December 10, 2020

Dear WSS Friends & Family,

Ministry within the body of Christ is vital at all times, but as we endure a long, challenging year, ministry is vital now more than ever. With this in mind, we prayerfully and eagerly continue conducting ministry at White Sulphur Springs by hosting guest groups and our own programs.

While we cannot eliminate all risks associated with COVID, we are confident that we can take measures to reasonably reduce risk, allowing us to conduct ministry. Here are some measures we have already taken or will take to reasonably reduce risk and protect our guests and staff:

What we’re doing:

• Capped attendance for our own programs at 50% of the WSS capacity for a maximum of 100 guests per retreat
• Increased cleaning and sanitizing protocols for our Guest Services Team to more frequently clean common areas, commonly touched surfaces, and public bathrooms
• Changes in our food service procedures, such as buffet lines, to allow for greater guest safety at meal times
• Masking requirements for all staff and guests as we move around inside the Heritage House and when maintaining social distancing is not possible
• Seating in the Pettijohn Room by family “pods” to allow for distancing between families or travel parties that choose to sit together
• Extra tables set in the dining room to allow for guests that desire to eat all their meals as a family at a separate table are able to do so
• Changes to some of our program and scheduling to be mindful of the numbers gathering in any single room for an event

The health of our guests and staff is always a priority, so we will continue to monitor ongoing developments and guidance from authorities and health officials, and we will cancel events at any point that we feel it is unsafe to continue hosting guests at WSS.

We ask guests who attend a program at WSS to help us keep everyone safe by complying with the following guidelines:

What we ask of all of our guests:

• Conduct a self-screening of everyone in your travel party before traveling to WSS. If anyone in your travel party is experiencing any COVID-like symptoms in the 96 hours leading up to your arrival or knowingly been exposed to someone with a positive COVID test result within the past 14 days, we ask you to stay home and not travel to WSS.
• Guests will be required to wear face masks when moving around indoors at WSS and when maintaining social distancing is not possible.
• Because of the rising number of COVID cases in Pennsylvania (like many places in the country), we ask that guests remain on WSS property for the duration of the program they’re attending and not travel out to the local community for any reason other than a medical emergency until your scheduled visit at WSS is concluded.
• Be aware that some guests are going to be more cautious or more casual in their approach to COVID. Allow for those differences within the body of Christ and be respectful as each family finds the right level of protection or interaction while here at WSS. Be comfortable in communicating to other guests your desires in either finding ways to interact more while here, or finding ways to ensure a greater level of protection for you and your family than even the guidelines at WSS establish.
• Give grace. We recognize that some of these restrictions and changes to how we normally operate are not comfortable or enjoyable. They are intended to help protect you as well as the WSS team. Our fervent prayer and hope is that the WSS staff can continue hosting guests, so your help in observing these guidelines not only helps protect the guests currently in the hotel, but also helps ensure our ability to minister to the guests coming to the next program because you are helping to keep the WSS staff healthy.
• Remember that as guidelines and recommendations change, or as the need might require, our policies are subject to change, too.

If you have to cancel your reservation for a WSS program for any reason or feel that you are not comfortable complying with any of these guidelines, you may choose to receive a full refund, apply any previous payments as credit to a future stay at WSS, or you are welcome to donate your previous payments as a gift to WSS.

Thank you for your understanding, your prayers, and your cooperation as we seek to conduct ministry in an ever-changing environment. We look forward to hosting you for your next getaway!

In Hope,

Paul Robyn

WSS Center Director