H1N1/Swine Flu Pandemic
Congregational Resource Guide
September 17, 2009
Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life,
and that they might have it abundantly.” ~ John 10:10
In order to bring abundant life and health to our congregations during the H1N1 Pandemic, it is recommend that each congregation make a plan of action during this time of threat to community health. A congregational plan of action for the flu pandemic should include (click on each or scroll down for more information):
Educate your Congregation
Obtain resources through your County Public Health Department Access at www.cdph.ca.gov/services/Pages/LocalServices.aspx
Yolo County has an especially useful website: www.yolocounty.org/Index.aspx?page=1682
W ash hands with soap & water or use hand sanitizer
A nnual Flu shots-Seasonal & H1N1
S tay home if sick
H ide your cough & sneeze in your sleeve
Educating and empowering congregants
to make decisions about how they desire to be served communion is of utmost importance. The options for your consideration are:
- Have all Clergy and Eucharistic Ministers (EM) use hand sanitizer prior to communion.
- Have Clergy & EM exercise extreme care of wiping chalice after each person.
- Options are for only intinction to be done by Clergy or EM…..not by congregants.
- Second option is that only the host be taken without chalice for those who chose.
- Other considerations are replacing purificators more frequently and/or changing chalices half way through communion.
- Eucharistic Visitors to use hand sanitizer prior to home communions.
In regards to the Peace, to decrease risk of influenza transmission consider:
- Encouraging ill or ailing parishioners to stay home when sick.
- Provide hand sanitizers in narthex and other strategic locations along with tissues and waste containers.
- Creativity in the Peace could be explored such as head nod, elbow bump or Namaste (prayful hands and a bow).
Please click here to refer to a Report concerning the common cup & liturgical acts.
Liturgical Considerations:
Our Episcopal tradition makes our devotion to the sharing of the common cup and exchanging of the peace central in our liturgy. Nevertheless, we are obligated not to be careless in our worship practices. Guidelines for your consideration and plan:
- The common cup and shaking of hands during the Peace have a potential and pose a risk of transmission of influenza.
- The practice of intinction is a higher risk activity due to fingertips of intinctors contaminating the common cup.
Planning for Pandemic:
In the event of a spreading pandemic, Public Health may impose quarantines especially targeting public gatherings. Continue your Pandemic plan to include how you would do church if quarantines are imposed. Recommendations for consideration are:
- Click here to stay connected to your County Public Health Department for current status of the Pandemic.
- How would your congregation communicate during such an event? Make plans to use multiple forms of communication; telephone, email, web page, internet
- Develop plan for providing worship activities during quarantines.
- Develop plan for pastoral care during quarantines.
- Develop plan for how congregation & facilities can be of benefit to the wider community during a Pandemic.
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