Church prepares for Sunday services

JACKSON, Tenn. — As COVID-19 continues to spread, large group gatherings are being postponed or canceled.

What about church services?

“Our maintenance and janitorial staff have been disinfecting, I mean, everything,” Jacob Dowdy, Worship Minister at Campbell Street Church of Christ, said.

Campbell Street Church of Christ is still planning to have services Sunday, but they are taking several steps to make sure the spread of germs, including COVID-19, is kept to an absolute minimum.

One way they’re doing that is offering personalized communion cups.

“We’re actually also offering people to take them home with them this Sunday, in case there is a plan where we don’t get to come together for one, two, three weeks. Who knows,” Dowdy said.

This way they don’t have to pass the communion plates.

The church is taking precautions to limit the spread of germs as soon as you walk through the door. They have a new kiosk attendance system they planned on using Sunday, but have decided to wait to make sure people aren’t touching the same iPad screen.

They’ll have offering boxes in the lobby and in the auditorium, giving people the option to give their weekly offering without touching the same plate.

Right next to the door is a bottle of hand sanitizer so you can disinfect before you even walk into worship.

And in the chance a ban is placed in Tennessee on the number of people that can meet in one place?

“We’re pre-recording our praise team and making sure we still have the option for praise and worship if [we] go to an online service,” Dowdy said.

The church has canceled classes for Sunday.

They’ve also talked with members who have a greater risk of being infected to let them know their health is their top priority.