Hmmmmm.....good question. I will ponder that a bit. My first reaction is that it needs a catchy little light poem of some sort.

Are you guys back in your sanctuary now?

Cleanliness is next to Godliness?

Northwind, we are...and it is lovely.  In addition, the people who were hired to paint the ceiling, have volunteered to paint the remaining part of the sanctuary.  Awesome, yes?

hah...like that NF...keep them coming

Very awesome!

Ooo, I like Cleanliness is next to Godliness. I have no ideas of my own yet.

A small committee around here has made some posters as part of their flu prevention project...

"Germs and Jesus are everywhere, so wash your hands and say your prayers!"

That could be adapted for a spritzer bottle thing.

Contains essence of Pilate. Contains no Blood of The Lamb, which is only available by subscription. Consult your Minister.

Youthworker -- I love it!

What about something like:  "Caring for each other's health and wellbeing"

shalom

Do not consume.

Caution: contents may cause random outbreaks of joy, wanton bouts of mirth, sudden bursts of agape, and infectuous giggles.

Spritz unto others as you would have them spritz unto you.

Not meant to be taken literally or internally.

Prohibited where voided by law.

Made in Heaven, a subsidiary of ChinaRussiaIndia^TM.

Just a Self-writing poem,

Inannawhimsey

LOL - this is pretty good!

I also really enjoyed  Germs & Jesus are everywhere ...

Such clever folk we have around here!

I'm also looking for wording for a sign by the hand sanitizers - thanks for posting this pinga~

How about -

"Thou shalt not kill.

Exception - germs on hands"

i'm giggling as i read these..thanks folks!

I thought of a great one when I was driving home this afternoon. Now that I am at the computer, can I think of it??????

Hey, that's a great one. I love that.

"A little dab will do ya"

Just a note on these bottles of hand sanitizers.

They have very high alcohol contents and can be intoxicating.  Especially for children.  There have been numerous cases of children using it and then accidently licking their hands and getting drunk and requiring hospitalization. 

While we are all eager to use it , there is controversy surrounding it.  As well for anyone with sensitive skin, or dry skin or skin rashes it is not a good product.

So then the question becomes, if someone doesn't use it will you ask them not to shake???

During SARS we had this ongoing discussion at our church.

For one or two weeks during the height of the outbreak we spoke the peace words but didn't shake. 

Another option could possibly be that when you pass the peace insteadd of shaking hands you say the words and touch the other person on the shoulder.

Then you aren't excluding children who shouldn't use the gel and adults who can't use the gel.

Just thoughts.

Thanks for the smiles!!  Germs & Jesus... lol!!

Maybe the labels could have different things.   People would get a kick out of sharing what they found on theirs, or sitting in a *gasp* new pew to read a different bottle.

I actually have a recipe for a home-made hand sanitizer that doesn't contain alcohol or the various neurotoxins that make up the remaining ingredients.

Five simple essential oils (all readily available in your local health food store), a teaspoon of aloe vera gel, an ounce of filtered water.

But, hey, anything that gets people in different pews. I confess to being guilty of sitting in the same spot every week myself.

hey Bette - that sounds like a good one.  We should have some concern over rubbing chemicals into our hands all day long.  Alternatives (aside from good old soap & water) are important. 

We did discuss that item, Lastpointe.  Not just children either. We were advised that they are also drank by adults as a step up from listerine.

Having said that, these will be the little foam ones, and we are going to have information for parents.  The big ones will be out of the reach of children.

I heard that some RC churches have emptied the fonts at the doorway and substituted bottles of hand sanitizer.  Don't know if they use it to genuflect or not though.......

lol - ick!  Maybe they need a dripping tap with a plant underneath.  :)  hey- it might work.

i like that idea...birthstone...

i heard that Edmonton dioceses  has announced there will be no shaking hands etc.

I think it would be terrible if we have to forgo the human touch.  Many people find a lot of meaning in the simple touch of another's hand.  I'd risk a lot of germs to reach out and touch someone - or have someone reach out to me.  Also in recent years I've found I really enjoy hugs. 

Hand sanitizers in the pews is a good idea - not only for use just before the passing of the peace but for anyone who wants to use one after coughing or sneezing  (and those of us who have allergies might sneeze without having a cold or flu - I worry that we may be treated as pariahs).

You may want to advertise this before going ahead.  I understand some people can't breathe/get allergic type reactions to hand sanitiser.  Those people will probably want to stay away.

This thread just goes to show the complexity of trying to do something...

Kay: agreed re the sensitivity to the hand sanitizer. These people, as far as I know, also tend to be hyper sensitive to perfumes and other scented items.  We have an area reserved for scent-free areas.

touch -- some people love to touch, others hate touching.  part of what we are trying to do is do provide people the ability to do what is right for them.

I find that it is possible to give and receive subtile signals that we don't want to touch or be touched or vise versa.  Hands down, clasp together, or behind your back as you nod and smile will discourage most people from touching.  A firm handshake can either draw a person in for an embrace, or hold them at an arms length.  A pat on the shoulder can replace hand contact.  Simply remaining seated and nodding and smiling when others stand up and reach out, can indicate that you are friendly but that you don't want to participate in this ritual. 

I agree that no matter how hard you try, you can't please everyone, and sometimes the best intended plans go wrong. 

On the first Sunday that we removed handshaking, the greeters invented the "Elbow Bump."  It was quite popular, but I think died away rather quickly. 

Bette -- I'd like that recipe for hand sanitizer, if you wouldn't mind sharing it.  I'll bet one of the oils is Tea Tree.

oops double post

At my church we keep a hand-sanitizer-bottle at the church-back (it's a small church). Following greeting time many in the congregation, including myself, take the time to make the product-use.

I don't think we've ever spritzer-idea-thought. It's a good one.

We didn't shake hands or hug yesterday, and it was awkward.  I too see the need for human touch, especially in older seniors living alone. 

How about Psalm 24:3--Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?  and who shall stand in his holy place?  Those who have clean hands and pure hearts...

Weeze

Have you made a decision yet?

Going to go with the assortment, Northwind.

Haven't seen the actual bottle yet, so I have to worry about text font / size for the label.

Once I do finalize, then I will post.

haha weeze...maybe I can just put the scripture reference.

people may look it up!

Germ away!

I'm wishing someone had doused themselves, or at least me in hand sanitizer at some crucial point.  I'm sick, coughing, achy and worried about having to stay home for Thanksgiving!  It isn't awful, I'm functioning mostly, but definately not in any state to be hugging or shaking hands or talking face to face close up with people. 

*cough cough*  ICK

What to do? Should I go out amongst the family or stay home? This is the debate I am having to, Birthstone.

sorry folks....I hope you are feeling better soon. 

As a person who is not sick...I would suggest you stay home.

It sucks...I missed an Aunt's 100th birthday last year for that reason..but, i think it is important to keep the germs in the home, especially if you are coughing.

Hi Pinga,

My first response is to wonder why this is considered necessary? Also, I would worry about them being within reach of children. If considered to be important, wouldn't dispensers at the entrances to the sanctuary (and the whole church, for that matter) be less obstrusive? People could be introduced to them by the ministers and in the bulletin...

Birthstone - that proves it.  You have a computer virus sent to you courtesy of Crazyheart.  I suspected that viruses could travel through the computer, and now I know.  No doubt the whole Cafe community will have the flu before long. 

I fear nothing can come of it. The latest plague is going through my classroom like Ms. Pac Man. I've finally recovered -- or, thanks to its Newtonian tour of my bod, it finally dropped away.

Neil Gaiman once wrote a fun short story, "Diseasemaker's Croup" May all diseases be that interesting...

(my class was privy to something that probably wont ever happen again. We have one classmate who has one of those infectious laughs, a world-encompassing, foghorn of a laugh. The person beside her had an epistaxis--go to a medical dictionary--she was laughing so hard, all over her notebook. Never knew that Med Transcript was going to be so dangerous)

Anyone looking forward to the 'elbow handshake'?

Just a Self-writing poem,

Inannawhimsey

THANK YOU Kaye!  As I was reading through this thread I was thinking to myself "Do I say, or keep quiet?"  It seems I'm always complaining about one scent or another.  (Hmmmm.... I like cents, have no sense, but react badly to scents)

I am really struggling with scented hand sanitizer this fall.  Obviously it is everywhere I go, as people are taking precautions.  However, it is really bothering my asthma. 

There are unscented hand sanitizers out there.  Please consider buying unscented in order to help those struggling to breathe.

CrazyDa took a reaction to the one I have - orange blossoms/citrus or something. I can't use it now.

 *** Since it has come up, I do not use hand sanitizers because I have scent sensitivities to these things.  Even the "unscented" ones can cause problems as there is still a slight chemical scent to them.  (The scent is almost never a problem if it's on someone else -- it's only a problem if it's on me.)  No allergic reactions -- just headaches.

thanks all...good points!

when "sharing of the peace " we now bow to the other person with our hands behind our back,