As your church considers the next steps and how to best approach in-person worship, it can be overwhelming to sort through the resources available. Here is a listing of guidelines, planning resources and communication samples that we have collected for you to view in one location.

Resources to guide your plan and discussions with leadership teams:

Guidance to Dakotas Conference congregations shared earlier this month, developed and compiled by the Dakotas and Minnesota Communications team, affirmed by Bishop Ough. Download as a pdf document here.  

Rev. Nicole Clade, who serves First UMC in Vermillion, South Dakota, and spouse Andy Clade, have created a detailed outline for strategically returning to in-person gatherings in steps. The strategic outline includes the Iowa Conference's three-tiered plan. 

Blog post by Lifeway’s Ken Braddy titled “24 Questions Your Church Should Answer Before People Return,” which covers cleaning and maintaining distance, but also considerations about volunteers, greeters, special occasions like funerals and weddings, and accurately taking attendance. 

Resources for communicating with your congregation:

Rev. Marty Toepke-Floyd, who serves the United Methodist congregations in Redfield and Frankfort, South Dakota, shares a letter to his leadership team inviting strategic considerations and a survey distributed to members of the congregations. 

Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Watertown, South Dakota communicated a plan to return to in-person worship, and outline the steps in details in a letter to all members of the congregation. 

Church cleaning and management:

Larry Johnson, who serves as the  Disaster Preparedness and Response Coordinator for the Oregon-Idaho Conference, shares best practices for church cleaning and management.