Below you'll find detailed advice on how to navigate guidelines, what to do about kids, and much more as we move into the second phase of our meet-again plan: NCC Anywhere.

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When?

When should I start? What if I’m not ready? 

There is no right or wrong answer here. Begin gathering with others to experience church anytime you’re ready. And if you’re not sure if you’re ready or not, we get it and are totally with you. Covid-19 is very real and has caused serious trauma to many of us in our family and community. We want to journey with you as you process through this season, so until you’re ready, NCC Online is here to stay. We will continue to invest in our online platforms and resources to best serve you well past the time we make it to our new normal.

There’s absolutely no pressure to gather before you feel ready. We’re envisioning this summer as a slow transition from gathering solely online to gathering in safe and smaller groups. 

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How?

What guidelines should we follow as we gather?

We recommend that you follow the CDC’s guidelines for hosting a gathering in your home. This includes: 

• Reminding guests to stay home if they’re sick
• Keeping a list of guests who attend for potential future contract tracing needs
• Encouraging social distancing
• Hosting outdoors or in a well-ventilated area
• Wearing cloth face coverings
• Cleaning hands often
• Limiting the number of people handling or serving food
• Limiting contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items

 

Should we serve food or offer drinks?

Both the choice to serve and partake in food or drinks is up to the individual. 

It might be helpful to evaluate this decision not in terms of “safe” or “unsafe” but instead on the level of risk, i.e.: 

• Lowest risk: Not serving any food or offering any drinks
• Low to medium risk: Encouraging everyone to bring their own 
• Low to medium risk: Serving individually-wrapped portions or containers
• Higher risk: Serving food and offering drinks (allowing for individuals to decline)

Hospitality is one of our highest values. Check out this article on how to host a get-together as safely - and as graciously - as possible for more ideas on invitations, food, bathrooms, and more.  

 

How should we spend our time together? 

Use this time to watch the service together. We encourage you to join during our streamed service times at live.national.cc at 8pm on Saturdays and 9am, 11am, and 8pm on Sundays. You could also stream the service at any point after it is uploaded on Sundays via national.cc or NCC’s YouTube Channel.

If you’d like to continue the discussion after the service and are unsure where to start, we encourage you to go to ncc.re/discuss. Here you’ll find the most recent sermon discussion guide that provides sample questions to help facilitate conversation and practical steps to apply each week’s teaching. 

 

How do we go about gathering together if we have kids? 

Kids are such an important part of our community. Each family will need to determine their level of comfort for gathering their children alongside other kids.  

We encourage leaders to consider the size of their home or yard to best determine the size of a group they could safely host.

In case it’s helpful, here are a few ideas that have been utilized by other groups with children:

• Set kids up to join the adults for worship, and then allow them to watch NCC Kids-at-Home or head off to play while the adults watch the message together. Alternatively, your group could invite a teen to watch the kids or lead them through NCC Kids-at-Home.

• Families could watch the service in their own homes and then gather together in a wide open space like a local public area or park where kids can spread out to play while the adults have a conversation using the sermon discussion guide. 

• Consider alternating who gets to gather and who gets to experience church at home with kids. A way this has been done in the past is for women to gather one week, men to gather the next, and then families might gather all together with kids on a third or fourth week. 

We understand that if you have younger kids who are unable to social distance or if you are uncomfortable meeting in person at this time. Do not feel pressure to do anything outside of your comfort zone. All service and kids resources will remain available online for families to access.

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Who?

Who do I invite? How might I use this as an opportunity to invite non-NCC attenders into community or to watch a service? What if I don’t have a circle or a group to gather with? 

We encourage you to invite friends, family, and/or neighbors that you feel comfortable gathering with to join you to watch online. Ask the Lord to put someone on your heart, and invite them. The vision for NCC Anywhere is for you to be the church, to create a space for those who may never have attended church or those who may have left the church long ago to experience the love and grace of Jesus, and to grow together. 

 

Is there a limit to how many should gather?

Per CDC guidelines, it is recommended that people stay six-feet apart from one another. Given these parameters, the number of people you invite will depend on the size of your space, as well as your personal level of comfort. 

 

What if someone says no?

“No” is a complete sentence. Remember, it’s not personal. It just means they’re not ready. Lean in (figuratively), and ask them how you can support them and pray for them at this time. Make a note to invite them again in a couple of months. And until then, make sure they know there are still opportunities to connect with church and groups online.

 

What do I do if someone in my gathering tests positive for Covid-19? 

It is recommended that you keep a list of guests for potential future contract tracing needs.

No one should come to your group if they have a fever or have experienced Covid-19 symptoms within the last 14 days. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include: fever (subjective or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or otherwise feeling unwell.

Below you’ll find detailed information on what to do based on your location. 

Virginia

If you or someone who was in your home has symptoms or wants to get tested, please contact your local doctor or your local health department to receive guidance on the next steps including quarantining and contact tracing. Your local health department will communicate and conduct contact tracing with the individuals who you may have been in contact with. 

Local Health Department Phone Numbers:

• Arlington - (703) 228-7999 
• Fairfax - (703) 267-3511
• Alexandria - (703) 746-4988
• Prince William - (703) 872-7759

If you have any questions in general about any situation regarding coronavirus in VA, call (877) ASK-VDH3 or (877) 275-8343.

DC

If you are notified that someone in your group has tested positive for Covid-19, then the individual and/or you should notify DC Health by emailing [email protected] with the following information: 

• “Covid-19 Consult” as the email subject line
• Name and direct phone number of the best point of contact for DC Health to return the call
• Estimated number of people potentially exposed 
• Short summary of incident/situation 

An investigator from DC Health will follow-up within 24 hours to all appropriately submitted email inquiries. 

• Guidance for someone who tested positive for Covid-19
• Guidance for contacts of a person confirmed case of Covid-19

Maryland

If you are notified that someone in your group has tested positive for Covid-19, then the individual and/or you should notify the Maryland Department of Health to receive guidance on the next steps including quarentining and contact tracing by calling (240) 466-4488.

• Guidance for Covid-19 Testing
• Guidance for Covid-19 Contact Tracing

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Am I able to meet with my small group during the week now?

As with most decisions about how to navigate these new phases, the decision as to when to begin gathering in person again as a small group is a very personal one, both for you as group leaders and for those within your group. Our recommendation is to be as inclusive as possible when making this decision. So, if you've got a number of people who are not yet ready or able to meet in person, continue to have the entire group meet online. You may also want to consider anonymously polling group members to allow for honest input.

Here are a few recommended questions to ask:

1. As NCC moves into the second phase of its meet-again plan, which option best describes how comfortable you are right now meeting with our small group?

   1. I’m ready to meet in person as soon as possible

   2. I’m ready to meet but only if it’s outside

   3. I'm not yet ready to make a decision

   4. I’m more comfortable waiting before meeting again

2. What is one thing I can do as a group leader to make you more comfortable if we meet in person?

It may be a while before everyone in your group is ready to gather in-person again. In the meantime, we'd recommend continuing to meet online while organizing opportunities for those who are ready to begin socializing and following the recommended guidelines from the CDC.