Dear Beloveds,
Much has changed since we sent out the email informing you of our coronavirus plans yesterday afternoon. While we were hopeful that we would be able to continue to maintain our regular operations, recent events have convinced us that the time for bold action is upon us. The UUA has recommended that all churches suspend meetings of 25 people or more, including worship. (Read the letter from UUA president, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, here.) Governor Wolf has suspended large gatherings and asked religious leaders to exercise discretion. With that in mind, and in an effort to protect the health of our beloved community to the best of our ability, we will be suspending in-person worship and closing the church for all meetings and events starting March 15. This may feel like an extreme response. Our faith calls us to care for the most vulnerable among us, and we believe that this is the best way to do so. We are working to make sure that we will continue to remain connected even as we are unable to be physically together.
Ways to “Gather” Online:
We have established a Zoom channel that will allow members and friends to gather in a “virtual space” for worship and community, from any computer with a reliable internet connection. People without an internet connection will be able to call in to the same spaces. Virtual visitors will also be able to contribute by audio and video for certain meetings, assuming their local computer has those capabilities. For instructions on accessing this Zoom channel for any of these “virtual gatherings,” please visit https://uucv.org/about/uucv-online/virtual-community/ from your computer or smartphone.
Virtual gatherings we already have planned include:
- Worship will be held online at 10:30 on Sunday mornings. Please remember that coming together, even virtually, is particularly important in times of fear and uncertainty. Your community will want to feel your presence, even if it is over a computer screen.
- UUCV will be “open” online every day from 10:30am – 2:30pm. A member of the staff will be available on the same Zoom channel for conversation, pastoral care, even just a distraction from the isolation that many of us will be experiencing.
- Join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm for another mid-week virtual worship experience. We will offer a space for people to share joys and sorrows, ask for thoughts and prayers and offer support.
Other Ways to Connect:
- Small Groups will continue to meet. We encourage groups to make use of Zoom technology as appropriate to protect their most vulnerable members.
- Stay in touch to learn more about plans for Adult OWL, resources for families with young kids, and more.
Ways You Can Help:
We have heard from many of you who have been eager to be helpful going forward. Here are some ways you can continue to support our community.
- Phone calls. Many people will be isolated in the coming days and weeks. We want to make sure that no member of our beloved community feels alone. Volunteer to be a virtual visitor. You will get a list of community members who you can contact regularly. We will also provide a potential script and list of topics. If you would like to participate please contact Aija.
- Sign up to drop off meals/groceries/etc. It seems likely that a time will come when some members of our community will be unable to leave their houses. If you would like to be put on a list to drop off supplies, please contact Pam Martin.
- Participate in worship, small groups and educational offerings. While our ways of being together have changed, the importance of those connections has only increased.
- Continue to give.
- As many of you know, this coming Sunday was supposed to be the final day of our Annual Budget Drive. Please take a moment to mail your pledge forms or submit them online. In times of fear it is tempting to turn our resources inwards. Please know that the communities you support – the church, charitable organizations, etc. – will need your support now more than ever.
- The church relies on our weekly offerings and pledges. If we go more than two weeks without the financial offerings we receive during worship, we are in danger of being unable to pay our bills. As you are able, please continue to pay your pledges as promptly as possible, and consider adding a little something extra for the offering.
This is a frightening time. Usually, in times of fear and uncertainty, we gather together, knowing that our hearts beat easier when we know we are not alone. In the coming days and weeks we will need those connections more than ever. We are committed to continuing to be a strong, supportive community – even when, maybe especially when, we have to do it at a distance. We are working out how to do this as we go, so please be gentle with yourselves and each other as we walk this new path together. We can take care of each other and together we will make it through.
In faith, hope & love,
Rev Aija and the staff and board of UUCV