COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
COVID-19 Resources
St. Paul’s Resources
763-498-8311—Leave a message on the church phone. Messages will be checked multiple times a day during normal office hours
612-440-5830—Pastoral Care emergency phone number
Prayer requests—Email office@stpaulsinhanover.org and prayer requests will be sent to pastors and the prayer chain 763-498-0086—Please call the Food Shelf for food assistance during office hours
Wright County Resources
co.wright.mn.us/948/resources—this is a local resource listing that is updated as often as possible
763-682-7607— call or text the Wright County COVID-19 hotline with questions
Congregation Summary
Covid – 19 Preparedness Plan
In response to the Covid – 19 pandemic, we have prepared a plan, hoping to minimize the chance of transmission at St. Paul’s and our community. This plan is built upon our beliefs that every life has value, we are to treat each other with kindness and care, and we are to take personal responsibility for our own health and welfare. The leaders of the church have responsibility to create, to the best of their ability, a safe and healthy environment. Congregation members have a complementary responsibility to make decisions about their involvement in gatherings at our facility based on their personal situation and comfort level. We hope this plan will help congregation members make these personal decisions.
Stay home if you are not feeling well or have symptoms of COVID-19 or been exposed to someone with symptoms. Symptoms can include: fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
A face mask is required when in the building. It is helpful if you can provide your own, but face masks will be made available if needed.
Use hand sanitizer when you enter and leave the building. Wash your hands regularly.
Always maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from people not in your household.
If you begin to feel unwell while in the SPLC facility, leave immediately and isolate yourself at home. Please contact the administrator of the plan for contact tracing purposes should you later determine you have COVID-19.
In addition, we encourage people in the higher risk category or who have any reservations about gathering in the church to continue attending online worship. This will continue to be available in the future, beyond COVID-19.
At this time, we will not prepare or serve food or beverages.
Some studies show that singing is a higher-risk activity as it more forcefully expels respiratory droplets than speaking. Other studies show there is little difference between singing and spoken word. Currently we will minimize singing during indoor services but will provide instrumental and or solo worship music. This protocol will be evaluated periodically, and changes made as conditions warrant.
For indoor services, ushers will instruct people where to sit to maintain social distancing. Congregants will be seated front to back and dismissed back to front. When maximum capacity is reached, you are welcome to watch the service in the designated area, either the Mary Room or Fellowship Hall.
Communion – Trying to minimize the risk of transmission, our current procedure will be to utilize prefilled personal communion packages that will be given as you enter the Sanctuary or outdoor worship site. The communion will be taken by all, after the Words of Institution. These communion procedures will be evaluated periodically, and changes made as conditions warrant.
The full Covid – 19 comprehensive plan includes cleaning/sanitizing procedures and other contingency plans. It is available on the website, in the church office or by request.