The Hybrid Services Task Force has been hard at work putting into place all the elements needed for safe and successful services post-pandemic: technical, logistic, community-building, and aesthetic. The first issue, of course, is that we are not post-pandemic and that an important part of our community still has no access to vaccines: children under 12. We’re also aware that some people will remain vulnerable even after being vaccinated, and that variants continue to make the situation unpredictable.
However, we are aiming toward a late August start date, with the hope that we will be able to celebrate return with our Water Communion a couple of weeks later, after Labor Day. We are also planning on two services, as we had up until COVID: in-person at 9:30, and both in-person and online at 11.
We’re giving a lot of thought to how to bring together the two parts of the community: those attending the service in the Main Hall and those attending via Zoom. Soon to be installed: five large, swivel-away viewing screens, two mounted on each side of the Main Hall and a smaller one in the lobby. We’ll be able to see the same musicians and see each other’s faces. The screens also allow us to bring the multi-media nature of Zoom worship into our in-person services when we choose.
Masks will be required of all attendees, and we strongly urge everyone who can to be fully vaccinated. Sadly, the current science suggests that congregational singing is still unwise. However, we will require vaccination of everyone involved in presenting the in-person service, which means the choir and other musicians will be able to sing and play for us.
In the meantime, we have a terrific roster of summer services. See you there!
Contact the Hybrid Services Task Force at hybridservices@uucpa.org