Omicron + uncertainty = no indoor services for now

Dear UUCPA folks,

Thank you for all your input about services during COVID. The Hybrid Services Task Force, while meeting to make a recommendation to the Board about whether to require attendees to show proof of vaccination status, made another decision that takes effect immediately: we will not hold indoor services at all for the time being. As with everything since COVID began, the situation is fluid and we will keep looking at the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health officials, ready to revise our plans as the situation changes. At the moment, the expectation is that Omicron cases will peak in mid-to-late January and be a greatly diminished threat to our health and our healthcare system by the end of February. Let us hope so.

And of course, when the weather warms up again, we will return to having in-person services outdoors. They were a lovely way to see each other face to face all fall, and I look forward to getting back to them.

In the meantime, we will return to a single service, online, this time at 11 a.m. That way we will hold the space not only for the 9:30 service when it returns, but for Children & Youth Religious Education to continue at 9:30 now. Parents, there will be small-group programming for you (indoors in accordance with the guidelines set by the Small Group COVID Compliance Task Force) while your children are in class.

This change affects our Christmas plans as well, but not the beautiful music, story and candlelight we have planned. We will hold one Christmas Eve service, online, at 6 p.m. Have a candle ready, and we’ll see you there!

It has been a rough and uncertain road, but I’m so glad to be traveling it with you, my beloved congregation.

Blessings,

Amy