On October 13th, Alameda County moved into the Orange Tier of the State’s four tier plan (Blueprint for a Safer Economy) with limited church services permitted as long as Covid-19 case rates, testing positivity, and hospitalizations remain stable. Recently on November 16th, we moved back into the Purple Tier.
Since summertime, our staff and elder board team have been reevaluating reopening with these factors in mind:
the direct impact Covid-19 has already had in our community
the upcoming colder weather and flu season
the volunteers needed to provide an in-person service
the county-mandated 25%-or-less indoor capacity (50 people total)
After much deliberation and seeking counsel from medical and public health professionals, we have decided that we will not be reopening in-person services for the rest of 2020. For now, we will continue forward with our online services. Our Children’s and Student’s ministries will continue live-streaming Zoom Sunday School and are currently gauging interest among their volunteers for future in-person Sunday school. Our Cross Streets breakfast to the homeless and hungry continues every week in limited capacity.
Though we feel at peace with this decision, we also feel sad about being separated, and the isolation and challenges that this season brings. We miss seeing our church family every week and coming together to worship God. We highly encourage everyone to stay connected through our virtual home groups. In this uncertain time, we also have been deeply encouraged by God’s faithfulness and how he has been working in your lives. Praise God! In the past several months, we have been encouraged by many things:
Our 5 baptisms this Fall
Life in our community through online home groups, Prayer & Worship night, book group, and Alpha Marriage Course
Starting Virtual Sunday School for our Children’s & Student’s ministries
Continuing our Cross Streets weekly breakfast to the homeless and hungry
The encouragement and exhortations in our weekly elder check in videos
God’s sustaining and providing of our church’s finances
Our community’s love for one another in joy and struggle through prayer, benevolence, meals, and presence
Supporting Kylee Ko, our partner on-site men’s transitional housing program
Preparing for an online Alpha Course in the new year
Supporting community partners like Vipers Volleyball youth club team, and possibly providing a site for a Franklin Elementary & Harbor House learning pod in the new year
We’d be honored to be praying for you (prayer@regenerationweb.com) and if you have any questions on reopening, please reach out to our Elder Board (elderboard@regenerationweb.com). Please contact stephaniel@regenerationweb.com if you would like to know more about our home groups.
Further reading: 10.22.20 Updated Alameda County Places of Worship Guidelines
Reopening Plan for Sunday Services
Our timeline and action items to guide us in safely reopening for services:
Set up and prepare transition to live streaming video system. When in-person services resume, attendees unable to join in person will be able to join services live at home
Expansive woodwork restoration project including pews, baseboards, paneling, and doors
Restoration of Cafe cabinets and painting Cafe walls
Large scale fire safety upgrades to church electrical system with city permits, PG&E support, construction crane equipment
POSTPONED REOPENING: No scheduled date
Limited 25% capacity in-person services per recommendation and allowance of California Department of Public Health. Maximum ~32-35 adults and children service attendees. Including staff and volunteers, maximum attendance will be 50.
Children’s Ministry: virtual Sunday School starting July 19.
Student Ministries: virtual Sunday School starting July 19.
Anyone with symptoms, or any recent exposure to someone with COVID-19 should remain at home and join our live stream online. We also advise that those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and those with underlying medical conditions remain at home, as COVID-19 is often spread by symptomless transmission
Weekly online reservations to sign up and attend service
First week will be first come, first serve
Subsequent weeks, priority will be given to those who have not yet attended an in-person service. Those who have attended a previous service may be put on a wait list as space allows
One service
10:00 AM service. Service will be shortened to 45 minutes in length to limit group exposure time
Face masks will be required to enter the church
9:30-10:00 AM- 30 minute check in period before service begins:
Socially distanced 6 feet apart check in line from church doors around 3rd Ave. Markers on the sidewalk.
Checking in attendees to reservation guest list, temperature scanning, providing hand sanitizer and any needed masks by Check In Team
Organized seating of attendees directed by Usher Team (pew by pew, section by section)
No late entries will be permitted
Limited use of restrooms to limit shared high-touch surfaces and any cross contamination. Attendees will be encouraged to use restrooms at home before attending services.
Volunteers: If you are interested in helping with our reopening services, we are looking for team volunteers for our Check In Team and for our Usher Team. Contact stephaniel@regenerationweb.com for more information.
Reflective/meditative worship: congregation invited to meditate on worship lyrics, recite or hum words to themselves. Hiatus on congregational singing per public health directives to protect from droplet exposure
Individual sealed communion elements in the pews. No shared bibles in pews.
Every other pew roped off to separate attendees by 6 feet or more. Visual distance markers will mark seats on the pews. Households may sit together, separate groups or individuals must be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
Other church spaces will be closed off to attendees
Cafe closed
Chapel closed
Children’s area closed
At end of service, attendees will be dismissed in an organized manner to maintain physical distancing and lessen the instances of people closely passing each other (pew by pew, section by section)
Ahead of services, the Sanctuary, the pews, and all high touch surfaces including bathroom faucets and doors, railings, cabinet tops will be disinfected
Any communion or single bulletin items will be safely placed in pews by staff/volunteer with proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Post-service items will be discarded or recycled. Any reusable items such as pens will be properly disinfected ahead of any future use
All attendees and volunteer contact information (name, email, phone number) will be recorded on weekly attendance sheets. This information will be collected ahead of time via the online registration system.
Seating attendance chart will be recorded each week
In the case that any attendees become a COVID-19 positive case, we will provide weekly attendance sheets and seating chart information to public health agencies administering contact tracing protocol. Regeneration Staff will act in support and may suspend subsequent in person services