CENTER KIDS REOPENING FAQs
CENTER KIDS WILL REOPEN ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13
Last Updated: August 27, 2020
OVERVIEW
Since March 15th Center Church has been “open online” but “closed in person”. God has been at work but it has been a difficult season for our church family. We’ve experienced a rise in acute loneliness, anxiety, and discouragement as a result of isolation. Gathering is an essential part of who we are and it is one of the primary ways that God strengthens and encourages his people.
Motivated by a concern for the spiritual and emotional health of our church, and after much prayer, research, and counsel, Center Church is excited to begin hosting “in-person” worship services beginning August 16th, 2020! We will be hosting two services, one at 4:00pm and one at 5:30pm, at Crosslife Community Church located at 1410 Old Brook Road.
In order to provide a safe and positive Center Kids experience, we delayed the reopening of Center Kids until Sunday, September 13th. Below, you will see our plan to offer an adjusted Center Kids experience. We are keeping a close eye on all guidelines and this plan does have potential to change as authorities are learning more about COVID-19 and updating recommendations. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this together!
CENTER KIDS FAQs
When will Center Kids be offered? We plan to begin offering Center Kids ministry on Sunday, September 13th.
How many services will be offered and how many can my children attend? Center Kids will only be offered at the 4pm service.
What classes and ages will be provided in Center Kids? There will be two classes for 1-4 year olds and one class for Kindergarten. All other kids are welcome to join us in the Worship Service.
How will you follow best practices for the safety of children and volunteers? We will follow the state guidelines including: social distancing and wearing masks, removing unnecessary furniture and toys, providing separate toys for each service in the nursery and preschool, increased disinfection of surfaces and toys, providing individual craft bins for each child, wellness surveys at check-in, handwashing before entering, limiting the number of children and volunteers, and reviewing and adapting our policies per the state guidelines as changes are made.
Are you limiting class sizes? Yes. Families will reserve a space for their child(ren) in Center Kids and we will limit the number of children to allow for social distancing.
Who will be wearing masks? All volunteers will be wearing masks. Children ages 3 and up are required to bring a mask to wear indoors, we will do our best to help them keep it on during Center Kids.
What will it look like for families to serve? Serving will look different for each family. Some families may serve and attend one service. Some families may have one parent who serves one service and attends another, while another parent takes the kids home. We do ask that if one parent stays at the church while the other parent serves to be mindful to keep children separate from kids in Center Kids so we can keep small numbers and maintain social distancing guidelines both inside and on the playground.
When should our children not attend Center Kids? If anyone in your family has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, children should not attend Center Kids for 14 days. If your child(ren) or any member of your family exhibits the following symptoms, children should not attend Center Kids: fever (100 degrees or higher), cough, running nose, vomiting or diarrhea.
Will Center Kids programming look different to accommodate for social distancing? We will be utilizing outdoor play when weather permits instead of indoor games. We will provide individual supplies for children to use for opening activities and crafts. We will no longer provide snacks. We will use seating markers during the Bible story time to allow for social distancing. We will limit the number of chairs at each table to help children practice social distancing.
What if my family does not feel comfortable attending in person services? We would love for you to join us and by abiding by all mandatory and recommended guidelines as established by the Virginia Department of Health for faith communities we believe it is safe to do so.
That being said, we understand that you may not be ready to come back to church and we respect that. We will continue to partner with parents to disciple their children through the Sunday morning live stream of Family Worship. We also are planning other ways of connecting with and encouraging families at this time!