Christian Youth Summit Response to COVID-19
We are going to LIVE STREAM this event. Click this link and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel and stay tuned for details. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPkaJzUYeFhQNpj4SUejp6A
Sadly, Gov. Kate Brown banned all gatherings larger than 250 and the host church is not comfortable with hosting any size group at this time. We trust that God will work all things for the good for those who love Him… Stay tuned for live streaming schedule. We are trying to get as many people as possible to host live streaming events. The more people who watch the conference, the more we keep the momentum and heart of the Christian Youth Summit going–to equip youth to stand firm in their faith and impact our culture with the hope of Christ.
Previous post just days earlier:
We are excited for the Christian Youth Summit this weekend. We have awesome keynote and breakout session speakers who are passionate about reaching students (and adults) with the life-changing hope and truth of Jesus. We will discuss critical and relevant topics and our prayer is that lives will be changed.
Most people are aware of issues surrounding COVID-19. There is a lot of unwarranted fear in the media right now, but as Christians, we know that we are not meant to walk in fear. We are meant to pray for wisdom. We at Prepare the Way want to reassure you that we have put a lot of thought and prayer into this issue. I (Sarah) have a Ph.D. in environmental microbiology and have been paying particular attention to the scientific articles, as well as the public health announcements. Given the situation in Oregon, we have decided to go forward with the conference. Even in areas where the virus is present, youth and most adults are at minimal risk (for those at greatest risk see information at the end of this post). There are few cases in Oregon. There are currently no cases in Central Oregon. However, even if cases do arise in Central Oregon, the risk is still very low.
That said, there are some important preventative measures that we feel we should put in place. We also need to respect some guidelines from our host church, Trinity Lutheran.
1) If you are sick, please do not attend the event; instead watch from home on our live streaming event on the Prepare the Way Facebook page (details to follow). If you have symptoms such as a fever and shortness of breath it is best if you stay home. This is good practice for any sickness, including the influenza virus, which is also going around and is much more prevalent. It is highly unlikely, but if you have physically been around anyone with COVID-19, please watch from home.
2) Hand Washing Mandatory: The best preventative measure to avoid illness is hand washing. It is far superior to hand sanitizer (which kills actual bacterial cells by breaking their membranes) but is not as effective for viruses. Hand sanitizer should be used only when hand washing is not possible, or in addition to frequent hand washing.
After checking into the conference, please wash your hands. Volunteers will direct you to bathrooms. Before lunch, the line will actually start before the bathrooms in the lobby and then you can get in the food line.
From the CDC: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
3) Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes. If you feel like coughing or sneezing, do so into your arm (but again if you have a bad cough that has been accompanied by a fever, better to stay home).
4) If you have been around anyone from counties with known COVID-19 infections (see below), please use an abundance of caution. The incubation time for this virus is 1-14 days. If you need to reconsider your attendance, good news—we are thankful for technology!!! We will be live streaming the event on our Prepare the Way Facebook page. We will send more details soon, but in the meantime please “Like” our page. Please consider having a “Christian Youth Summit” event at your church or home where you can participate from afar.
5) Keeping the facilities clean: Again, we are thankful for the host church that has graciously opened up their facility to us. It is always good to clean up after yourself and respect the facility, but especially this year, we would appreciate your help. We will be doing a thorough cleaning and then Trinity will come through and do a sanitizing with cleaners that are effective against viruses. During our clean-up time, we could use your help in staying after the conference and doing as much cleaning as possible before the Trinity team gets there.
6) Other information and websites:
Information specific to children: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html
As of now, there are COVID-19 cases from the following counties in Oregon (this may be updated so check back on the website): https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Pages/OHA-adds-7-new-presumptive-positive-cases-COVID-19.aspx
Jackson: 2, Klamath: 1, Umatilla: 1, Washington: 8, Douglas: 1, Marion: 1
Washington State info: https://www.doh.wa.gov/emergencies/coronavirus