Dear Members and Friends,
Recently, many of you participated in a survey from the Re-Opening Team intended to obtain your input about the re-opening of our church facility. The following is a summary of those responses. Part of the survey had questions that allowed for the responses to be illustrated in the graphs below. Other questions presented the opportunity for you to comment directly. Responses have been edited into several categories/themes and are presented after the graphs. The information that this survey provides will be used to help guide the Re-Opening Team in making recommendations to the Board of Trustees. Thank you for your help.
The Re-Opening Team
Priscilla Akin, Kent Brinkmeyer, Bryan Buck, Melissa Ruiz, Cassie Tondro, Jim Waldron
What would make you feel comfortable to attend in-person indoor services?
Social distancing, reduced capacity in sanctuary 43
Everyone vaccinated 30
Mandatory masks 29
High percentage vaccinated 13
Good ventilation, windows open 8
Lower infection rate 6
Follow CDC/California guidelines 6
Not comfortable being inside yet 6
Temperature checks 5
No hugging/touching 4
Comfortable now as is 4
No singing 3
Hand sanitizer stations 3
No food 3
Outdoor coffee hour 2
Thorough cleaning of building 2
Outdoor services 1
No hymnals 1
No masks, get back to normal 1
If you have children, what will make you feel comfortable to bring your children to in-person RE classes?
Staff vaccinated 7
Mandatory masks 4
Outdoor classes 4
Social distancing 2
No masks, get back to normal 2
Clear plan for safety protocols 2
Temperature checks 1
Hand sanitizer stations 1
Not comfortable yet 1
Do you have any other thoughts or suggestions about how we can safely reopen the church and about what would make you feel comfortable doing so?
Speakers at the podium don’t need to wear masks, but anyone in the congregation area should be masked.
Keep surfaces clean, but don’t get obsessive about it. Unnecessary and possibly detrimental to our immune systems.
Put faith above fear.
Monitor in Berg Hall for the overflow crowd to watch services.
Take it slow and easy and incrementally allow more people in.
Continue with online services for those who aren’t comfortable attending in person, those who live far away, and those who are homebound.
Services outdoors, weather permitting.
Servers for the food at coffee hour rather than everyone hovering over the food. People wait in line for food.
Rotate attendance so that some people are allowed to attend one week, and another group the next week.
Use a reservation system for those who would like to attend in-person services and limit the number.
Ask those not vaccinated to attend the Zoom services instead of in-person services.
Bring our own snacks/food.
Poll people and publish/share the percentage who have been vaccinated.
Only socialize with people who have been vaccinated.
Before anyone can honestly answer these questions, one would have to know the approximate date of planned opening.
Plexiglas shield around the minister’s podium.
Don’t pass the collection bags.
Message on our name tags saying something like “social distance please” as a reminder.
No hugging, kissing children, hands on shoulders, or holding hands. “No contact” policy.
No hymnals. Words to the songs on the monitors.
I am comfortable now. I’m vaccinated so anything is okay.