Hey Families – if you missed our first email that went out Monday, August 24 regarding our reopening plans, you can find those same details below. It’s long, but you need to know it!
Policies and plans for students and volunteers to minimize risk.
- Masks are required for everyone when indoors and will also be worn outside if 6’ distance cannot be maintained.
- Anyone and everyone who is on campus or participating in a church-sponsored, in-person gathering off campus is required to fill out a one-time waiver available for adults here and for minors here. Do it now and forget it – simple!
- We have reduced room furniture where possible to create more spacing.
- We have redirected foot traffic into one-way patterns where possible.
- We have examined and revised all our cleaning policies for before/after students are present to mitigate any COVID-19 exposure risk.
- We have set policies for staff and volunteer leaders governing what to do if they or a student shows symptoms or is discovered to have been infected while on campus. We have a clear and thorough external communication plan in place to communicate with both Hamilton County and our families.
- We have significantly reduced shared items.
- We will prohibit mixing between groups to minimize potential exposure.
- We will limit restroom occupancy.
Student Ministry Info
The plans below apply to any and all students 6 – 10th Grade. For 11th and 12th grade Juniors and Seniors: we are working to accommodate your D-Groups in person at alternate times and locations that might better suit you than Wednesdays at church. We are giving your leaders freedom to reach out to you and make plans – be patient as we figure this out for a new season!
Wednesday Night Schedule beginning September 9.
- 6:10PM – Check-In Begins
- 6:30PM – Small Group Time Begins
- 7:30PM – Dismissal
- More info on check in and pick up coming next week.
Small Groups // Programming & Teaching // Content & Curriculum
While we won’t be able to do food and drinks + large group programming we are confident that we have created an environment that still allows for teaching, fun, discipleship, and connection to take place.
- Small Groups: Students have been divided up among their D-Group Leaders to create small groups of 12 or less who will meet together for the semester. Each small group will have one hour together (6:30-7:30PM) with its own meeting space. Many of you will want to know who your student is in a group with or you’ll want to request they be with certain people. Please trust us and remember that your student’s leaders – the men and women who know them and love them – are the ones who have formed these groups. We have taken into account friendships and relationship dynamics as we have thought through this and we want these groups to be a blessing to your student(s).
- Programming & Teaching: Each small group space will have a/v capabilities as all our programming and teaching will be online video. On any given Wednesday Night students might find themselves watching our staff or student program team giving an announcement, sharing a call to worship and praying for our time together, or maybe even a fun game they can follow along with. They’ll also be able to watch that week’s teaching before diving into discussion with their D-Group Leader.
- Curriculum & Content: This semester we’ll be teaching through the gospel of John. We will release content throughout the week based on that week’s scripture passage. Monday – main teaching; Tuesday – student devotional; Thursday – student reflection; Friday – Q&A. Our hope is to drive student engagement throughout the whole week and give students more frequent points of connection along a theme for the week’s teaching.
This format works whether we can meet in person or not and allows for those who might not be able or ready to come back in person to stay connected with us.
What if …
We acknowledge that there are a host of questions you still might have. Here are two big ones:
- What if someone on campus is later confirmed to have COVID-19? First, we will keep that person’s name confidential but will promptly notify any participants or families who may have been around the infected individual. Second, we will shut down rooms that the infected individual visited for 72 hours for a thorough cleaning consistent with CDC guidelines.
- What if Hamilton County Schools shift to phase 2? Or phase 1? Because of the large size of our church community in a small-town setting, we are choosing to closely watch Hamilton County Department of Education as they track case levels. If students are present in school only two days per week, we will likely remain unchanged in our schedule. If HCDE closes schools on the mountain or throughout the entire county, we will likely close our ministry environments completely in an abundance of caution. If that were to happen, we would clearly communicate with you and the entire church.
Lastly, it is our desire to welcome students back in person, but we know that isn’t possible or even wise for everyone right now. We respect your decision and do hope that if now is not the time for your son or daughter to return in person they’ll still find points of connection with us, their leaders and stay engaged with our weekly content that will all be available online.
Hey Families – if you missed our second email that went out on Monday, August 31 regarding our reopening plans, you can find those same details below. It’s long, but you need to know it!
Waiver // Temperature Check and Screening
- Don’t forget that anyone and everyone who is on campus or participating in a church-sponsored, in-person gathering off campus is required to fill out a one-time waiver available for adults here and for minors here. Do it once and forget it – simple!
- Every time someone is on campus, they will 1) receive a temperature check by a volunteer and 2) be asked a series of screening questions. Temperature must be under 100.0. Screening Questions include:
- Do you have any of the following symptoms – sore throat; new controlled cough that causes difficulty breathing; diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain; a new or severe headache?
- Have you had close contact with a person (within 6’ for 10 minutes or more) who has been confirmed to have COVID-19?
- Do you have a temperature of 100.0 or above?
Please understand that if you answer “YES” to any of these questions then we must ask you to return home and not participate.
Student Ministry Info
The plans below apply to any and all students 6 – 10th Grade. For 11th and 12th grade Juniors and Seniors: we are working to accommodate your D-Groups in person at alternate times and locations that might better suit you than Wednesdays at church. We are giving your leaders freedom to reach out to you and make plans – be patient as we figure this out for a new season!
Drop Off and Check-in
Check-in opens at 6:10PM. See map along with our new drop off and check-in procedures.
Everyone will enter through the Student Ministry Parking lot. PreK and Kid vehicles will bypass Student Ministry traffic. Student Ministry vehicles will pull alongside 3 tents where they’ll be greeted by volunteers ready to screen and take temperatures.
Students will make their way to the patio where they’ll check-in, before entering the building through the Warehouse entrance. Students will enter and move through the building in a “one-way flow” to get to their small group rooms.
Any First Time Visitors will be asked to park in the center of the parking lot so we can greet them and walk them through registration. After that, they’ll check in and enter with the other students.
Pick Up
Each grade will have its own exit point and pick up location. Exits are in close proximity to the student’s small group spaces. This allows for quick, one-way exiting that minimizes crowded hallways where people pass one another. See map along with our new exit and pick up plan.
6th Grade – EXIT: Warehouse Doors. PICK UP: Student Parking Lot.
7th Grade – EXIT: Café Doors. PICK UP: James Street parking in front of the patio.
8th Grade – EXIT: Main Church Office Doors. PICK UP: James Street parking in front of the Thorington/Sanctuary building.
9th Grade – EXIT: 3rd floor Cornerstone Doors. PICK UP: end of the bridge walkway in the “senior lot.”
10th Grade – EXIT: Sanctuary Portico Doors. PICK UP: under the portico in the “senior lot.”
Readiness to Participate
Finally, we want to affirm that you as parents are the best ones to decide if you are ready to do this. Here is a simple set of questions to consider:
- Have we read and understood these practices?
- Do we feel they address the safety and health of students, staff, and volunteers – and do I trust the church to monitor and respond to changing needs and requirements?
- Have we completed a waiver and answered the screening questions in a way that allows us to come?
- Finally, are we ready to make that step?
If you can answer “yes” to each one, we hope that gives you the confidence to join us on the church campus.
If you have read this far, you might be asking the same question we faced in June with opening for gathered worship: is all this worth it? Our answer is the same: yes. It is worth it to make space at our church for students to meet with other adults and peers who can point them to the Lord. And it is worth it to make a way for students to come together around God’s word to encounter him together. We so hope you will join us as we venture into this next season together.