PROACTIVE

A Guide to the Best Practices to Sanitize Churches

Green Clean Institute, Inc Boca Raton, Florida

Copyright © 2020, Green Clean Institute, Inc.

In that scripture God says, "If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give

heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians;

for I am the Lord your healer."

Exodus 15:26

While this Bible verse has been used in a variety of applications, it is apparent that we live in a world that straddles faith and real life challenges to our faith. And the choices we make can influence the world and affect us in ways we might not expect.

Disease is part of the curse upon this world, and may be seen as a judgment for waywardness and faithlessness. Anyone reading the Old Testament saw how the lawlessness period of rivalries, powershifts, and uncontrolled passions test the patience and kindness of God.

Contrasting Cain and Able, Saul and David, and Daniel his rivals seems to illustrate large-scale examples of choices made long before the consequences are seen. Fate is a random luck or misfortune. God’s view is far more extensive in the rewards of good and bad choices.

We believe that God does not promote diseases, wars, earthquakes, or floods because He seeks only to do good for us. However, evil and disaster is an ever-present occurrences in a world that alienates God from His rightful place of worship and right living.

Bad things happen, and people can be driven to harden their hearts, blame God, or excuse their bad behavior. Or, we see that the bad events are only the leading edge of something better, if we have faith in a greater hand in the affairs of man.

The world might call this pessimism versus optimism, which is true in its secular understanding of life. It is always better to be an optimist than a pessimist because the problems really don’t care which you are. Some have learned to embrace the challenge while others dig deeper into the pit of hatred and anger.

Faith is the royal robes of optimism. Optimism is the casual replacement of Biblical faith. Optimism places its positive attitude in that hands of people and the eventual tides of life. This is very short-sighted and somehow a convenient way to explain the events of this world as luck, good fortune, or intelligent choices.

As found in II Chronicles 9:14, God can and will use adverse conditions to remind, provoke, and draw people to His grace and mercy. We should not revert to the Blame Game about is God the cause of evil. God wants to be a blessing, not your adversary. It really depends on your position and condition in this world toward Him.

If we come in faith (Hebrews 11:6), we engage His power and blessing. If we come without faith, we are pretty much on our own.

During the good times, trust in God seems optional. Faithfulness or debauchery are nearly uncontested. It is the story of Jeremiah asking, “Why do the evil prosper?”

The answer is that the end of the story has not been revealed. The start of a matter does not forecast the how it will end. Faith is the gamechanger that will determine the end of any episode of life.

BREAKING NEWS June 15th, 2020: New studies show that

the concerns for “micro-particles” floating in the air. Surface transfer is now a secondary concern for infection control for COVID-19. This is a new twist to what medical professional suggested previously.

It helps to know that the air is always full of unseen threats from particles like mold spores, allergens, and chemical residue. There are also toxic ages or pollution known as volatile organic compounds, and there are free-floating bacteria and viruses that will land on surfaces.

As we know bacteria have a longer viability on a surface (outside a host) than do viruses, but the potential for contamination by airborne microparticles that spread between people and onto surfaces.

For this reason, the protocols should include the treatment of the air as well as surfaces. Otherwise, the job is only half-done and re-infection is immanent.

The cycle of re-infection is the big difference between a “Treatment” and a “System” that will inhibit re-infection.

Imagine, if you will, cleaning a room that is in an area with a serious dust problem. In a dusty environment, it doesn’t take long for a layer of dust to settle onto any clean surface. The same is true for infection control.

While the person-to-person exposure is the greatest concern, we must fully remediate the air and the surfaces while taking the personal measures to protect against person-to-person transmission.

This is why we suggest doing more than cleaning and sanitizing surfaces. To that end, ULV fogging/spraying is an efficient method to decontaminate and sanitize large areas.

The fine mist of a fogging/spraying treatment “Strips the Air” of particles, VOCs, and pathogens. This process not only neutralizes the threats in the air, but drops them down. In the end, a treatment may leave a fine residue on glass or shiny surfaces, but

it is proof that the air has been effectively treated. This is not an issue as glass, shiny surfaces, or eating areas can be quickly wiped clean with a damp cloth when the job is done.

As you study further, the question of how to apply the product need to be considered. Are you going to choose to have multiple workers constantly cleaning all the touchable surfaces, or is it best to treat common areas with a ULV fogger/sprayer?

We are hearing that the sanitizing process, much like movie theaters, must be sanitized between services. This is a logistical challenge for churches with multiple Sunday services. But there are solutions.

These solutions are mentioned through this material.

The Church Divided and Reconstructed

Okay, during the COVID-19 period, the church is “Out of Business” and seemingly scattered to the wind. Not only are the meeting not allowed, the offerings have dried up, there is no fellowship of the saints, and there is no communion.

This is not the end. Matthew 16:18 is a promise made that we ought not to ignore in the face of a stunningly-awful threat that has seemingly put the church out of business.

So far, the corporate church events have been our first priority. Small groups have been the secondary option. So, let’s revisit the scene in Acts 2, and reverse the concept.

For the time being, lets flip the concept for small groups first, and the large service event second. By using an alternate and Biblical concept, we can reconstitute the church when the threat has passed. Isn’t this how the persecuted church has survived since the days of Nero’s persecution?

The church is under a different form of persecution or horrible threat. Do not think about giving up, but reformulating our operation.

What are the basics of the church? Worship, teaching, fellowship, encouragement, giving of tithes and offerings, communion, and a sense of shared community.

Why in the world can’t small groups be reformatted using the available technology, like Zoom, as an affordable way to connect groups with simple tools?

The pastor(s) could randomly visit groups, simulcast the meeting to other groups to create a sense of community, which is desperately mixing. Collections can be made and communion service which will take a lot of coordination at first.

Small groups can be the interim plan until the full church can met again, but preserves the core programming until the COVID-19 vaccine is in place.

THE POST COVID-19 WORLD

I am convinced that there are certain events in life that do more to change society in a few months than in a decade of evolving attitudes. Something like a pandemic becomes a permanent scar rather than a temporary scratch or stain. These deep, life-changing events shake us to the core, and we then determine not to let that happen again.

Only the extreme fool or determined radical shakes his fist at the raging storm and pushes further into the pounding waves.

Even people of faith must stop and learn what is meant by these things asking for wisdom and understanding rather than grieving about shuddered church doors.

What are the lessons we need to take from the COVID-19 event?

Like so many areas of life, society has ignored some pressing realities. Diseases are rampart in all parts of the world. Some countries are ravaged by disease until we determine to fight back against these prevailing threats.

Sexual diseases are probably the most obvious parallel because they are closely tied to personal behavior. If we pursue sex without any concerns of the consequences, problems certainly follow.

So, here is one of those lessons that takes advantage of our communal behaviors. COVID-19 started and spread because of social opportunities in our world. It is unique among many other diseases because it is highly-infectious and can cause death in the unfortunate few. The actual death rate may not be as profound as earlier believed.

Before Louis Pasteur, hospitals were considered by many as a “Place you go to Die”. Sadly, simple medical treatments and even birthing mothers died prematurely when they went to the hospital for medical treatment.

Doctors moved from patient to patient not washing their hands or using sanitized equipment. They were spreading a variety of diseases to each patient they treated.

Louis Pastuer postulated that microscopic germs were causing diseases, which drew wide ridicule. Nevertheless, he was right and he changed the course of medical care at every level.

We know about germs, but the general population does not know enough to prevent the spread of another pandemic. So, I will step out of the Biblical side to offer a skilled layman’s review of the problems and solutions we presently face.

We call this course PROACTIVE because it is better to take the lead of this common threat than to wait for ambiguous instructions from various sources. The CDC guidelines are simplistic but may be applied in a variety of extended interpretations.

Each church needs to chart a course of their own rather than waiting for the ultimate word of human authority.

Clues from Acts 2:42-47

We saw a phenomenon in Seoul, South Korea as a huge mega-church that was the combination of hundreds of home-based fellowships. While it has also been afflicted by the COVID-19 threat, its history is most important.

Churches have promoted small groups that provide one-on-one and more intimate support for those whose need may be overlooked.

Let’s take this concept in reverse. While maintaining the corporate operation in the meantime, why not revisit and revise the small group process.

Modern technology can augment the small church concept, but allowing a timed service that is also recorded for later viewing. Staggered times may allow for smaller groups to assemble with a semblance of cohesion to the church body.

Pastors can randomly visit groups with video equipment to broadcast to other small groups that are tuning into the service. This allows some feedback that people need and want.

Consider how technology can advance, rather than harm, the fellowship of people. Use inventive measures to reinvent large group meetings.

If you have seen musical collaboration in real time where musicians and singers are singing in perfect rhythm, you might understand where these thoughts are going.

Equip all small groups with hand sanitizers, avoid close contact, wear masks, and allow social distancing in these remote locations. Provide the digital thermometers to test all attendees in each location. And, make sure that everyone knows to avoid attending if they are infected, or potentially infected.

See the later instructions to have a medical response team to locate any sick members, offer support, and to trace potential exposures to others.

THE MICROBIAL WORLD VIEW

To get a handle on how any business or church needs to adjust, it seems best to building an understanding of the invisible world of microbiology. I am not a microbiologist, so I will keep this simple.

There are billions of microbes on every square inch of our bodies, inanimate surfaces, on plants, in the air, and even inside our bodies. Some are good for us and we depend on them to do some very amazing things.

While there are many types of microbial life around us, I will focus on bacteria and viruses which are related to the health of any building or person.

BACTERIA

Bacteria are single celled microbes. The cell structure is simpler than that of other organisms, as there is no nucleus or membrane bound organelles. Instead their control center containing the genetic information is contained in a single loop of DNA.

Bacteria reproduce by binary fission, or they split into two identical bacteria. Binary fission is how a single, surviving bacteria can rapidly grow from a few microbes to millions in just a few hours.

Bacterial growth is controlled by the abundance of food and the occasional cleaning cycle. Standard cleaning is helpful as it removes debris that may support the bacteria and also superficially removes a few bacteria.

Disinfecting, sanitizing, and sterilizing are levels of killing microbial threats. Do not confuse cleaning with sanitizing. Cleaning is mostly for appearance. Sanitizing is a level above cleaning.

To start, free-floating bacteria is called planktonic. These are like seeds looking for a place to land.

Once the bacteria land on a surface, they attach by pili filaments, and the bacteria immediately start to colonize the area. Based upon available food, which can be anything from a thin film to a buffet of residual organic matter; the bacteria rapidly reproduce while building a connective network across the surface.

This connective surface is called a biofilm. If viewed under a microscope, it would look similar to the roots of grass in your lawn. The biofilm provides a protective layer where bacteria, odors, and even viruses can hide.

During the first 24 hours, the biofilm is soft and easier to remove with daily cleaning. After 24 hours, the biofilm hardens and cannot be removed by normal cleaning processes.

Most sanitizers kill the bacteria and viruses exposed to the product, but cannot reach the bacteria and viruses hiding in the biofilm. Those surviving bacteria use binary fission to rapidly duplicate each cell many times over in a short period of time.

With binary fission on its side, “Bacterial Rebound” can make the recently-cleaned surfaces as contaminated as it was prior to the sanitizing effort. Post-cleaning studies should that a very few surviving bacteria can return to the same level in four to eight hours. There is no one-time process to reduce the threats of bacteria and virus.

VIRUSES

Viruses are microscopic parasites, generally much smaller than bacteria. They lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside of a host body.

Predominantly, viruses have a reputation for being the cause of contagion. Widespread events of disease and death have no doubt bolstered such a reputation.

You might see bacteria as the first front in the infection cycle. Bacteria are many times larger than viruses, and they can live outside the body of the host. The free-floating bacteria are a constant process that delivers bacteria to any previously cleaned surface. And, it doesn’t take much to provide a food source for bacteria, and a food source is critical to bacterial growth.

Bacteria build the biofilm that protects the bacterial colony, but can easily hide the much smaller viruses as well. And viruses cannot survive as long on a surface because they need a host (animal or human) to propagate.

VECTORS AND FOMITES

As we try to understand infection control, it helps to learn a few terms that will prepare us to better fight these microbial agents.

A VECTOR is living organism that can spread disease.

A mosquito can be a vector if it is carrying a disease like malaria or west Nile disease. But a vector could be the kiss of another person with a cold or the handshake of a good friend.

A FOMITE is an inanimate object that may transfer a disease from one person to another. So, the gas pump handle may be a fomite because so many people touch it.

Or a fomite could be a door handle, computer keyboard, or elevator button. Cleaning and sanitizing is the primary method treat items and surfaces that may have been contaminated.

DISEASE TRANSMISSION

With that much information, we can begin to appreciate how diseases are spread. And, knowing the tactics of the enemy allows us to cut off the avenues of transmission.

Some diseases are airborne and some are passed by direct or indirect contact with a commonly-touched area.

COVID-19 is understood to pass through direct or indirect contact. But that contact can be accomplished by aerosol spray from a cough or sneeze. The virus is not in the air, but in the microscopic droplets from the sneeze that stay in the air for a short period.

Hence, the idea of wearing masks would not be important except to limit the effect of the sneeze or those close enough to inhale the droplets.

Handwashing is considered a universal method to reduce the spread of contagious diseases. The hands are a kind of vector that secondarily touches the

eyes, nose, or mouth where the virus can enter the host. Once inside, the virus can rapidly reproduce and overwhelm our immune system.

So, we would call gloves, mask, and handwashing a prophylactic or barrier against infection. These are easily accomplished and the very basic protocols for infection control.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will make these prophylactic measures the core of their suggestions. If you understand how to interrupt to avenue of transmission, you will easily achieve the CDC recommendations. Nearly all the other measures are extensions of these basic concepts.

IMMUNITIES and VACCINATIONS

In every population, there are people who are naturally immune or resistant to disease. It is not easy to identify these people, but anyone who has survived a disease is typically immune from reinfection, although there will be exceptions.

In addition to what has been said so far, here is something that may be helpful to churches.

FIND and INDENTIFY people who have survived the disease or who test positive for the antigen of that disease. A person with antibodies or antigens are what might be termed a “Safe Person” who can stand on the front line of your public efforts.

Even Safe People can pass infections (vector), so they must be mindful of good sanitizing protocols, like hand washing and infected fomites.

People can naturally overcome a disease threat after a period of exposure. Herd immunity is said to require a minimum of 60% to 70% post-infection people. And some people simply won’t catch the disease. Others will have a lighter illness challenge. But, there is a point when any disease burns out as there are not enough available hosts to spread the disease.

So, we may therefore realize that until a vaccine is available, the infection will need to work through the community to achieve that herd immunity status.

Another theory is that herd immunity also happens by interaction with others. It may be that antigens or antibodies pass by contact much like the disease.

In the COVID-19 era, one country (Sweden) embraced the herd immunity concept but asked citizens to voluntarily follow social distancing, avoid large crowd, end bar service, and employ distance learning to flatten the curve.

Sweden believed that 60% post-infection levels would create herd immunity. Scientist predicted herd immunity in the nation’s capital when they hit 40% post-infection about mid-June.

The U.S. has taken a more controversial approach to flatten the infection curve by quarantines hoping to allow therapeutic remedies and vaccinations to bring an end to the pandemic.

Regardless of the national choices, it is obvious that flattening the curve lengthens the progress to the 60-70% post-infection level of herd immunity.

This leaves open the question of whether the quarantine method has more harmful impact than the non-quarantine process. Yes, people will die, but it seems that a level of death is inevitable. This leaves open the immense question of whether the cure is worse than the disease.

THE CHURCH’S NEW CHALLENGE

Churches are communities that want to collectively assemble, help and support one other, and build relationships. All this seems in direct opposition to the protocols of infectious disease prevention. Infection control people do not like crowds and personal interaction for obvious reasons.

Until the vaccine is made available, there is an impasse that will not be effectively solved by technology.

In fact, technology is only one “work around” to rebuilding the ministries that are desperately needed by every community.

What follows is a series of work-arounds that could allow the re-connection of people and church.

1. COVID-19 is a fragile virus but it is also highly-infectious. So, killing the virus can be done in many ways, but re-infection is going to be an ongoing urgency.

2. Forget church bulletins and hymnals for now. Project hymns on a screen and have a special person or two make announcements during the service. Augment announcements with online communications.

3. If the church does not have automatic door openers, appoint “Door Holders” that will avoid people touching door handles.

4. Appoints “Social Distancing Ushers” who will manage seating that will be in compliance with local or federal mandates.

5. Appoints a bathroom monitor that does not allow overcrowding in the bathroom. If extra rules apply, such as quick cleaning between use, they can handle that demand. Encourage people to handle bathroom duties before and after traveling to church.

6. Replace handshakes with the “Elbow Bump”, and it might be a good idea to suggest the “Praying Hands” display as a way to say thank you, prayer support, and kind goodbyes.

7. Identify Safe People who are now immune from the virus and make sure they are placed in public roles. It might help to give them an identification badge that people can see.

8. You probably have more room for social distancing than you think. Spread people out more. Use other rooms for smaller groups, and use screens to produce a service with a safe person in charge of the area.

9. Set up outside areas with tents or pavilions. Innovate the event with coffee and people to add to the event. In the age of cellphones, people can spread out, sit in cars, or bring a chair of their own.

10. Learn from store and banks how they provide for one-on-one interaction. It is possible to turn communion into a very unique events where people can actually interact with safe people during the service. There are communion elements in one combination cup that is sealed until used.

11. Small groups are popular in our day. With testing available everywhere, it is possible to create small groups that employ social distancing, smaller groups, and still allow for interpersonal fellowship.

12. Use Zoom, Facetime, and similar video connections to get people to communicate one-on-one. Appoint people to start prayer chains, counseling, support, and friendships with your own version of these visual technologies

13. Take to the streets! What about “Pop Up Churches” that go into the community following the social distancing practices? Much like a block party, churches could turn a negative into a positive while observing infection prevention rules.

14. Turn your day camp into a learning program around infection control with a Bible theme. “Cleaning is not just about the hands. It is about your heart too.”

15. Most senior homes have patios or open air areas. Investigate taking select people to these areas for open area meetings.

16. Food banks are a growing need. Why not set up food banks for people and make it an event of showing love to these people? Do more than

pass out food. Innovate something like a music event that entertains people while they wait.

It is obvious that some churches do not have the room to spread out to the six foot social distancing. So, think about your other options.

1. Go to multiple services on an interim basis, even to the point of getting people to commit to support a certain meeting time. This means offering Friday, Saturday, Sunday evening services.

2. Look to adjacent buildings with parking to use associate pastors or video hookups with a support team in that location.

3. Raise the value of small group meetings with a broadcast program of groups of ten or so to keep a measure of interaction and fellowship. This can include singing, worship, collecting tithes, communion, prayer support, and discussions after the broadcast.

4. Unique solutions might exist everywhere. Would a movie theater serve as an extra meeting area with a video connection or pre-recorded message along with support people to make the time more meaningful? Or maybethere are businesses that can open large areas with seating for a remote meeting.

Do not be limited by your actual building footprint. Adversity is not always a bad thing. This challenge could rally people to support the cause of Christ.

If we retire from the imposing threat, we will certainly lose momentum, opportunity, and may be forced to close the doors.

To be proactive, church leadership needs to accept the challenge as a issue of faith and courage.

DEALING WITH LIABILITIES

One of the big issues in the COVID-19 era is the concern for lawsuits if someone is infected by COVID-19. Lawsuits are costly and cause alienation of good people who were formerly friends.

There are a couple of ideas that may discourage the potential of a lawsuit. First of which is the impossibility of proving the nexus of the infections. People are now going to multiple locations that will always have a measure of exposure to disease. From a practical viewpoint, a lawsuit proving the CAUSE OF INFECTION will fail because the source of infection is unprovable.

Regardless of the claim, it is not the things that you proactively perform, but the things you neglect. We know that no operation is perfect. It is the intent of this review to promote the best practices for any church operation.

COVID-19 will eventually pass or a vaccine will be found. However, churches should now have a heightened concern for infection control well into the future.

HOLD HARMLESS

If there is a real concern for COVID-19 lawsuit, take time to explain the prohibition of “Going to Law with a Brother” in the book of II Corinthians.

Prepare a simple legal agreement to HOLD HARMLESS the church if there is a claim of COVID-19 infections. People are coming voluntarily, and it is reasonable to ask for this agreement to mitigate a compounding problem for the church’s survival.

Tort law includes the idea of NEGLIGENCE, so such a document would not discount the value of a proactive cleaning, sanitizing, and smart operation. In practice, a lawsuit is most often about the duties neglected rather than the many actions taken to provide a safe place of worship.

Any agreement may also limit claims to a minimal claim that would not destroy the church’s ability to continue operation.

Taken to heart, the admonitions of I Corinthians 6:1-8 forbids the going to court (law) with another Christian, including the church. It is better to suffer the loss than to act on a wrong spirit in matters that seem unfair.

HOW OTHERS HANDLE RISKS

Consider how other businesses handle risks. The Right of Assembly is an unalienable right. And, we are dealing with adults who can easily decide to stay home and protect themselves, or agree to the risks of their chosen activity.

While we do not ignore the risks, we know that COVID-19 is a reality everywhere. So, how does any activity with a measure of risk handle this issue? They require people to sign waivers and agreements that this is their own decision, and they accept responsibility for their risks.

It may seem awkward to prepare a waiver of liability for your people, but the other side is the radical view that someone is foolish enough to take a lawsuit against your church. A waiver is a good will agreement that the person is assuming the risk to participate. Otherwise, stay home and use the Internet services.

INSURANCE

At this time, buying insurance for COVID-19 claims maybe nearly impossible because insurance companies are “Risk Adverse” and do not yet understand the real liabilities from this disease.

You may want to review your existing insurance to know what provisions may be used in the event of a lawsuit. The big expense of a lawsuit is the legal fees, so it is good to know that there is provision in the insurance policy to pay for legal fees regardless of the type of suit.

On the other hand, the church should quickly respond in a Luke 6:29 manner by offering help, financial assistance, and a spirit of kindness that should overrule the wrongs that may have happened without malice.

When a potential issue may turn into a bad relationship, overcome with love and kindness when possible. Many problems can be solved by an early effort to show kindness.

CREATE A SUPPORT TEAM

To mitigate the potential of a church member who may get COVID-19, it may be an idea to form a Health Team composed of post-COVID or immune workers who provide active support for those with COVID-19. This may include cleaning services, caretaking, arranging meals, helping with medication or doctor visits.

As seniors are more susceptible to the COVID-19 disease, the team should be younger, immune, or taking preventative medication for COVID-19 immunity.

These people should be aware that they need to guard against bringing the infection back to their home. The nature of COVID-19 is that it is highly infectious, and one careless person can spread this disease to others.

In addition, team members can provide “No Contact Support” by running errands, delivering food, and handling problems that do not require personal interaction.

Other non-contact can be done by email, videos, Facetime calls, or staying in contact with healthy family members. Healthy family members can be the nexus between any sick person.

SPEAK TO THE ISSUE

One of the best ways to address the concerns of people in your care is to talk with them and explain what the issues are for the church. Let people know what the risks and rewards are to them. If they choose to stay at home and connect by Internet, make allowance for that to happen until the vaccine restores normalcy.

Explain the risks in clear terms, and help people understand the nature of thepersonal cost it may take to support the church and the outreach to the lost.

Finally, it is clear that this adversity can be used as an attack on the church. The enemy, and those alienated from God, will use this new threat to destroy the cause of Christ.

It seems all-too-obvious that the leadership and membership needs to boldly speak to this issue. This is a pandemic, and people will get sick and some will die. There is no way to deny this reality.

When we rise against any threat, we risk a measure of loss to achieve the victory. Even the battles of the godly kings of Israel and Judah had casualties. In the end, we must accept that it is better to suffer or even die doing the real work of God than to run from the enemy.

Make it clear, everything in life has risks. Driving a car or shoveling snow may bring an unexpected hazard upon anyone. Life comes with risks, and stupidity can dramatically increase those risks.

We all want life to go back to normal, but this doesn’t happen in a sterile laboratory. Life itself is a mostly unknown journey made normal by our healthy routines.

Restoring or installing healthy routines is part of a better life, but still brings no guarantees. We do not get an insurance policy at birth, and every day brings its own troubles and jeopardies.

We live, work, and play in a world of uncertainties and risks. Taking risks are a part of every life. We do not take those risks to fail, but to succeed and enhance our experience. Risks, however, have the unintended consequences that we all would hope to avoid.

In the end, the COVID-19 is a grand test of our faith and normalcy of life. We need to be proactive while not being foolish. This is not the end of civilization or the church.

Make every good provision necessary, engage the family of faith, and bring the church back to collective worship.

THE OTHER DOORS OF SUPPLY

Essentially, when one door closes the Lord will open other doors. So, it seems short-sighted to bemoan the intrusion into our lives by odd circumstances.

It is obvious that money suddenly becomes a huge issue as Sunday services are the common method of financing the ministry.

In addition, the supporters of the church may be laid off and cannot make their tithes and offerings.

It is great if the church has a reserve fund, but many will not have enough to operate for more than a month or so. Other than borrowing, what are the options?

Let’s look at a similar circumstance in Acts 4:32 to 5:1 showed that the church was helped by people who had possessions that they could sell and give to the church. Think about that for a while!

How easy it is to sell items on eBay, Craigslist, or hundreds of similar sites? These can be more than items people no longer need. Sacrificial gifts could be sold that have great value.

Just because we do not have cash in our pocket does not mean we do not have many valuables that the Lord has placed in our hands for such times as this.

Remember that this is likely a passing inconvenience. Once effective therapies or a vaccine is readily available, life will start to return to normal.

Nonetheless, it is obvious that this is not the last disease cycle we will encounter. Before this, we saw SARS, MERS, Swine Flu, and MRSA that came and went. Each one created a real worry about a pandemic threat.

COVID-19 is the ninth coronavirus we have seen in our world. And it is obvious that there will be more versions of coronavirus that will happen year after year.

This means that each church will have to maintain an infection prevention program year round. And, it is likely that infection control will be a permanent concern after the COVID-19 vaccine is finalized.

As stated already, cleaning and sanitizing are two related, but different, operations. Do not confuse the two, and it is unlikely that the cleaning program can do the job as well.

Cleaning is a manpower task that covers large areas. It includes window cleaning, mopping, vacuuming, and taking out the trash. Cleaning is a general maintenance duty.

Sanitizing is focused on treating the building for pathogens with an emphasis on all areas people might touch. Take a school as an example. How many people are required to effectively clean each area? The manhour requirement makes this take a huge ongoing cost.

Consider also, that this is not a one-and-done job. After sanitizing a building, it can be re-infected just hours later. So, sanitizing is a continuing maintenance issue.

The solution is large scale treatment systems that use ULV foggers or electrostatic foggers that treat large areas in record time by one person with the proper equipment.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR SERVICES

As the church opens up, we need to take everything we know to make the church as safe, or safer, than Walmart or the bank. People are desirous to get out and resume their normal life.

It would be publicly foolish to thumb our nose at the reality of a serious disease like COVID-19. People want to be safe. Particularly when the disease is considered deadly to a portion of the population. Do not ignore the threat of disease although God is greater than any disease.

We know that when Israel was disobedient, God sent fiery serpents that bite all variety of people. There seemed to be no discernment of who was bitten, but the difference happened when the bitten person looked to the brass serpent raised high for any to see. The problem was throughout the camp, but it was turned into an issue of faith.

If Walmart, Home Depot, banks, and grocery stores can figure this out; then it seems that churches can do the same. It may be awkward and less than normal, but there is a path through this crisis.

Just go with the program unless your people are intent on ignoring the infectious threat.

HAND SANITIZING STATIONS: Go ahead and place hand sanitizing stations throughout the building. We know that the hands are the primary connection to the face. It is simple to put hand sanitizing stations in common areas.

OFFER FACE MASKS: If possible, why not offer handmade face masks that have a proactive statement on them? These masks can be made by your members as a very low cost.

APPOINT PEOPLE TO DO TEMPERATURE TESTING: We all want to be safe and offer a safe condition. Digital thermometers are easy to obtain. Use safe people for this “No touch Testing”

COOP A MEDICAL SERVICE TO OFFER ONSITE TESTING: Wouldn’t it be a positive to offer COVID-19 testing and antigen testing

onsite? This could turn public hesitancy to a willingness to participate in something that builds a safe place mentality.

SANITIZE THE BUILDING: We use ULV foggers to do a large scale sanitizing program. Products like Decon Five (www.deconfive.com) offer hospital-grade sanitizing to large areas.

Decon Five is a safe, Green sanitizing product that actually improves the indoor air quality rather than introducing harsh chemicals like bleach into the building. ULV fogging is easy to do as often as needed and takes only about fifteen minutes to clear the air.

Reduce the process to spray bottles to treat smaller areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and counters.

DECONSTRUCT THE BIOFILM: Remember that viruses have a limited lifespan on surfaces. When exposed to even soap and water, viruses can be killed and cleaned away.

Very few products can penetrate and deconstruct the biofilm that hides that bacteria, pollution, and viruses. Decon Five and good probiotic cleaners will eventually remove the biofilm.

Just remember that bacteria never rest and are constantly working to create the protective biofilm. So, that means this is a never-ending problem.

THE PROBLEM WITH MOST SANITIZERS

Sanitizers have an obvious have positive impact because they kill bacteria and viruses. But they do not deconstruct the biofilm. Bleach or alcohol are examples of product that kill pathogens. But they kill millions of exposed microbes, leaving a the dead bodies of microbes behind. Any residue is food for bacteria that survive. Just a few surviving bacteria can rebound to millions of bacteria in four to eight hours, even without people present.

The bad news is that bad bacteria reproduce faster than good bacteria. Good bacteria are called probiotics. They actually work to improve our health and healthy building.

The typical sanitizer kills nearly all microbial life, and there is a huge vacancy that will be filled by whatever microbial organism dominates, so we suggest that you immediately replace the good bacteria (probiotics) with a quick, light misting of the probiotic product.

Probiotics do not kill bacteria or virus. They eat up all the available food, including the biofilm, and leave nothing for the bad bacteria.

To state the process simply, probiotics inhibit the re-infection of the area by denying other bacteria habitat or food. If bacteria cannot eat, they cannot reproduce well.

In addition, without the protection of the biofilm, the sanitizing process is more effective since there is no hiding place.

Probiotics live roughly three days, so daily cleaning with probiotics will maintain a healthy condition of good bacteria that crowd out the opportunity for pathogenic threats to survive on the surface.

Probiotics are very Green and effective product that are hospital-proven to reduce the spread of infection with a different approach to the health of the building and people in the building.

INCIDENTAL TOXICITY ISSUES

There are many products that can kill pathogens, including COVID-19. Bleach is the commonly suggested solution, but bleach is a dangerous product that produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Toxic chemicals in conventional household cleaners vary in their severity – from acute (immediate) hazards such as skin or respiratory issues, chemical burns or watery eyes to chronic (long term) hazards such as cancer, fertility issues, ADHD, compromised immune system and more.

Most toxic chemicals found in household cleaners fall into these categories:

• Carcinogens – which cause or promote cancer • Endocrine disruptors – which mimic human hormones and cause

false signals within the body and leads to issues such as infertility, premature puberty, miscarriage, menstrual issues, ADHD and even cancer.

• Neurotoxins – which affect brain activity and cause issues such as headaches and memory loss

Take the lid off the bleach bottle and take a deep breath (not recommended) to realize the powerful influence that adds to a toxic or sick building condition. Unfortunately, many sanitizing products add to the compounding toxicity of the building that may bother the more susceptible people entering the building.

1- Sodium hypochlorite

2- Quaternary Ammonium

3- Triclosan

4- Ammonia

5- 2-butylxyethanol

6- Sodium hydroxide

7- Formaldehyde

8- Phenols

9- Sulfuric acid

10- Sodium laurel sulfate

11- Trichloroethane

To be wise, it is best to find a Green product that is fully capable of killing a broad spectrum of pathogens without adding to the toxic conditions of the building. And, the workers are intimately and repeatedly exposed to these chemicals for long periods of time.

Green products often have organic or natural ingredients. They do not have a very low (acid) or very high (alkaline) pH that can cause harm to people. Many cleaning product have a strong smell that is called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which actually pollute the indoor air quality and have long-term health effects on the cleaning workers and those who spend time in the building.

HOW TO USE PROBIOTICS

For years, a few cleaning professionals have promoted Green cleaning products. These products were primarily intended to reduce the toxic conditions of buildings and reduce stress on the immune system of people in those buildings.

The Green Clean Institute has promoted this cause for more than fifteen years. The alarming event of COVID-19 has raised the concerns for cleaning and sanitizing to a crisis issue.

COVID-19 has created an emergency mentality may wipe away the long-term health issues because of the intense short-term issues. This need not be so.

Sanitizers are an IMMEDIATE SOLUTION that will kill infectious pathogens. What about an ongoing solution that inhibits re-infection. Probiotics do not kill bacteria or virus, but may act as a prophylactic that minimizes the ability of diseases to survive on surfaces.

Several hospital studies measuring the Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) provide a strong foundation for probiotic cleaning

“Given the recent and fast evolution of multi-resistant pathogens in healthcare facilities there is a need for sustainable and effective alternatives to the cleaning and disinfection chemicals used today.

This study demonstrates that a microbial (probiotic-based) cleaning is more effective in the long-term lowering of the number of HAI-related microorganisms on surfaces, when compared to conventional cleaning products, even those containing disinfectant molecules such as chlorine.

The first indications on the percent- ages of HAIs in the trial hospitals monitored on a continuous basis throughout the study are very promising and may pave the way for a novel and cost-effective strategy to counteract or (bio)control healthcare-associated pathogens.

Hard Surface Biocontrol in Hospitals Using Microbial- Based Cleaning Products, Sept 2014

Probiotics are the secondary treatment to prevent the spread of infections. The fact that they have been used in various hospitals with serious studies, reviews, and peer-review reports add credence to these non-traditional practices.

So, the methodology is sanitizing first, then restore a healthy biome by applying a probiotic mist or cleaning application.

Probiotics are more of what seem like “mechanical” treatment rather than a chemical treatment. The biofilm is a very real part of the infection cycle as it hides bacteria and virus from most sanitizing processes. When the biofilm is removed, the survival of bacteria and virus is diminished.

Probiotics also trigger “Competitive Exclusion” where the probiotics overwhelm the surfaces and consume the available foodsource, including the biofilm.

Probiotics also trigger “Quorum Sensing” where the dominance of probiotics cause a reaction of other bacteria to hibernate. Probiotics can shut down eating and reproduction. This is an immediate response that explains the results reported in hospital tests.

All bacteria die of in a few days, so the impact on bad bacteria is blunted by natural processes.

Repopulating any sanitized area restores a natural state that might resemble the immune system of a person. We consume probiotics which is a part of a healthy lifestyle.

The bottom line is that this method has been consistently proven to lower the disease infection cycle. In addition to cleaning and sanitizing any building, restoring the healthy population of probiotics inhibits the re-infection of the building surfaces.

CLEANING AND SANITIZING TIPS

DWELL TIME: Many products require a “Dwell Time” to effectively kill bacteria and virus. Many cleaning companies do not follow these requirements which means that the sanitizing power is reduced.

When using any sanitizing product, read the instructions. You will often see the time required for full sanitizing effect of the product.

HIGH TOUCH AREAS: Refers to areas that are commonly touch by people in the building. Door handles, elevator button, copier panels, eating areas, and touch screens are some of the high-touch areas.

It is important to dramatically increase the cleaning frequency of high-touch areas.

For churches, this would include water fountains, bathrooms, and nurseries.

During church services, it is a good idea to have active cleaning people who are constantly cleaning these high touch areas.

CHILDREN AREAS: Kids are very excited to play with other kids. Fortunately, we know that children are less susceptible to the COVID-19. But they tend to put their hands in their mouth and rub their eyes.

Nursey and children workers will need to constantly sanitize all handled toys with a Green sanitizer.

Children should wash their hands as they enter the area. And, it is a good idea to sanitize hands every 15-30 minutes during the session.

Treat all toys and work to prevent sharing toys. This seems a difficult task. So, put out fewer toys and have enough for each child to have their own toys. Work to organize the children to use their toys as shown rather than sharing them.

Take children outside and organize their play by following planned exercises. Break the group up in smaller teams with a worker rather than managing a large group.

Floors and Walls are not as much of an issue. They are not touched by people and their hands. So, cleaning of floors can be the normal process.

Walls are also not an issue if they are not commonly touched.

Coffee and Food Areas: Again, learn from food services in your area. Shield food from possible contamination. Workers will use gloves and masks.

Create a No Touch process to pass out food or drinks. If this can’t be done, go to bottled water and wrapped treats.

Bathrooms are an area of special interest because it is believed that of the exposed contact with key parts of the bathroom is obvious.

In addition, there is the theory that microscopic water particles can suspend in the air after the elimination process.

It seems that we may be returning to a Bathroom aid that assists in hand washing, towels, and regular cleaning.

Floors and walls are not a serious concern for the normal activity of people. Cleaning is sufficient for areas that do not have serious contact concerns.

How to Effectively Treat Large areas like Churches

The first assumption is that there is an active cleaning service routinely applied to the building. But, the larger the building, the more difficult the task will be.

One consideration is the manpower or manhours required to faithfully clean and sanitize the building. Imagine scrubbing every square inch of the building to kill the infectious bacteria or virus. Then consider that all that work is canceled when the first infected person enters the building.

The better solution is the ability to mist or fog the areas in a time-efficient and effective manner. The ULV (Ultra Low Volume) fogger is the answer. A Good fogger will project an 8-15 foot mist that can reach all areas of the building in record time.

Any good sanitizer would be able to the do the job, but I prefer Decon Five (www.deconfive.com) that is an EPA registered 7 log (99.9999999%) sanitizer.

Decon Five is also on the EPA N list meaning that is effective to treat COVID-19 along with a broad spectrum of other infectious diseases.

Decon Five can be applied as often as necessary to maintain a level of good sanitization.

But every sanitizer is literally a “Moment in Time” that has no period of protection after the treatment is complete. And, every infectious disease has a cycle that exceeds a one-time sanitizing process.

Therefore, it makes sense to create a cleaning and sanitizing cycle for the building. The large-scale treatment using a ULV fogger is an efficient way to reach all surface with a proven sanitizing product designed by the fogging process.

The small-scale approach can be made a part of the daily cleaning process with the probiotic cleaning solution.

Before, during, and after people are in the building, assign workers to clean the commonly-touched surfaces as they are used. If you have people assigned to open doors, the guests need not touch door handles.

Do walk-throughs of the building to identify areas that can be infected. If some area is repetitively touched for any reason, that area needs a better solution.

Basically, go from large-scale sanitizing, to daily cleaning, to micro-cleaning when people are present in the building. This three-step strategy need not be difficult, and everyone visiting will appreciate the care exercised by the church program.

LATE NOTATION: News of a vaccine is possibly on the way by the Fall. Until then, we need to keep up the effort. Even after the vaccine is available, do not stop basic sanitizing efforts but maintain a good sanitizing program as it is certain that the coronavirus and other diseases will return in time. We do not want to see the halt of our lives again because of such a threat.

THE BASIC TOOLS FOR DECONTAMINATION

Every church can purchase whatever they feel best to counter the spread of infections like COVID-19. To provide a system used by many professionals, we refer you to a source that will provide:

• A ULV fogger • A supply of Decon Five (8 gallons that should treat 80,000 sq ft)

a. EPA registered, on EPA N List for Covid-19 • A supply of probiotic cleaning product (One gallon of concentrate)

Price: $1400 with free shipping in the continental U.S.

See: www.GreenCleanInstitute.com/open-church