Crossroads Winter Conference 2022
COVID-19 Health and Safety Practices
Updated as of November 17, 2021
We will continually update this page with the most accurate and current information regarding Covid protocols for Crossroads Winter Conference 2022. As our federal, state, local, and venue-specific guidelines change, we will be sure to present them to you as soon and as clearly as possible.
After consulting with medical professionals and adhering to advice from people (way smarter than us!) in this field, we expect the following:
A Covid Pre-Screening Form will be required for all participants. Every guest joining us at CRWC will be required to submit a pre-screening to the main leader of your group. The group leader will then sign a form upon arrival ensuring that all guests passed the pre-screening before they loaded their vehicles at home. We are humbly asking that every guest answer this pre-screening with full honesty regardless of the impact it may make on you or your child’s participation at Crossroads. All guests (recently infected with Covid, vaccinated, or not vaccinated) will be required to complete this form. The pre-screening will include questions regarding current symptoms and recent exposures.
While we are not requiring a negative test upon arrival, considering some folks will have had Covid in the past few weeks or have been vaccinated, we would ask anyone that knows that they have a risk of exposing other guests to this virus to please consider testing ahead of time. Many pharmacies will rapid test for free! We know this isn’t a sure-fire way to safeguard that Covid will not become present later in the weekend, but it will certainly limit our risk exponentially to catch any possible cases before guests hop on the bus or van to come to Winter Conference!
At this time, we will not be requiring mask wearing, but will be expecting physical distancing during all indoor gatherings (when more than just your youth group is present) at the Gatlinburg Convention Center for Crossroads Winter Conference. If cases rise again during the winter months, we will expect mask wearing. While we hope and pray cases plateau or drop by then, we want you to be prepared for the most precautionary scenarios.
Here is something to consider as we update this distancing and mask expectation:
Please be mindful that our decisions will be in light of the many different groups we host. Winter Conference will be an incredible event with various states, youth groups, and ages ranging from 11-70 represented over the course of the weekend. Some of our groups may have their own protocols that require masks and/or face coverings in all environments, so please be prepared to respect others by wearing a mask if needed, practicing physical distancing, or giving adequate space as a small demonstration of loving our neighbor well.
We can’t wait to see you soon!
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+ So, what will Winter Conference look like?!
The conference may look a little different this year, but we know that we can provide the same unforgettable Crossroads experience you’ve grown to love!
Alongside preaching the gospel and making disciples, our primary goal for our event attendees is to provide a safe, peaceful, and encouraging environment that they might not find elsewhere. So, we are currently planning the BEST WEEKEND EVER while also monitoring the status of COVID-19 closely and respecting the needs of all of our guests. The health and well-being of our Crossroads attendees and community will be of our utmost priority.
Our ministry team, alongside our host, the Gatlinburg Convention Center, are making plans and any potential adjustments in how the conference operates in 2022.
We recognize that there is a myriad of preferences and opinions on how to best safeguard our communities from Covid. Our goal is that we can create an environment where each church group and individual is honored - that we may set preferences aside, if needed, in order to gather, worship, and enjoy Crossroads together in unity! Thank you for honoring these guidelines and helping us make Winter Conference the safest (and still the most fun!) for the weekend!
This conference we will…
Adhere to All Guidelines
Wash. Our. Hands.
Distance Indoors
+ Read more about the Health & Safety Practices
We will adhere to current federal, state, local, and venue guidelines.
We expect students and leaders alike to use wisdom and discernment as they spend time on campus.
We will adhere to current federal, state, local, and venue guidelines.
We expect students and leaders alike to use wisdom and discernment as they spend time in Gatlinburg.
While wearing a mask and/or face covering is not currently expected in indoor group gatherings at the Gatlinburg Convention Center, we expect you to still bring them in case they become necessary!
While we expect participants to bring hand sanitizer, we will also provide some hand sanitizing stations around the convention center.
Contactless payment will be available for love offering and merchandise.
For Gatherings
Each group will sit in their own block seating section. Limited distancing will be made available. For those reasons, you may want to consider keeping a mask on.
If you or someone you know is high-risk, please contact us for specific arrangements.
Our Responsibility
+ What you can expect from us...
We will monitor and adjust our schedule as necessary to ensure the health and safety of our participants.
We will respect and support those who cannot wear a masks/coverings for medical purposes.
We will perform a self-screening on our staff each day before serving with students.
We will go through extensive training on Covid prevention and protocols.
We will be encouraging hand washing and distancing when needed.
We will set the tone for creating a respectful and fun environment.
We will provide an on-site liaison to assist you in making arrangements should you need to visit a local health clinic, doctor, or testing site.
Your Responsibility
+ What we expect from you...
Each guest will complete a health pre-screening before arriving to the conferrence.
For the sake of all participants, we expect full transparency during the pre-screening process. We also expect transparency if anything changes during the week.
Mask or approved face coverings should be packed and available for use at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
Frequent washing of hands and hand sanitizing will be expected.
We ask that each participant bring a travel hand sanitizer.
Respect groups that are practicing Covid protocols differently than your group. Honor individuals and groups requesting for more physical distance.
Each group leader is expected to pre-determine an off-site Covid testing site for your group.
If you are traveling via charter bus, we recommend having at least 1 vehicle on-site to help transport a participant in your group should they need to visit a doctor or testing site.
Scenarios to Consider
What if a participant in my group becomes symptomatic or is made aware they were in close contact?
If a participant becomes symptomatic or is made aware they came in contact with someone, we will work with the group leader to comfortably quarantine the student while waiting for testing and/or parent pick up. Once a student tests negative, they may re-enter the conference. Should a student test positive, we will unfortunately have to send the entire youth group home to quarantine. This is the primary reason we ask that all groups maintain proper distancing from other groups.
Are guests allowed to visit during the weekend?
This is a ticketed event, so regardless of Covid protocols, we would ask that no guest visit during the weekend. Anyone entering the convention center will need to be a registered attendee.
