Graceway Church

To: Our Graceway Church Family

Subject: COVID-19: Keeping Our Church Family Safe

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever Trusts in the Lord is Safe (Proverbs 29:25 ESV)

As global, national and local concerns about the current COVID-19 outbreak grows, we’re doing our best to keep everyone healthy and safe at Graceway Church while minimizing the disruptions to worship services and all ministries. Please be advised that Graceway Church Leadership was notified on Thursday, June 25th that a Graceway Church member has tested positive for COVID-19. As an immediate response to protect the health and safety of our Church Family, all individuals that were in direct contact with the member that tested positive for COVID-19, on Sunday, June 21, 2020 have been directly notified regarding the member’s positive COVID-19 test. Members that were in direct contact with the affected member are voluntarily being tested for COVID-19 for precautionary measures. It should also be noted that the person did not contract the virus at a Graceway event or facility. We are not disclosing the name of the affected member due to the HIPAA Laws that are in place, however, those that were in direct contact with the affected member are able to receive communication to protect their health and to prevent any future spreading of COVID-19. We’re closely monitoring the situation and know that misinformation and fear can spread more virulently than the virus itself. We want to discourage false information from circulating. If you’re looking for trusted, up-to-date information, we recommend visiting the specific coronavirus websites of the CDC, State of Texas, or Tarrant County, Arlington, which will all be posted on our Graceway Church website. We understand that knowledge of the current member that has tested positive for COVID-19 is concerning, and we want to take a moment to share the ways we can all help keep the Worship and other church events as safe as possible.

Since the virus is highly contagious and there’s currently no vaccine, we all need to:

 

 

Stay home if we are sick

If you experience cold, flu-like symptoms, or simply a runny nose, please stay home. Because the coronavirus produces cold-like symptoms in 80% of infected individuals, it’s important to remain at home when ill regardless of how mild your symptoms are. If you have a fever over 100 degrees, please stay home for 14 days to ensure you have not contracted the coronavirus.

 

 

Stay home if we’ve had contact with a potentially infected person. The virus spreads easily from person to person. Please stay home for 14-days if you’ve had contact with a confirmed case or potentially infected person.

Refresh ourselves on proper cough and sneeze hygiene. Cover your nose or mouth with a tissue or your elbow — not your hand — and discard the tissue immediately after.

 

Wash our hands regularly. Proper hand washing remains the best way to prevent transmission of the virus. Wash your hands after using the restroom, touching your face, eating, drinking, coughing, or sneezing, and at regular intervals throughout the day. Use warm soapy water and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Alternatively, alcohol based hand sanitizer is effective as well

 

Stop touching our faces. Surfaces and objects that we commonly touch — are the main way the disease is spreading. Reduce the chance of transmission from surfaces like doorknobs and light fixtures, by keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.

 

 

Rely on virtual communication when possible.

In an effort to cut down on human-to-human contact, please cancel in-person meetings and communicate via videoconferencing or phone calls, where possible.  

In turn, the measures we’re taking at Graceway Church will be:

All persons over the age of ten (10), who enter Graceway Church worship indoor facility must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth, such as a homemade mask, scarf, bandana, or handkerchief. • The requirement of a face covering does not apply if covering the nose and mouth poses a significant mental or physical health risk to the individual.

 

We will screen the temperature of everyone entering the Graceway worship facility with contactless thermometers. Anyone with a temperature over 100 degrees will be asked to worship at home.

 

We’ll ensure the Church Worship Facility has ample sanitizer wipes and ask that church support staff will regularly wipe down contact areas such as doorknobs, chairs, other contact areas. Provide ample hand sanitizer and tissues during in person worship services Please cough and sneeze into tissues and immediately discard them. Use hand sanitizer after coughing, sneezing, touching your face, and regularly throughout the day.

 

 

Increase the frequency of cleanings

We’ll be increasing the frequency of our cleaning service before and after worship services to ensure the indoor worship space remains as hygienic as possible.

Streaming worship services will continue through the months of June and July 2020. We will reevaluate in mid to late July 2020 when we will be able to safely begin in person worship services.

 

Thanks for your continued support in this uncertain time.

Graceway Church Leadership

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults