The high profile of the Flu outbreak has provoked new concerns about contact with people in public settings. It is natural that church members are wondering about the risk of participating in worship, including hand-shaking, hugging and sharing in Holy Communion.

HOLY COMMUNION
NSUMC wants to reassure our members and friends that our practices of preparing and serving Holy Communion are consistent with the best epidemiological information available. We ask all who handle the elements to thoroughly wash their hands first, use antibacterial hand sanitizer and to administer the bread rather than having partakers tear their own piece.

Servers of the bread will provide pieces that are large enough to be dipped into the cup without the recipient's fingers needing to touch the juice, and will tilt the cup slightly toward the recipients to enable the juice to flow toward the bread, thus eliminating a perceived need to "plunge" the bread (and perhaps fingers) into the cup.

HAND-TO-HAND CONTACT
The most likely forms of transmission are by skin to skin contact. This can occur while shaking hands, hugging, or holding hands during our benediction. While avoiding all forms of touch may be an over-reaction at this time, we invite and encourage those who wish to refrain from hugging or shaking hands or greeting one another by touch to not feel uncomfortable for making that choice, and offer other signs of peace and greeting that do not require skin to skin contact.

Certainly the conclusion we come to should not be that being together is dangerous or that Communion should be suspended. The conclusion should be that God calls us together to be the body of Christ around Word and Table and that we can do so with confidence that we will taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Everyday actions to stay healthy:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
  sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water (20 seconds with liquid soap, drained bar soap, or an alcohol-based hand cleaner), especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

• Always avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread
  that way.

• STAY AT HOME IF YOU FEEL SICK . CDC recommends that you stay home from work, school and church and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

LINKS
The Centers for Disease Control has a dedicated page with specific information and links regarding H1N1 Flu at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu