A PLACE TO BELIEVE, BECOME, AND BELONG
A PLACE TO BELIEVE, BECOME, AND BELONG
Dear Oxlip Family,
First and foremost:
Remember who we worship! We know who holds the present and the future. We are people of faith, and not fear. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
For worship service, please join us for limited seating in the Sanctuary, fellowship hall, or listen to the live online Facebook or Youtube service.
The FM broadcast to the parking lot will continue at 100.5. FM.
We want to continue to maintain a safe environment for all who gather at Oxlip Church. We also want to do our part in mitigating the spread of the virus and keep others in our community safe.
As per the Governor's mandate, masks are required in our building. We are also taking visual attendance for contract tracing purposes, so, if you do not already receive communication from Oxlip Church, please provide an email or phone number on Sunday morning for us to temporarily keep, should the case arise you need to be notified.
Although the uncertainty of this pandemic may create anxiety, we can be sure that God is sovereign and faithful.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
With faith in our loving Lord,
The Oxlip Church Staff
Since the pandemic began Oxlip Church leadership has strived to take this disease seriously. Our church is committed to Christ and to one another; first to obey God’s mandate to be responsible to the civil authorities and ultimately to those who are responsible to God in our faithfulness to His call to serve and worship Christ together.
What you will read below has been Oxlip Leadership’s guiding principles for accomplishing this.
We praise God that though we have experienced Covid-19 as a body, our worship services, and ministries have not been the focus of any community spread. This is due, we believe, to God’s gracious work and our adherence to these guidelines.
COVID-19 Guidelines
Oxlip Church is committed to providing a safe and healthy place for all to worship. Church Leadership, Staff and Volunteers are all participants in making this work. Our goal is to lessen the transmission of COVID-19 in our community. This does require cooperation among the congregation and church leadership.
Church Leadership, Staff and Volunteers are responsible for implementing and complying with these guidelines.
We are serious about safety and health all while continuing our mission of being a group where people belong, believe in Jesus, & become more mature followers of the Savior. Participation is essential in a successful COVID-19 plan. We have involved our Elders and Staff in this process by numerous leadership meetings. Our plan follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines to address.
• hygiene and respiratory protocol.
• social distancing practices.
• housekeeping – cleaning, disinfecting, and decontamination.
• identification and isolation of sick persons.
• communications and training
• effective execution of the plan.
Screening and policies for Staff and Volunteers exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19
Staff and volunteers are encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following procedures are used to evaluate staff and volunteer health status prior to entering the church and for them to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. Staff and volunteers will not come into Oxlip to meet, teach, work or participate in ministry if they are sick, have symptoms, have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 and therefore need to stay home based on symptoms or exposure.
We encourage staff and volunteers to stay home when they are sick, when household members are sick, or when required by a health care provider to isolate or quarantine themselves or a member of their household.
It is the responsibility of the Minnesota Department of Health to communicate with individuals who have been identified as close contacts with confirmed cases of COVID-19. If MDH communicates with you to inform you that you have been a close contact, please follow these recommendations.
Handwashing/Hand Sanitizing
Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented at Oxlip. Staff and volunteers need to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their time at Oxlip, before & after any interaction with common use areas, and after using the toilet. All visitors to the building will be required to wash their hands or sanitize them prior to or immediately upon entering.
Respiratory etiquette: Cover your cough or sneeze
Staff and the congregation are asked to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose, and eyes, with their hands. They should dispose of tissues in the trash and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward.
Social distancing
Social distancing is being implemented throughout the Church through the following
· Maintain 6 ft min in distance
· whenever possible do not share equipment, car rides, etc.
· When completing a meeting, staff are asked to sanitize workstations/ equipment, etc.
· Honor building occupancy maximums as mandated
· Be deliberate about avoiding potential cross exposure materials, food, equipment, etc.
Staff and the congregation are discouraged from gathering in groups in confined areas, including elevators, and small classrooms. Staff is not permitted to use other staffs’ PPE, phones, computer equipment, desks, offices or other personal work tools.
Housekeeping
Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of common areas, seating, and other areas in the church, including restrooms, Fellowship Hall, and classrooms. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be done in high-touch areas, such as door handles, elevator panels, and railings between the services and ministries throughout the week. Staff are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting their personal high-touch areas, such as phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles and copy machines in the office areas.
Groups that meet throughout the week need to self-sanitize the room used, and all other areas or equipment touched or used during their time in the building.
Communications and training
These guidelines are approved by Oxlip leadership. Paper copies are available to anyone. Our guidelines are available for anyone who enters the building. Additional communication and training will be ongoing as the plan will be revised at any time the guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, CDC or other regulatory bodies change. Church Leadership will monitor how effective the program has been implemented by monitoring and evaluating the practice of these guidelines.
Dear Oxlip Church,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you! It has been a marathon of a year and the events of what has gone on are going to spill over and affect us well into 2021. We know however going forward is our only option, this has always been so. We cannot retreat or give up.
The Church, throughout history has experienced hard times and we understand this in new ways after 2020. We praise God for what He has been doing here at Oxlip, and for what He continues to do among the body that calls Oxlip home. We are looking forward to what will be the result of this time of testing and trial that this church in particular is going through.
We want you to know and realize this: going to church remains according to the CDC and MDH a High-Risk activity. This is what the Oxlip Church leadership has taken into account since June and has acted and planned accordingly. We take the threat of sickness seriously and will continue to do so, as we know you do as well. We desire most to follow the commands of God, which does include obedience to the laws and mandates of the state, we desire to be those who are good citizens of heaven and Minnesota.
When you choose to join in worship, there is an inherent risk. If you are one who is in the category of high risk because of age, health concerns, or personal relationships then we encourage you to utilize what Oxlip has, at great financial expense and effort, provided for the body of Christ that calls Oxlip Church home. Our online presence of broadcasting services through FaceBook and YouTube has been something we have improved, even this month. We also have been and will continue to broadcast the services to our parking lot. These are not ideal, and they do not replace the desire to meet together. What we hope is that they will provide a connection and encouragement to those who utilize them.
This said, if it is your choice to join in the Oxlip worship service in person, again know there is an inherent risk to your health; and treat it as high-risk activity because we are going to be singing and you will be in a building with other people whom you do not know where they have been. We require masks in the building, and we social distance and we make every effort to keep the facility disinfected. If someone does acquire Covid-19 there are steps and actions that Oxlip has in place to let people know what and when this happened. This in addition to the state’s own department of health that follows up on every Covid-19 positive case that is reported. It is our belief and conviction that the body of Christ should be meeting and should continue to meet to worship, this is a non-negotiable conviction. We stand that we do not wish for any to be isolated and have made efforts and will continue to make efforts to contact, to meet the needs of, and to encourage those who are isolated because of the pandemic. We are committed to the body of Christ in the way that there is no other institution, no other organization, no other group that can do what the church does. That is there is no salvation, and no lasting comfort outside of the message of Christ in and through His body! So, for those of you who are concerned by what you have heard about Oxlip. What are we doing, and why we are doing it. Your input, responses, and reactions are greatly valued and always appreciated! Know that communication with those who are in leadership at Oxlip is a two-way street and we understand we have not always communicated well. Please know that we are consumed by the needs, and the functioning of the body of Christ. We realize that there is always going to be miscommunication and a leaping to conclusions in the absence of, or interpretation of events and written messages. Therefore, it is imperative for the body to communicate in such ways that will clarify and prevent the sowing of discord and divisiveness. This should not have a place in the body of Christ, and we are committed to open lines of communication. And we will be continuing to share with you our decisions and policies as they change with the state guidelines. When you have a concern, please call the church, please call one of our pastors, please call the elders or please call the church chairman (whose names are listed below; numbers are in the church directory)– and if you have heard something you wish to have clarified – seek answers from these people. They are informed and they are dedicated to you, the body of Christ. Where does this leave us? Well, we are going to meet for worship of our savior, and this is not something ever taken lightly. You will need to, through prayerful consideration, come to the conclusions of how you will join in the work of the body of Christ. We call to you to make the wisest decision for you and your family. We have worked very hard to accommodate the needs of everyone. You choose how you want to participate whether in person in the Sanctuary, or Fellowship Hall, or in the parking lot or on FaceBook Live. We also call out to God, as He brings this year to a close to accomplish His will among His church for His greater glory among the community we live in and serve.
The Oxlip Church leadership team Contact Numbers
Oxlip Church main number (763) 444-5134
Elders
Church Chairman
If there is a Covid case at Oxlip, Please contact our response team.
Oxlip Church Covid-19 Protocol With the recent increase in Covid cases in the community, and how it has personally affected our church family, our Oxlip Church leadership has reviewed our Covid policy Revised 12/7/2020
*as of July 25, 2020, per the Governor’s Executive Order 20-81, People in Minnesota are required to wear a face covering in all public indoor spaces and indoor business, unless you are the only one there.* http://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/execorders/20-81.pdf8. When at church practice social distancing of a six-foot minimum. This applies to pew seating as well. Maintain a 6-foot distance from those who are not in your household.9. Masks and hand sanitizer are available at the door.10. Restrooms will remain open and are available for use.11. Opportunities to give tithes and offerings are available on-line at oxlip.org, mail in or may be deposited in the offering drop boxes located in the lobby and fellowship phall.12. Service options include something for every comfort level: Pre-recorded links on-line at YouTube. Live broadcast on Facebook & FM transmission at 100.5 in our parking lot, and will continue indefinitely as well as Sanctuary seating, or Fellowship Hall seating.13. Sanctuary seating is to be limited to 50 persons with staggered seating. Fellowship Hall seating is limited to family groups, or no more than 4 per table.14. Observational attendance will be taken for contact tracing purposes. If you are a guest, please complete the guest card at the welcome desk and leave in the Offering box. We respectfully ask that the congregation follow our Covid church policy, in order to keep our church family safe. Our church seeks to follow the mandate set in 2 Peter 2:13-17.
Thank you, Oxlip Church Leadership
29237 Roanoke St NW, Isanti, MN 55040 - (763)-444-5134 Copyright © 2018 Oxlip Evangelical Free Church - All Rights Reserved.
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