Someone was sick at church!

I admit it. The title to this email was click bait. As far as I know, no one at Fairview is sick with COVID or another contagious illness. Did the title make you fearful? Did you think, “I told you so!”? How did you react?

My aim in writing is to remind us that we are entering fall. Cold and flu season will begin (adding to the virus already going around) and people will get sick. What will this mean for us as a church? What precautions will we take? How will it be handled when someone is sick? It’s important to consider these things before they happen.
 

When Someone Does Get Sick

First, we have no plans to adjust our service format. We want to continue to leave it to you to make decisions for your own health. We will not cancel services, limit attendance, mandate masks, enforce physical distancing, or other such measures. We ask that you use common sense to keep up good hygiene and stay home if you are ill—the same measures I know you already practice during cold and flu season.

Second, I know of two churches in our circles who have had attendees test positive for COVID (none were a result of transmission at church). They’ve shared with me their stories and I want to pass on this information so that you know what to expect when something similar happens at Fairview.

1. When someone tests positive for COVID, Alberta Health Services (AHS) will seek to do contact tracing to find out where a person was infected and identify others who may have been exposed to the virus.
2. For both churches, when those infected mentioned the church they attended, AHS sent a representative to a Sunday service to evaluate COVID protection measures in place and to give recommendations. If/when such happens at Fairview, let us be welcoming, courteous, and act with integrity as we gather and worship as we normally do.
3. In one case, AHS asked for a list of those who attended the church. The church chose to send an internal email to the congregation instead. The person infected allowed their name to be mentioned in the email. If necessary, we would also follow this procedure of using our internal communication rather than sending contact information to AHS without your consent.
4. One pastor thought it was helpful to let you know that a person isn’t legally obligated to get tested nor to answer any questions about contact tracing.

Third, the biggest challenge for us when someone is sick is handling the new stigma associated with sickness. For example, children have been unfairly stigmatized as super-spreaders. Many fear children and many children have a fear of COVID. Yet, studies show that children are at zero risk for serious outcomes and in fact are not super-spreaders of the virus (see here and here).

We must realize that we’ve been conditioned to look upon someone with a cough and sniffles, or a fever and chills, as if they’ve done something wrong. They must have been careless. They must have not worn a mask when they were supposed to. They must have foolishly avoided a vaccine, or denied the seriousness of this disease. Therefore, we need to avoid them and people like them.

Let us not succumb to such thinking. This is the world’s method of cancel culture and shaming that has no place in Christ’s body. Christians should be known as those who care for the sick, not those who shame them. We should be known as those who understand that God is sovereign over sickness, not us. Our society thinks that we can change the climate and stop a virus, but only God has such power. We can take all the precautions and still get the virus (as has happened to many). Consider how Jesus treated lepers and the sick. Then let us minister to those who are sick among us through providing meals, phone calls, and care rather than shunning and shame.

Finally, let us not be fearful to attend church. Let us not prioritize avoiding a cold or flu above worship and obedience to Christ. Let us be a testimony to the world of people living without fear who have care and compassion for the sick. And may God grant us continued favor as we seek to obey Him in all things and grow in knowledge and grace.

—Tim Stephens