The coronavirus (COVID-19) is here. While it may not have directly impacted your club yet, we must all be thinking about, and planning for, how we will handle this pandemic. Our response will vary depending on the area we live, our club demographic, size of club, etc., but there are a few things that should be done by all. I do not profess to be an expert in this area, but some common sense should prevail. Here are some things that everyone should be doing:
Maintain usual and customary health standards
You should have standard policies in place regarding when children, and leaders, should stay home. Here are some basic guidelines for a wellness policy if you do not have one in place:
Children should NOT attend Awana if they have any of the following symptoms:
- Fever of 100 degrees or higher within the last 24 hours.
- Vomiting or Diarrhea within the last 24 hours.
- Runny nose if accompanied by other symptoms and/or colored discharge.
- Persistent cough.
- Any rash that is suspected of being contagious.
- Pink eye.
- If your child has been prescribed an antibiotic, they must have been on it for a minimum of 24 hours prior to attending club.
Table tops and other areas should be sanitized prior to its use. Wipe off touchscreens used for check in and other public uses. Have hand sanitizer available in visible places and use it.
Be Considerate of Families and People Serving
Are there older people serving in your club? Do grandparents bring their grandchildren to club? Know the people involved in your club and be aware of their potential health issues in regard to COVID-19.
Your numbers may be down and that alone may cause you to take certain steps as a response to the virus.
Communicate
Keep the families in your club advised of things that you are doing in response to the outbreak. While it may not be impacting you directly right now, they are watching the news and it will reassure the families that you are being proactive, not waiting for it to directly impact your club to react.
In some parts of the U.S., the only thing you could do was to react as it impacted your community quickly. For others, now is the time to plan and prepare.
How Your Club Should Respond
This will vary by club. Again, here are some generalities to consider.
- Listen to the news and local government authorities. Be informed and up to date with the latest information, which is changing rapidly.
- Listen to, and adhere, to restrictions/guidance put in place by federal and local governments, even if you think they may be extreme.
- Be in communication with your church leadership and have a unified voice in how your church/club will navigate through this time.
- Plan for what to do if your club is required to be cancelled for an extended period of time.
- Is it possible to record a weekly large group lesson, or message, that your clubbers and families can view.
- Can you have a small group time discussion online, with parental supervision, with your T&T, Trek, or Journey students?
- Will you allow parents to video record their children reciting verses and send them to you, or do a live video chat for them to recite their verses? (opinions about this method vary, you must make that decision on your own)
- Will you extend your club year to accommodate lost weeks?
Some clubs have already been forced to suspend their activities due to local government restrictions put in place. Others will be following. Whether we hold club or not is an individual church decision, unless directed to do so by government.
The most important thing is to be prepared and have a plan in place. This is already a discussion in the Awana Commander’s Facebook group regarding what clubs are doing in response to the COVID-19 outbreak (you MUST be an Awana Ministry Director – Commander – overseeing the entire Awana ministry at your church, answer the questions, and be verifiable, to be added to the group). If you are not an Awana Ministry Director, then you may be able to join one of the other Facebook groups for Awana leaders.
Finally, it should be a natural response to be in prayer for the nation and the world regarding this outbreak.
Our prayer is that we will all seek God for wisdom as we navigate through this time.
