COVID-19 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

UPDATE - August 29, 2001:  Today, we will return to our full slate of in-person services.  All of us who were exposed to someone with COVID have had 18 days to self-isolate and monitor our symptoms.  To my knowledge, no one else from that group has turned up sick.  We do have one other older lady who has tested positive, outside of our church, in a different place, and she is currently in quarantine.  So, we're back up and running!

If you are uncomfortable coming, or you have any cold or flu symptoms, please, stay home, and watch the service online.  If you want to come and wear a mask, social distance, and not shake hands, you are welcome to do that. 

I hope to see you tomorrow!

UPDATE - August 22, 2021:  Today, and this Wednesday the 25th, our services will be online only, due to a few of our people contracting the COVID virus, and several of the rest of us being exposed as well.  This Friday the 27th will be 17 days since our exposure, plenty of time to know what decision to make next.  No one else has reported to me of any sickness, so it appears to be isolated to just a few.  Pray for those who are struggling with the symptoms.  We will send out a mass message to let you know of our plans for this upcoming Sunday.  Thanks for your patience and your prayers!

UPDATE - June 6, 2021:  Beginning today, June 6, we will be back to our full schedule, Praise the Lord!  We will restart our Sunday School hour at 10:00AM in the morning with all of our classes.  We will also start running our buses again.  In addition, we will start scheduling our regular soul-winning times too.  (Our faithful soul-winners have already been back to witnessing.)  This will put us back to a full slate of ministries.

Our policies over the last 15 months have proven to be effective in keeping us physically healthy and free from the Covid-19 virus.  We began loosening up our restrictions slowly on Easter Sunday, and God has seen fit to allow things to work out for good.  Why do we ever doubt Him?!

Please feel free to join us for any of our regularly scheduled services.

UPDATE - May 2, 2021:  We are again taking another step toward a full, "normal" schedule,  as we had before the Pandemic began.

In addition to the things listed in our last update, we will be taking all the ropes off the pews and opening up the entire seating area for use.  We will also begin having our fellowship time and shaking hands during our services, as well as adding another congregational song to get back to what we previously did.  Our order of service will change slightly to better allow our choir members to participate in the hand-shaking and be available to serve in other areas.

Some are continuing to wear masks for their own protection, which is encouraged, if you feel it is necessary.  Also, some may feel uncomfortable shaking hands.  Please, feel free to not participate if that is the case.

Lord willing, we will resume Sunday School and running our buses the first week of June.

Thank you for working with us and for cheerfully complying to our policies.

UPDATE - April 4, 2021:  We are excited to move away from our "Restricted Access" phase to a "Controlled Loosening" phase.  Beginning Easter Sunday, masks will still be recommended, but not required.  All kids classes and the nursery will be open for use.  Pews providing social distancing and those not providing social distancing will be available.  Offering plates and communion plates will be passed down the pews, as well as bulletins passed out at the door.  The choir will resume it's normal schedule.  And, Wednesday nights will be back in the auditorium!  Please continue to be extra careful and respectful of each other's personal decisions.  Hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and tissues are available throughout the building for your use.  Come ready to worship and serve the Lord, and receive a blessing!

UPDATE - January 3, 2021:  We will enter the new year in the same "holding pattern" we have been in since November 15th of last year.  Hopefully, the health situation in our country, and specifically in Ohio, will begin to improve.  To recap:  Sundays are in-person services, providing you are experiencing no flu-like symptoms, have not been exposed to anyone with the virus as far as you know, and are comfortable wearing a mask and social distancing.  We will continue for the time being with no Sunday School, no church-hour classes, no choir, and nursery only for mothers and their infants.  The Wednesday night Bible Study will continue to be online only.  The Lord has been good to us in that only a hand-full of people have gotten sick, and in every case, it was outside the church.  Several have quarantined because of their exposure, and then come back once their time is up.  Thank the Lord!  He has kept us safe so far.  Please continue to cheerfully comply with our procedures to do your part to protect our church.

Of course, the online option is also available.  We are broadcasting on Facebook Live all of our services with good success.  Please post in to let me know you are watching.  It helps my disposition greatly!

UPDATE - November 22nd:

We will continue the same procedures and pattern as the last couple of weeks due to the high level of concern for the virus.  To recap:

Sundays are in-person providing you have no symptoms, have not been exposed to the virus as far as you know, and are comfortable social distancing and wearing a mask until seated in the pew.  No classes, no choir, no passing offering plates, no shaking hands, no passing out bulletins, and nursery for mothers only.  Please feel free to stay home and watch online if you would prefer.  If you want to come, by all means, come!

Wednesdays will be online ONLY.  Thank you for your flexibility.  God bless you!

UPDATE - November 18th:

The Wednesday Bible Study will be online only.  Thank you for being flexible as we make adjustments on the fly as we continue to navigate through this pandemic.

Also, this coming Sunday (11/22) we will keep the same procedures as last Sunday.  (See previous update for November 15th.)

UPDATE - November 15th:

We are having services today, albeit, with tightened procedures.  There will be no classes, no choir, and no nursery.  Every other pew is roped off for social distancing, and masks are required today.  If you have had any exposure to anyone who has been sick, even second-hand exposure, please stay home.  If you are elderly and not well, have any cold or flu symptoms yourself, or are unwilling or unable to wear a mask and voluntarily social distance, please stay home.  We are set up nicely to broadcast our services on Facebook Live now.  Please enjoy the services from home if you fall into one of these categories.  If you are well and want to come and are willing to wear a mask and social distance, please come!  We have cleaned and we are ready for you.

UPDATE - November 8th:

This Sunday and Wednesday the 11th we will not have in-person church services.  At present, no regular attenders have COVID-19; however, at least a half dozen members have been exposed to the virus by a family member, friend, or co-worker who tested positive.  If you connect the dots, there are many of us who have been exposed to the few who have been exposed to the individuals who have the virus.  Therefore, I have decided to shut down the church for at least a week and give everybody time to self-isolate if they so choose, monitor ourselves for symptoms, and wait to see if anybody tests positive.  A couple of sister churches in the area have had multiple positive tests from within their congregations and I do not want to wait to act until after we experience the same fate.  We will deep clean the entire building this week and let everyone know of our plans once we know the next step.  I'm praying that we will be back in our places, safe and sound, on Sunday, the 15th.  This information will be shared on our Facebook page and a mass message will be sent to all regular attenders.  We are set up much better to broadcast over Facebook now then we were at the beginning of this pandemic.  Please watch our broadcasts this week and post in to let us know you are there.  Thank you for your understanding.  God bless you all!

UPDATE - September 13th:

This Sunday we will begin again to enjoy our adult choir in our Sunday Services!  We will also begin again to pass the offering plates, as well as the communion plates.  We will also remove a few of the ropes blocking off some of the pews.  There will be room for those who prefer to continue to social distance and for those who don't.  The nursery will be open as well for those who have infants who need to be watched.  We will NOT yet be returning to Sunday School, running our buses, or having a hand-shaking time.  As always, continue to be careful to protect your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Physical distancing and wearing of masks form the door to the pew are still recommended.  We will continue to broadcast our services on Facebook Live.

UPDATE: - June 7th:

Today we come back to church from the quarantine!  Every other pew will be roped off, we will not pass the offering plates or the communion plates.  We will not have a hand-shaking time, and there will be no choir.  We will not have Sunday School, run our buses, or allow anyone in the nursery except mothers and their own babies.  Hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and tissues are available throughout the building for your use.  Please do not come if you have a temperature, a persistent cough, or a compromised immune system.  We are exploring the best way to continue to broadcast our services while also meeting in-person.  We hope to have it up and running soon.

UPDATE - March 25th:

The quarantine because of the Coronavirus begins today!  We will not have in-person services until further notice.  All services will be broadcast via our church Facebook page through Facebook Live.  Please go to our church web site (gbctorch.com), scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Facebook icon.  It will take you directly to our page.