Holy water and hand sanitizer are two very different things.

But the latter is a key to the holy grail of hygiene that local churches are preaching this flu season.

Kenosha-area congregations are taking steps to guard against spread of the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus, known as the swine flu virus.

In some worship communities, it’s largely business as usual, with an increased emphasis on hand washing and staying home from services when one feels under the weather.

At the other end of the spectrum is Kenosha First Assembly of God Church, 10700 75th St., where a “no-shake rule” is being considered for greetings and other traditional handshaking occasions.

That’s in addition to the placement of hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the building — something that’s become common at Kenosha-area churches of all stripes.

“There’s a lot of discussion,” said Sylvia Villalobos, administrative assistant to Co-Senior Pastor Kevin Taylor at First Assembly. “We’re trying to be really careful not to present paranoia or some sort of fear. We want to present it more, definitely, (as), ‘We care about you; we’re very concerned about your health.’”

The way communion is delivered has not changed at most churches, but ministers said some precautions are being taken, stressing cleanliness for servers.

At Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 4311 104th St. in Pleasant Prairie, the Rev. Donald Hackbarth said congregants still have the choice between receiving communion wine from a single-serving container or from a common cup.

On the altar now, however, is a supply of antiseptic wipes that Hackbarth said are used to clean the chalice throughout the process.

Ellen Rasmussen, pastor of education and youth at First United Methodist Church, 919 60th St., said her church’s communion ritual involves a server tearing pieces of bread from a loaf and handing them to worshippers who dip them in a cup of wine.

“We don’t have lots of hands on the loaf,” Rasmussen said, noting that those who are suffering from flu or cold symptoms are not selected to serve communion.

Rasmussen said First United Methodist is in the process of developing contingency plans in case an epidemic were to occur within the congregation.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee has distributed guidelines for parishes to follow in addressing swine flu.

This list references the church’s teaching that Christ is present in both body and blood, meaning a worshipper need only receive the bread or the wine to be considered as having taken communion.

The archdiocese guidelines note that there never has been a documented case of a disease being transmitted through the sharing of the cup, though parishioners should consider their health when deciding whether to attend Mass, receive the cup or shake hands while offering the sign of peace.

Priests also are reminded to wash their hands properly before celebrating Mass, and it is recommended to make bottles of hand sanitizer available to communion ministers.

“It’s not a lot that’s new,” said Julie Wolf, communications director for the archdiocese. “(It’s) just kind of reinforcing good hygiene.”

The Rev. Don Thimm, pastor at St. Anne Catholic Church, 9901 Prairie Ridge Blvd., said his parish recently took a step in this direction, making hand sanitizer available to parishioners. Thimm said he also is encouraging flexibility for those who do not feel comfortable shaking hands during the sign of peace.

The Rev. Thomas Meissner, a pastor at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5038 19th Ave., said his congregation is emphasizing hygiene in its kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school. But within the walls of the church, Meissner said changes to how services are conducted would not be made without prayer and a look at how they affect faith and life.

Meissner and others said they hope a significant reaction to the flu would not be needed because they hope the spread of illness remains under control.