Covid-19 Church Plan
Update 4/25/2020
In response to the most recent directives concerning the phased reopening of Montana from our governor and local officials, Bethel will move the 10:00 am Sunday Drive-In Service inside begining May 3. We will still provide the FM signal (107.5) in the parking lot for those who are not ready to come inside. For now, this will be our only service. Adult Sunday School, Sunday Evening Service and Wednesday Evening Service will continue to be avialable online on our church website.
Here are the protocols we need to follow for our 10:00 am Sunday Service:
Maintain physical separation
All congregants, including pastoral staff, will maintain physical separaton of opproximately six feet unless from the same household. Avoid physical contact, including shaking hands.
Children with parents
All children need to remain with their parents at all times. Special considerations will be made to include children in the service.
Restrict building use
Restrict your building use to only what is necessary.
Stay home with fever
Anyone who has had a fever should stay home.
Illness symptoms during services
During church services, anyone displaying cold-like symptoms, including but not limited to coughing, excessive sneezing, or cold chills, will be asked to return home to ensure the health of others.
Wash hands
Be sure to wash your hands. Hand sanitizer is avialable in the foyer.
Building disinfected
The building will be disinfected between services.
Self-quarantine if you have travelled
Anyone who has traveled out of the state should remain home from services until symptom free for at least fourteen days.
Masks
Masks are not manditory, however, please feel free to wear a mask.
Bulletins and Offering
Bulletins will be available on the bulletin table for you to pick up on your own. Offering plates will be located in the back of the auditorium. They will not be passed during the services.
COVID-19 Symptoms and Precautions
Update 4/17/2020
In response to the most recent directives from our governor and local officials, all regular church events are canceled through April 24.
We are excited to announce that we will be having Drive-In services in the church parking lots on Sundays at 10 a.m. This activity, as defined below, is well within the directives from our governor. However, we have contacted local, county and state officials about our plans, and they have granted "permission."
Everyone will stay in their car. Parking attendants will help you park while maintaining the proper "social distance." Enter the south parking lots by the alleys. Tune your FM radio to the frequency posted on a sign in your parking lot. After the service, you will exit your parking lot onto 4th Avenue in the order you are parked. As you leave, you will have an opportunity to giving an offering. Please call if you have any questions or concerns.
Update 4/8/2020
In response to the most recent directives from our governor and local officials, all regular church events are canceled through April 24.
We are excited to announce that we will be having a Resurrection Drive-In service in the church parking lots on Sunday, April 12 at 10 a.m. This activity, as defined below, is well within the directives from our governor. However, we have contacted local, county and state officials about our plans, and they have granted "permission."
Everyone will stay in their car. Parking attendants will help you park. Enter the south parking lots by the alleys. Tune your FM radio to the frequency posted on a sign in your parking lot. After the service, you will exit your parking lot onto 4th Avenue in the order you are parked. As you leave, you will have opportunity to giving an offering and get your Easter Brunch Bag. Can't wait to see you.
Update 3/27/2020
In response to the most recent directives from our governor and local officials, all church events are canceled through April 10.We will provide a Sunday sermon video via our website on Sunday morning entitled "What Time I Am Afraid."
Update 3/21/2020
We are canceling our March 22, Sunday 11:00 am service.
What You Need to Know Immediately
For the rest of March (Today, March 18, through March 31st)...
- The only services we will have are on Sundays at 11 am.
- We are encouraging our at-risk people to stay home.
- Sunday School, Sunday Evening Services, Wednesday night programs, VBS and Bible Studies have been canceled.
- Clean Team is released from their duties. The church will be sanitized by Pastor John and Hope.
- Please read the detailed information below before you call with questions.
- Any changes to our plan will be posted on our website and recorded on the church phone (406-755-5062). It is up to you to check for changes or updates.
Details of Our Plan (3/18/20)
Click here for a print version.
Dear Bethel Family,
There is no doubt the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the concern about it are impacting the world in a very rapid manner. It is normal to be concerned as we hear of people affected by this virus. We want to ensure you; we are encouraged that the Lord is still sovereign over all! Because we trust in the LORD, we will not be shaken! We will rest and trust in the LORD (Psalm 62:1-2, 56:3).
Last Sunday we mentioned a general, three-part plan for conducting ourselves through these days:
- Trust in the Lord.
- Use your head.
- Trust in the Lord.
We acknowledge that taking this virus seriously will help slow its spread and is a way of doing good to others and trying our best to live peaceably with all men (Galatians 6:10, Romans 12:18).
We want to be Biblically wise, therefore we are expanding part two of our plan by implementing the following based on the information we have:
The information we have:
- Federally, gatherings have been limited to no more than ten at this time (President Trump, 3.18.20).
- The CDC guidelines for Considerations for Postponing or Cancelling a Mass Gathering that hold our greatest attention for our decision are as follows:
- The number of people attending who are at greater risk of more serious illness after contracting COVID-19. Older adults and persons with severe pre-existing health conditions are thought to be at increased risk.
- The density of attendees within a confined area. Based on what is currently known about the virus, spread from person-to-person happens most frequently among close contacts (within 6 feet).
- The level of transmission in your local community and the level of transmission in the areas from which your attendees will travel.
- If there are ways in which to significantly reduce the number of attendees.
- Cancel community-wide mass gatherings (for example, >250 people; the cutoff threshold is at the discretion of community leadership based on the current circumstances the community is facing and the nature of the event) or move to smaller groupings.
(With the information we have gathered, our understanding of the discretion of community leadership is that gatherings have been limited to no more than 50. (Governor Bullock, 3.15.20))
The Plan We are Implementing
For the rest of March, from March 18th to March 31st, we will only have Sunday Morning worship service at 11:00 with the following caveats:
- At-risk members: If you are numbered among the at-risk, we encourage you to stay home for the time-being. The CDC is telling us that older adults and persons with severe pre-existing health conditions are thought to be at increased risk.
- Sickness: If you are sick please stay home. We often want to push through when we are sick, but in consideration of others, now is not the time to push it.
- Church Greetings: We will refrain from handshakes or other physical contact and greet each other with a smile and encouraging words.
- Offering: We will not pass the plates. The plates will be in the back when you exit for your convenience.
- Children:
- There will be no Children’s Church or nursery.
- Please make sure your children understand our temporary Greeting Guidelines and the importance of touching as little as possible.
- Children need to stay with their parents at all times. The Children’s Library will not be open.
- Special considerations will be given to include the children during the service. We will suspend our current series for the time being.
All activities are canceled during this time frame (Rest of March).
3. Vacation Bible School
VBS will be canceled for the time being. We are very thankful for our willing volunteers who make this ministry possible, and we look forward to offering this ministry to our community at a later date with our full team.
4. Men’s and Women’s Bible Study
Bible studies will not meet during this time frame (Rest of March).
5.Clean Team
The Clean Team is released from their duties during this time frame (Rest of March). The building will be sanitized by others who will follow the CDC recommendations.
Let us Know
Please let us know if you or your at-risk neighbors have any needs (groceries, medication, other necessities). Please call Pastor John (406-471-8752) or Hope (406-249-3475) rather than the church number.
Recommendations for Spiritual Food
Since we are not set up to provide live streaming of our services, we are making the following recommendations of trusted resources for those who can not join us:
- Local – Pastor Scott Craven (First Baptist Church, Polson) will be streaming live on Sundays.
- Other – Pastor Jeff Redlin (Campus Church, Pensacola, FL; where Pastor John and Hope attended during our college years) will be streaming live on Sundays.
If Things Change
If it becomes necessary to make changes to our plan, those changes will be posted on our website and recorded on the church phone (406-755-5062). It is up to you to check for changes or updates.
Remember you are a reflection of Christ that is much needed light in these dark times (Matthew 5:14). We press on no matter the circumstances to live out our faith, loving our neighbor as ourselves (Galatians 5:14). As we “cast our cares upon Him” (1 Peter 5:7), we will be able to communicate peace rather than anxiety to those around us. We look forward to when this is behind us and we can return to “normal.” This is a good reminder of how important our church family and her regular meetings and ministry are.
In Christ, who is our Hope,
Pastor John and Hope Weber
Ray and Wendy Bicknell
Click here for a print version.
