Local churches may restart in-person worship
A Word From Bishop Holston
Worship and other in-person gatherings are allowed to resume in the South Carolina Conference beginning June 14. The Cabinet has outlined the safety concerns and guidelines for resuming in-person worship in this resource. These guidelines are the product of prayer, research, data analysis and many conversations with public health officials, church leaders and state leaders. Clergy and church leaders are strongly encouraged to use this resource to navigate the transition to resuming in-person worship.
Resources highlighted in blue have been added after initial publication
Questions about restarting? Email restart@umcsc.org
Download PDF of this guidance
About This Guidance
Plan now
Fit your context
Design team
Safety of God’s People
Golden Rule
Education
Leadership
Importance of Leadership
Own your emotions
Educate yourself
Communicate consistently
Pastor’s Role
Authority
Responsibility
Trust
Learning From Others
No more “normal”
Continuing restrictions
Teamwork
At-Risk Populations
65-plus
Medical conditions
African-American
Reality | Opportunity
Connection
Online ministry
Recalibrate systems
Since all ministry is contextual, there is no one-size-fits-all formula to restart well. The health and safety of participants and leaders will be paramount, so we should strive to reduce risks wherever possible. Restarting church will take time, and some churches might be ready to resume services or other gatherings sooner than others. Restarting before church leaders are confident they have done all they can to create a safe environment could not only threaten the health of the congregation – it could keep them from showing up at all.
Preparing The Space
Cleaning & disinfecting
Personal protection
Continuing maintenance
Worship | Gatherings
Social distancing
Communion
Singing
Youth Ministry
Practical questions
Big-picture questions
Free coaching
Communication
Planning
Beyond traditional
Signage
Giving
Deeper stewardship
Online
Giving apps
Vacation Bible School
Virtual VBS ideas
In-person ideas
Learning from others
Amid all of your preparations for the date you will return to in-person worship, make some time for discussion about long-term issues generated by the pandemic – how your ministry might change or need to change – to be more effective.
Conversation Tools for Moving Beyond COVID-19
A Place to Start
Small contextual groups
Planning discussions
Questions/prompts
Forward Focus Adaptation
Turn to your plan
Refocus your team
Adapted worksheet
Appreciative Inquiry
Focus on what’s working
Don’t look for problems
Foster trust
Emotional Equipping
Mental Health First Aid
Free program
Educate congregations
Prisma Health
COVID-19 Coaching Tool
Free resource
Emotional, mental effects
Honest conversations
Trauma 101
Free assessment
Crisis and trauma
Be your best self
Other guidance from trusted sources to use in a way that best fits your congregation and your context.
Restart Checklist
The basics of the restart process
RE-Launch: Embracing the Ministry Possibilities of 2020
UMC Discipleship Ministries
Finding masks, hand sanitizer
Compare prices
Pay attention to reviews
Partner with other churches
Buy in bulk to reduce costs
Check local, then online vendors
24 Questions Your Church Should Ask Before People Return
Ken Braddy Jr.
10 Considerations for Safely Reopening Church
Pinnacle Leadership Associates
