In anticipation of the relaxation of restrictions on religious gatherings at MGCQ or Modified General Community Quarantine, the members and attenders of MCBC are hereby informed of the following safety protocols which shall be implemented during the aforesaid period:
1. Wearing of masks is mandatory upon entering the building premises.
These premises include every area within the perimeter of the MCBC property such as the auditorium, Sunday School rooms, comfort rooms, dorm rooms, offices, and open areas within the boundary of the MCBC property. A no-mask, no-entry policy shall be implemented. The ushers shall be put in charge of ensuring that this policy is strictly followed inside the auditorium. The wearing of masks should be done in the proper way.
2. Members and visitors entering the auditorium shall be subjected to thermal scanning by the ushers and their assistants.
Those who exceed the maximum limit of body temperature (37.5 C) will not be allowed inside the church building. To facilitate the entry of people and avoid overcrowding at the doorway, there will be two thermal scanning points manned by the ushers-on-duty. Depending on the weather, the scanning may either be done inside or outside the auditorium.
3. As a general rule, anybody who has fever, persistent coughing and presenting malaise will be prohibited from joining the congregation in worship.
4. All attenders shall be required to step on a disinfectant foot bath before entering the auditorium or the annex building.
5. An alcohol dispenser will be available near the door for the use of attenders.
However, to avoid overcrowding, everyone is encouraged to bring their own personal sanitizers or alcohol.
6. Masks will be available upon request for those who forget to bring one or for some other valid reasons.
7. Social distancing will be encouraged when outside the building premises. It will also be strictly implemented inside the auditorium in terms of seating arrangement.
There will be a one-meter separation of seats, front, back and side. The attenders are prohibited from rearranging the seats.
8. The distribution of hymnals and Bibles will be temporarily suspended. Instead, the hymns will be projected on-screen.
Members and visitors will be encouraged to bring their own Bibles, electronic or otherwise.
9. Handshaking, hugging and any other forms of intimate expression will be discouraged at this time.
10. The schedule of services or any change thereof will be posted on the MCBC website before such a schedule or change is implemented.
Members are encouraged to regularly visit the website to keep up-to-date with schedules and other relevant information. As of June 2020, the Sunday school begins at 8:00 am, the first service at 9:00 am and the second service at 10:45 am. Members and visitors who attend will be encouraged to leave the premises shortly after the last worship service. There will be no lunch fellowships in the meantime.
11. The auditorium and other pertinent areas will be disinfected prior to, during, and after the worship services of the church.
Disinfection of the pulpit and sound equipment will also take place before and after any teaching or preaching session.
12. Due to space limitations brought about by social distancing, not everyone will be able to attend every Lord’s day.
Presently only one-third of the congregation will be allowed on a rotation basis to attend the services. If not scheduled to attend, the other Sundays will have to be spent watching online services.
13. Every attendee shall be required to fill up a COVID-19 disclosure form which will inform the ushers of the attender’s personal circumstances (with respect to COVID-19).
These circumstances include:
- If he has tested positive for COVID-19
- If he manifests symptoms of COVID-19 though untested (PUI)
- If he has come into some degree of contact with someone positive for COVID-19 (PUM)
- If he has come into contact with someone who has come into contact with someone positive for COVID-19
- If he has come from abroad or the province
Any misrepresentation here constitutes grave misconduct and warrants appropriate punitive action.
The disclosure form can be accomplished online; this method will be available on Saturdays at the MCBC website. There is also a downloadable form. It is highly encouraged that members print and fill up the downloadable form at home prior to attending worship. This would facilitate the process of entry checking by the ushers-on-duty.
14. Persons, whether member or visitor, who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who is a PUI or PUM or have come from abroad or the province will not be allowed to attend worship services until such time that they have tested negative for the virus and/or completed a 14- day quarantine.
15. The ushers have been given authority by the elders to either allow or graciously deny the attendance of people based on the information that is contained in their disclosure forms.
16. There will only be one entry and one exit point in the auditorium.
The rear door will be used for entry and the middle door will be used for exit. During breaks, all doors will be opened to allow for better ventilation and the industrial fan may be used as an exhaust fan to expel stale air from the auditorium.
17. Prior to the Sunday School and the 1st service, all of the gates of the MCBC premises will be made available for entry.
However, as soon as the 1st service begins, only the leftmost gate facing the MCBC building premises will be available for entry, all of the other gates will be exit gates. As soon as the services end at 12nn, all of the gates may be used for exit.
18. Members and visitors eating snacks during breaks are encouraged to bring and use their own utensils and drinking glasses or coffee cups.
All snacks will have to be taken outside the auditorium.
19. Social distancing will also be practiced outside the auditorium premises, to wit: only two people at a time will be allowed in the men’s and in the women’s comfort rooms; also, people will be discouraged from loitering at the kitchen area or at the annex building premises.
20. Attendance of high-risk categories (children and seniors) will be left to the discretion of parents or family members/guardians.
Parents can take turns attending the service if they desire to leave their children at home. Or they can request someone to watch over their small children if they want to attend together. We will leave it to the seniors and their families or guardians to determine who is capable of attending and who are not. The general rule is that those in the high-risk categories (below 21 and above 59) stay at home. MCBC will therefore not be responsible for any problems that may result if parents, family members, or guardians decide to let their children or seniors attend. A waiver form will be asked to be signed by seniors or family members or guardians of attenders in the high-risk category.
21. In case full capacity is reached in the auditorium, the ushers shall guide the overflow crowd to the RBIPT classroom where the service will be streamed online.
Only two people shall be allowed per table inside the classroom. In case full capacity is reached, the overflow crowd shall be requested to forego attendance for the following Sunday.
22. Just like the auditorium, the annex will have a one-entry, one-exit passage.
The entry will be at the RBIPT classroom door while the exit will be at the kitchen door.
23. As a general rule, eating lunch at the church premises is discouraged at this time.
If, as a matter of necessity, lunch has to be taken at the church premises, this should be done with proper social distancing, measured at the highest possible separation between individuals.
24. Couples and those that live under one roof are exempted from social distancing within themselves whether during worship, snacks, lunch, or picture-taking.
25. Any questions or clarifications about these guidelines may be referred to our COVID-19 czar, Pas. Clyde.
Being church members committed to the well-being of one another we enjoin each one to cooperate for the safety and protection of all concerned.
*Updated: October 17, 2020
