors on Sunday morning, as it also may be for your greeting team. To decrease the risk of the virus spreading through handshakes and other routine touch, your pastors and lay leaders may want to make an announcement that they are suspending physical contact and ask that the congregants respect those in the congregation who wish to do the same. Some churches are suggesting nodding or bowing to each other instead of shaking hands or offering hugs.
   
   
2. Communion practices may also be altered during this time. If your church traditionally has one cup for participants, you may want to switch to individual cups for as long as the threat continues. One common loaf of bread could also pose a problem and an alternative—such as individual wafers—may be a modification.
   
   
3. Place hand sanitizers throughout your building, and encourage your congregation to use them throughout the worship time.
   
   
4. During any flu season, pay closer attention to your nursery and children's rooms, bathrooms, and kitchen and coffee areas:
   
   
   • Cleaning toys after every use with a disinfectant is necessary, and will help stop a virus from spreading. During a heightened time of risk for illness, nursery workers should try their hardest to keep toys from passing from child to child. The nursery should also be completely disinfected after each service or event.
     
     
   • Signs should be placed in bathrooms encouraging congregants to thoroughly wash their hands before they leave. Signs in a bold color should also be posted throughout your church reminding congregants to continually wash their hands throughout the day.
     
     
   • You may also want to hire a janitor to come in and disinfect the bathrooms every Sunday, or immediately after an event, in addition to their normal duties.
     
     
   • The kitchen or coffee area is another place of concern since it's where many people will congregate at a time. If you have food out on Sunday mornings remind people to "take what they touch" and to throw away all garbage as soon as they're finished.
     
     

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