COVID-19 signage at area churches (Branson Nash)
By: Branson Nash
When COVID-19 first swept across the nation last March, numerous local businesses were forced to close their doors, including churches.
With the pandemic, the buildings that once held hundreds of people on Sunday mornings had to find new ways to safely allow their congregation to attend.
For Live Oak Community Church in South Lubbock, 10710 Frankford Ave., this meant limiting in-person capacity while utilizing technology to reach those who are unable to attend, said Madison Romig, the college ministry coordinator at the church.
According to Live Oak’s website, the church offers three online service times throughout the day on Sundays at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 8:30 p.m., in addition to an on-demand option that becomes available at 11:30 a.m.every Sunday morning.
However, Romig acknowledged the desire some have to be at an in-person service, so, as a result, the church has added certain safety precautions required for attenders.
“We have an aim that when people come in here that this would be a safe place, and, hopefully, one of the safest places in their world,” Romig said. “Those precautions, in terms of COVID, do come in super handy. We require everyone to wear a mask when they enter our building, but we do have masks and hand sanitizer available everywhere.”
COVID-19 signage at area churches (Branson Nash)
As a reminder for those visiting the church, signs and floor stickers are located around the building to prompt everybody to stay six feet away from one another, wear their masks, and sanitize their hands.
Alyssa McElfresh, one of Romig’s students in college ministry and a volunteer at Live Oak, said the church has a staffer whose task is to ensure all the seating arrangements are socially distanced. In fact, in the main auditorium, signs stating “NOT A SEAT” are staggered throughout the rows.
Romig said she believes with many events moving to online platforms due to the pandemic, it is crucial to keep in-person options open, especially for students.
COVID-19 signage at area churches (Branson Nash)
“People really do need that connection, and so they are looking for it,” Romig said. “A lot of the on-campus things they might have been part of look different. Some classes are online, that sort of thing, so they are looking for something where they can connect with people in real life.”
While most churches in the area had to make adaptations during the spring and early summer months, some have begun to relax their rules.
Indiana Avenue Baptist Church, 9507 Indiana Ave., no longer requires guests to wear masks for services after doing so at the beginning of the pandemic, said Carter Abney, a youth ministry intern for the church.
Even with four different services on Sunday mornings, the church is now facing the problem of having more guests than available seats due to the capacity limits, said Abney.
However, the youth ministry intern said the church can be a safe place for those skeptical of contracting the virus depending on the guest.
“There are going to be people not social-distancing here, but that doesn’t have to be you if you don’t want it to be,” Abney said.
He said people are also able to join in other ways while having minimal contact with others.
“Whatever you want to do is easy to do here,” he said. “Whether you want to be comfortable, or whether you’re not worried at all about it.”
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