With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, your ministry may be planning on opening its doors to celebrate a variety of holiday events. It’s important to make sure you’re taking the appropriate precautions to help reduce the amount of risk to your ministry.
Below are some precautions that your ministry should consider taking to help keep your staff, congregants, and buildings safe during a busy holiday season.
Practice Social Distancing
If you’re holding in-person gatherings, it’s important to remember that you should socially distance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and other infectious diseases among your visitors and staff. Place six-feet-apart markings in hallways to encourage distancing while waiting in line. Isolate chairs and tables six feet or more apart from each other. As always, be sure to be informed about and follow any applicable local, state, or national guidelines regarding the size of social gatherings.
Maintain Coverage
The end of the year means expiring insurance policies for many organizations. It’s important to check when your policy is expiring and have a plan in place to renew it. Avoiding a lapse in your coverage helps ensure that your ministry remains protected if a covered accident occurs this holiday season. Help avoid costly financial and legal difficulties by ensuring you have the proper coverage in the case of a covered accident.
Is your insurance coverage expiring soon? Has your coverage lapsed? Find out if your ministry has proper coverage going into the new year.
Candle Safety
Candle lighting ceremonies are a common occurrence during the holiday season. If your church is planning on holding a candle lighting ceremony this year, make sure you’re prepared in case of an accidental fire. Avoid placing candles near areas of high foot traffic, and only place candle stands on non-flammable material like tile or stone or on top of a fire-resistant mat if placed on carpet. Be sure to keep a fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire.
Remove Snow and Ice
As we move closer and closer to 2021, temperatures will begin to drop lower and lower. That means for some areas, snow and ice will begin to accumulate. Make sure that you’re removing snow from parking lots and walkways and using salt/deicer to melt ice and prohibit its hardening. Placing slip-proof rugs near entryways can also reduce the chance of slippery floors caused by wet shoes.
Additional questions?
When you are covered by UMIP, we will be there when you need us. Churches have unique needs. As a part of the denomination, we understand the unique needs of United Methodist churches and their operations, which is reflected in our coverage options. Your ministry deserves outstanding insurance and UMIP works for you each day to help protect your church’s people, property, and finances.
Let's talk! Contact us at 484-654-3380 or at UMI@sovinsurance.com.
This content has been prepared by United Methodist Insurance Company (UMI) for informational purposes only. No article or document may accurately contemplate all possible scenarios or church resources. As such, this information is meant to foster discussion by the individual church and its members to develop a plan tailored to its own circumstances. UMI is providing this information with no warranties or guarantees of any kind and it should not be viewed as legal, financial, or other professional advice. All liability is expressly disclaimed. Any claim examples described herein are general in nature, may or may not be based on actual claims, and are for informational purposes only. Any coverage available for a claim is determined from the facts and circumstances of the claim as well as the terms and conditions of any applicable policy, including any exclusions or deductibles. In the event of a conflict with the content herein, the terms and conditions of any issued policy will control. Individual coverage may vary and may not be available in all states.
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