Covid Protocols in the Building and in Worship
The following safety practices were set by Church Council and the Worship & Music Committee in April 2022 and revised slightly thereafter:
- Sunday Entry: Colored nametags, individual communion elements, sanitizer and masks are available to those who choose to use them.
- Masking, though still recommended, is optional both in the building and in worship.
- Having food and drink, including coffee hour, is allowed. We do ask, for larger events involving food, that a list of attendees be kept and left with the office for a week, in case Covid notification is needed afterwards.
- Small groups may make a group decision about their masking, sign-in, and food or drink practices.
- During the week, the main double doors will be open during office hours; no sign-in is needed.
- Evening and weekend entry: The member’s keypad code for the McGraw Street door is available for use for evening and weekend meetings and activities. (Contact the office if you need the code for entry.)
Communion Practices
Individually-packaged elements ( we call them “Communables”) are available in the narthex to pick up as you enter.
At worship congregants have a choice of picking up a communable before entering the service, or of going forward during worship to receive a wafer and wine (or juice) during worship by intinction (dipping).
- Pastor will commune those who wish to come forward, with wafers given, and then dipped into the chalice of wine.
- Those who wish to continue using individual “communables” in their pews may do so as others come forward.
- For anyone with restricted mobility, the pastor will commune those who raise a hand, by going out to them where they are seated.
Notes About Exposure Notification
How do I notify the church if I was at an event and then tested positive for Covid?
As soon as you know there was an exposure, please text Pastor on his cell, 206-422-1974. Leaving a message at the church office at 206-284-1960 and emailing both the office (admin@queenannelutheran.org) and Pastor Barich (pastorbarich@queenannelutheran.org) are also useful, but the voice mail and emails are not monitored 24/7. Texting Pastor Dan will be most timely and effective.
How does the church notify those exposed, if someone has tested positive for Covid?
Barb Bash, Pastor Barich or Cantor Kyle will send out an All-Church email notification, so that word can get out quickly to our faith community, even on a weekend. One of these staff members will send word out. When we can, we will work with event organizers to make sure we have notified all attendees. Members involved in the event who do not use the Internet will be informed by phone. The email will include a link to the Washington State Department of Health guidelines.
What do I need to know if I am hosting an event?
Because Covid has not gone away, we must still be mindful of the possibility that we will have to notify attendees after an event. For committees, it is often easy to remember who was present, but for other events, particularly when attendees may come from outside the congregation, it is best practice to keep a list of attendees with their preferred contact information, be it email or phone.
How do I decide whether to attend an event or worship?
For some, Covid symptoms can be mild. They may include headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, muscle pain, fatigue, fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, or loss of taste or smell. Other less-common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. If you are experiencing any symptoms, however mild they may seem, and you have not tested yet for Covid, choosing to stay home from worship or an event is a caring response for yourself and others.
Our church still encourages, but does not require masking, as we follow the state of Washington Department of Health guidelines and there is currently no masking mandate. It is now up to attendees at an event to decide whether they do so; you need to determine your own level of risk and your comfort with those risks. Deciding to attend a meal at church, where masks will be off, is similar to deciding whether to eat at a restaurant. An exposure that occurred at a February event was a good reminder that Covid has not gone away, there are still risks involved, and individuals need to be mindful of that.
