Ditching Communion Wine, Avoiding Handshakes: Here's How 5 Churches Are Avoiding the Flu

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor

The Rivers Church

Low-gluten prayer breads fill a container at the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration monastery in Clyde Missouri December 18, 2014. The Sisters have made communion wafers since 1910 and began making a low-gluten version in 2003 and have gone from 143 customers in 2004 to more than 11,000 customers from around the world.
Low-gluten prayer breads fill a container at the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration monastery in Clyde Missouri December 18, 2014. The Sisters have made communion wafers since 1910 and began making a low-gluten version in 2003 and have gone from 143 customers in 2004 to more than 11,000 customers from around the world. | (Photo: Reuters/Dave Kaup)

Ginger Moore, director of women's ministry at The Rivers Church of Paducah, Kentucky, explained to local media about some of the things her congregation was doing to fight the flu. 

Items listed by Moore in an interview with WPSD News Channel 6 included those serving communion wearing gloves and doing the "elbow bump" instead of shaking hands during the passing of the peace. 

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"While we're a church that likes to give out hugs, for me personally if I know that you've had the flu or a cold, you're going to be getting the elbow bump from me," said Moore. 

"Sometimes, you know, when you're passing the tray you might have someone not realize they picked up somebody else's empty cup. That's just another way to spread germs."

Moore added that for members who have the flu she advises that they "just stay home," and assures them that "Jesus still loves you" even if you miss church. 

WPSD also reported that a nearby church, First Missionary Baptist Church in Benton, Kentucky, set up many "sanitization stations" that had each hand sanitizer, glozes, masks and Kleenex.

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