Callaway County churches are still open, but you can smell the hand sanitizer at the door.
As COVID-19 spreads across the country and government officials and experts encourage people to stay home and avoid large gatherings, the question of how to protect the community is on the minds of local church leaders.
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"I've never had to face anything like this," said First Christian Church minister Rev. Mindy Kiepe, who has been involved in ministry for over 35 years. "I'm not sleeping well. I'm worried about my people."
Right now, worship services are still on, but with the situation changing daily, no one is sure that will remain the case. Currently, there have been no confirmed cases in Callaway County.
"A couple of weeks ago, I was adamant myself that we shouldn't be shaken by this, but things change," First Presbyterian Church of Fulton minister Rev. Aaron White said.
Across the board, religious communities are introducing common-sense measures to help protect people: limiting touching, spreading people out in the pews and disinfecting everything.
"I didn't shake people's hands as they left church and that felt weird," Heartland Church pastor Rev. Jason Buckwalter said.
In Auxvasse, Grand Prairie Baptist Church pastor Eddie Schoeneberg reported seeing many waves and the occasional elbow bump during Sunday's service.
Several churches that don't already livestream or post videos of worship services online are planning to do so. But according to Schoeneberg, the internet isn't a perfect solution for everyone, especially for a congregation like his with many elderly members, who are less likely to have access to online video options like a Facebook livestream.
In making decisions, church leaders reported seeking out information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, guidelines from the president, governor and county health department and each other. White said he'd made an effort this weekend to personally call and speak with congregation members.
"I think they're representative of the community as a whole- some folks have anxiety, while some folks are questioning the threat," White said.
Kiepe and White mentioned following the lead of Fulton Public Schools. If the schools shut down, church services might be next.
"We're being challenged on how we can maintain our close relationships," White said.
In Fulton, the weekly Lenten Lunch, where clergy from local churches share a lesson and fellowship each Friday during the season of Lent, has been canceled.
Buckwalter noted there are two conversations happening in his congregation right now - the first centers around church happenings, deciding whether to cancel services and keeping things clean.
The second conversation is focused on how COVID-19 might impact the greater community and what the congregation can do to help - whether that be through feeding the hungry or finding ways to help people financially impacted by missing work.
Kiepe and White mentioned their congregations are considering ways to help protect members who are housebound or living in a nursing home without neglecting them.
"We have a group of folks who are being very intentional about contact with our shut-ins - being very intentional with calls and sending cards," Kiepe said.
"We are being challenged right now to figure out how we can support those folks," White said. "They need their spirits lifted right now as much as anybody else."
Keeping spirits high is another major focus for local churches.
"We know this is serious, but we try to do a lot of laughing on Sunday," said Jason Jordan, lead pastor at The Lighthouse in Kingdom City. "We need to have some hope and continue to be joyful."
"We're just focusing on the Lord right now," said Nolan Wynn, pastor at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Holts Summit.