APPROACHING CHURCHES FOR ACCOMMODATION
Here are a few suggestions
on how to ask a pastor or church to accommodate your chemical sensitivities:
- Approach the pastor or
other leaders in a church, telling them a little about your health condition
and how it limits your ability to be a part of church functions. Be specific
when asking a pastor or church to accommodate your special
needs. Every person with chemical sensitivities has different levels of
sensitivity as well as different triggers. It’s important to let them know
what types of accommodation you think might help you. (Note: If you feel more
comfortable writing a letter rather than talking in person or on the phone,
that is an appropriate thing to do. If you write a letter and don't hear
back after a month or so, follow up with a phone call.)
- Request that the church
make a “fragrance free” policy for those attending church functions. Suggest
putting an announcement about this in the weekly bulletin. Ask if the pastor
could make a reminder about the policy periodically from the pulpit.
If the church is too large to realistically
become "fragrance free" in the Sunday morning service, ask if there might
be a smaller group that might be able to accommodate that request. (For
example, perhaps it might be more realistic for a ladies' or men's Bible
study, or a home fellowship group to become "fragrance free".)
- Ask if the church would
be willing to use non-toxic cleaning products such as baking soda and
vinegar while cleaning their facilities. Ask if they would be willing to
eliminate the use of deodorizers and potpourri in restrooms.
- If a church uses
pesticides, ask if they would be willing to use safer alternatives on church
grounds. There are many non-toxic fertilizers available including Ringer,
which can be purchased at many hardware stores. Suggest using distilled
white vinegar in place of herbicides as a weed killer. Cedar grove compost
is a good alternative to suggest in place of using traditional “beauty bark”
for flowerbeds.
- Suggest the church use
products low in toxicity when doing remodeling projects. Products low in
toxicity will be healthier for everyone.
- If you are too sensitive
to try and come to any church functions, suggest that the church find a
person of the same sex who would be willing to be a prayer partner for you
on the phone weekly or a couple times a month.
- If the church has a spare
room near the sanctuary, ask if they could set aside the room on Sunday
mornings as a “Fragrance Free Zone.” Putting a T.V. monitor in the room
would enable chemically sensitive people to hear and view the service
without being exposed to fragrances on other church members. Only people who
were willing to abide by a strict “fragrance free” policy would be allowed
in the room. If possible, one person would be responsible for monitoring
those who come into the room to ensure they are “fragrance free.”
- Give the pastor or church
information on MCS. If it is relevant to your situation, offer to give them
information on the toxicity of pesticides (http://www.chem-tox.com)
and fragrances (http://www.ehnca.org)
if they are interested.
- If your governor signed an
MCS Awareness Month Proclamation that year, consider giving a copy of it to
the pastor.