COVID-19 Mitigation Plan

We have developed the following mitigation plan in response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize that health risks related to this disease call for us to have an elevated level of awareness about disease transmission in public gatherings. We are also committed to honoring God’s command to be subject to governing authorities who have been instituted by Him (Romans 13:1-4). Those authorities are setting standards for us to follow in response to the pandemic. We will continue to monitor those guidelines and make adjustments as necessary.

While we cannot prevent all spread of infection, we want to take reasonable steps to help minimize it for the safety of our church family members and people they come in contact with. We want to do what we can to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak that could hospitalize multiple people and put vulnerable people in our community at risk. To accomplish these goals we will make the following modifications for our church gatherings.

CLEANING

Prior to group gatherings, we will thoroughly clean & disinfect high-touch surfaces according to CDC guidelines as outlined in our “True North Church COVID-19 Cleaning Checklist”.

PROMOTING HEALTHY HYGIENE PRACTICES

  • We will ensure there is an adequate supply of soap and paper towels for church members and visitors to use for handwashing. 
  • We will provide hand sanitizer throughout the church for church members to use.
  • We will place and disinfectant wipes outside bathrooms for cleaning door handles, bathroom fixtures, etc before use.
  • As always, we encourage people to stay home if they are not feeling well.  If you do test positive for COVID-19, please inform us as soon as possible so that we can encourage others to be tested while still respecting your privacy.

MODIFICATIONS TO LIMIT COMMUNITY SHARING

  • We will no longer pass offering baskets for giving of tithes and offerings to the Lord.  Instead we encourage church members to mail checks to the church, use online giving options, or leave gifts in the collection box at the back of the sanctuary.
  • We will not print a paper bulletin to hand out. Church announcements will be posted on our website (www.truenorthcf.org) and in the “Events” section of the Church Center app.
  • We will suspend offering coffee/treats during worship and shared monthly meals.
  • We will modify communion to prevent sharing of communion elements between families.

ONLINE WORSHIP GATHERING OPTION

We will continue to provide an opportunity for people to join us remotely for worship through Zoom. We also encourage small group gatherings to consider offering an online connection option for any group members who choose to remain at home.

For Sunday worship, we invite church members in attendance to also join the Zoom meeting in order to maintain a personal connection with those joining us remotely.

FACEMASKS

As of July 25, 2020 all people in MN are required to wear a face covering in all public indoor spaces and businesses, unless alone. Types of face coverings can include a paper or disposable mask, a cloth mask, a neck gaiter, a scarf, a bandanna, or a religious face covering. These face coverings must cover the nose and mouth completely.

In compliance with this order, face coverings are required for everyone age 5 and older attending church gatherings.

SUNDAY WORSHIP GATHERINGS

When we gather together as a church family, we will need to place a priority on “social distancing.” We ask that everyone in attendance be mindful about minimizing physical interactions and maintaining the recommended 6ft distance between yourself and people who are not in your family. 

We ask that everyone in attendance find seating that leaves a 6ft space between family groups.  Also be mindful of spacing when entering and leaving the building, walking through narrow areas, or stopping to talk to others.

Deepening relationships with one another is an integral part of our time together as a church.  During this time, we encourage everyone to move conversations with one another after our worship time outdoors to allow for better distancing.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

We are unable to provide nursery and separate children’s ministry activities at this time, but children are loved and welcome to join us for regular Sunday family worship activities.  We will continue to hold True North Teen meetings for kids in grade 6-12.

LifeChoice Requests Help Supporting Families in Need

LifeChoice of Cannon Falls is asking for help to provide supplies for families in need with infants during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here is the message from LifeChoice with details about how you can help:

“We want to provide diapers, wipes and formula to our community families struggling to provide for their families.  The average baby needs a diaper change 20 times a day.  A package 156 ct. diapers average cost is $50.  To meet the demand, a family would need to purchase approx. $150-$200 worth of diapers a month, depending on the brand or what’s left after a pandemic.  We are reaching out to members in our community that may be looking for a way to help during these unprecedented times.

Life Choice has established a baby registry on Amazon to help our community members with essential basics.  The list consists of diapers, baby wipes, and formula.  As the needs get met, we may add to the quantity.  Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/31206DGSC1737?ref_=wl_share   The registry list is named “Essentials” under LifeChoice and orders can be directly delivered to Life Choice, 118 North 4th Street, Cannon Falls, MN 55009

Thank you for your consideration and WE WILL get through this together.”

True North Online Worship Gathering!

In addition to our weekly in-person worship gathering at our church building, you now have the option to join us online.

Join us Sundays at 10 am for our online worship gathering. You can meet with us from wherever you are!
Follow these steps to join us:
1) Install the Zoom Cloud Meetings app on your mobile device or computer(microphone and/or webcam needed to interact).
2) Open the app, create an account and make sure you are logged into the app. This step is necessary to help ensure security of our meetings.
*It is best to finish these first two steps before Sunday morning to avoid connection delays.*
3) On Sunday morning, open this link to join: https://bit.ly/TNWorship or enter Meeting ID: 157-725-927 and password: Tru3N0cf

You can arrive as early as 9:30 am.
Contact us if you have any questions!

Request for Additional Face Masks

Robin Flint of Cannon Falls has been making face masks for people, but is unable to keep up with the number of requests she has received. If you would be willing to help make masks at home, you can contact Robin to work with her to fulfill those requests.

Robin has provided us with instructions for the masks she is making. You can download them here.

You can contact Robin through Facebook Messenger using the link above, or contact us at truenorthcf@gmail.com for her email or phone number.

Request for Face Masks for Seniors

Cannon Rivers Senior Living in Cannon Falls has put out a request for face masks for residents to wear when they leave their rooms. Masks should be 4 ply with cotton on the outside and flannel on the inside. Soft string can be used if elastic is not available, and strings should be 18 inches long.

Suggested instructions can be found here. Other similar patterns may also be acceptable.

Additional links for making face masks at home:

Deliveries can be taken to the facility during normal business hours (8am-4:30pm). Mark them C/O Becky Ruddy and set them on the table in the alcove just inside the first door.

If you have any questions contact Becky Ruddy at Rruddy1@fairview.org or (507) 263-6069.

Here are some sample photos of the masks they are currently making:

Weekly Personal Check-in Tool

Barna Research Institute has developed a weekly check-in tool for churches to use during the COVID-19 crisis. This certainly will not replace individual check-ins that we continue to do, but it can give each of us an opportunity for personal reflection on how we are doing and provide a way for us to assess overall spiritual and emotional health of our church family.

If you’d like to take advantage of this tool, you can take the assessment weekly at http://bit.ly/truenoCOVID.

The survey has 20 questions and should take less than 10 minutes to fill out. You are invited to include personal contact info to allow us to follow up with you, but it is not required.

True North Church Response to COVID-19 Concerns

Our daily lives are changing rapidly as we, along with people all over the planet, are being affected by the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This is an event unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetime, and we have been giving prayerful consideration to how we as a church can best respond.

We want to be a people who live out our faith in Jesus Christ by taking actions that:

  • Exhibit enduring faith in our Lord because He is greater than all things.
  • Demonstrate love for all people as we value others above ourselves and look not only to our own interests, but to theirs as well. (Philippians 2:3-4)
  • Apply wisdom as we continue to assess circumstances; knowing that Godly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. (James 3:17)
  • Keeps us on the front lines of sharing God’s love as we seek out opportunities to serve others out of our overflowing love for Him!

With these goals in minds, True North Church has developed the following response plan.

Sunday Worship Services

Mar 19, 2020 Update: As our nation steps up efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19, it has become time for us to suspend meeting together in person. We will not be holding worship gatherings at the church at this time.

One of our highest priorities, however, it that we find ways to continue meeting together. We don’t want to just provide you online sermon content or broadcast a worship service for you to watch. We want church members to be able to see one another; talk to one another; and encourage one another.

For that reason, we will be launching an online worship gathering this Sunday, March 22nd using Zoom videoconferencing. We will be sharing some important updates, engage in some praise and worship, spend some time praying for one another, and hear from the guest speaker who was already scheduled to join us this week! Join us from wherever you at 10am Sunday at http://bit.ly/TNWorship

Remember to download the Church Center app or visit our website for announcements. We will provide updates about upcoming activities as we continue to engage our community and world with the love of Christ. While we may not be meeting together in person for now, the church is still open and active!

If you desire to continue giving tithes and offerings to the church, there are a few options available. You can give online here or through the Church Center app. You can also mail donations to the church or simply drop them in our mailbox. Please note: we are not concerned about finances. God will provide all we need, but we do want to provide you ways to give faithfully to the Lord’s work as He calls us to do.

Let’s also remember that we do not need to completely isolate from other people at this time. We want to be wise about our interactions; reasonable social distancing is prudent, but isolation is unhealthy. Reach out to one another; plan for small get togethers; and feel free to contact Pastor Scott if you need to meet.

Prayer and Outreach

As always, we want to keep the needs of our church family and community in prayer; and we want to continue reaching out to those around us in love. As our community weathers this pandemic, there will be a variety of needs that arise. Anyone who is healthy and willing to serve others during these strange times, send me a message. I am reaching out to community leaders to understand how we can help best.

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