To enter Eliot Unitarian Chapel's building at any time, any day of the week, everyone is expected to be vaccinated and to wear a mask. 

Reminder: Our policy is to provide additional protection for those on our staff and in our preschool and our congregation who are immune- and/or age-compromised. This policy shows our concern and care for each other. Please keep wearing your mask to church and any time you are in our building. Masks are available in Founders Hall and in the Sanctuary vestibule if you have forgotten yours.

The last few years have not been easy, including in our local congregations. Whole swaths of members have simply stopped coming; COVID is confusing, and polarizing; many ministers have joined the great resignation; and Pew studies and friends alike have pronounced the end of the local church. In this moment, when so many of us might be wondering if we should just give up, and relent, now’s the time instead to double down on our commitment to the local church – this unique community that saves us and also breaks our hearts – often much more of the latter than we’d like to admit.

Masks are required at the service for anyone over two years of age. Masks should cover both nose and mouth. We strongly recommend an N95 or KN95 mask. We will have masks available if you have forgotten yours.

To view this service from home, you may access it on the UUA website at any time or on our website on Sunday.

Every Sunday, Eliot Chapel shares half of the offertory with an organization in the community whose work reflects our shared values. Today's offering benefits the group from General Assembly's service. ECRCP builds grassroots leadership within East Multnomah County to create an equitable, inclusive, and livable community centered on the needs of the most underrepresented and marginalized residents. It aims to advance policies that improve the lives of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color with an intersectional framework of race, gender, sexuality, immigration status, age, disability, class, and lived experiences.

Let us be a generous people. Here's how you can give:

The nursery & preschool activity space is closed in July. It is anticipated the nursery and preschool room will reopen during Sunday worship services on Sunday, August 7.

Gathering #2 is at the Forest Park Nature Playscape on Sunday, July 17 from 11:30-1:30. The gathering location is the plaza in front of the year-round restroom just to the west of the Playscape entrance, not far from the World's Fair Pavilion. Recommended parking is along Concourse Drive near the World’s Fair Pavilion. Find a detailed map of the playscape area on their website.

You can sign up for this event via Sign-Up Genius.  

For more details or questions, please contact Susan van Alstyne at eliotadventure@eliotchapel.org.

Zoom Coffee Hour takes place at 12:30 pm on Sunday. You are invited to "walk down the hall" and come to our Zoom Coffee Hour! We'll take a few minutes to say hello and let people settle in, then we'll say a few words of welcome and briefly review the service that day. We typically really enjoy the wisdom story and discuss how that story reflects on the theme of the sermon. Then we'll create break-out rooms of 5-6 people for conversation and sharing. We love making new friends and the small groups are great for that! In approximately 45 minutes, everyone will return to the big group and we'll say our goodbyes for the week. We usually end shortly after 1:30 pm, but those who wish to can stay a few minutes longer. Please watch your email for "Eliot on Zoom" on Sunday morning which will include a link to join the Zoom Coffee Hour. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you!

Sunday Worship – 10:00 am in Adams Hall

Coffee Hour – 12:30 pm via Zoom

Women's Alliance – 9:30 am in Adams Hall

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 5:00 pm in front of Eliot

Avant Covenant Group – 6:45 pm in Room 001

Group leaders, have you set up an area for your group in Realm? You have a secure place to chat and share documents and photos. Contact Christie Lee to set up your group.

We received notice that someone attending the service on June 26 tested positive for COVID. We appreciate being contacted. If you or anyone in your family attending an Eliot event tests positive, please let us know. We want to take care of each other.

For potential guidance on testing and isolation, here is a link to CDC Guidelines.

Please keep in mind our mask and vax policy: to enter Eliot Chapel's building at any time, any day of the week, everyone is expected to be vaccinated and to wear a mask. In addition, we are not allowing food and drink to be consumed in the building as this would require removal of the mask.

The Front Office will be closed next week due to staff needing to quarantine after an exposure to an individual who tested positive. The office will reopen Monday, July 11. 

 – Trina Priese

Gain a sense of personal purpose and meaning from UU Wellspring’s unique combination of spiritual practices, spiritual companionship, readings, and heart-opening sessions while deepening connections to other Eliot members and Unitarian Universalism. Groups meet twice a month for 10 months starting this fall.

Learn more from the UU Wellspring brochure on our website. To sign up, email us at uuwellspring@eliotchapel.org. 

After talking with the board, other members, and incoming interim minister Rev. Doug Wadkins, your staff is now planning for one hour of Sunday worship/religious education this fall at 10:00 am.

Interim is a time for experimenting and learning together. We hope that this experiment will help foster more energy, spirit, and closeness as a community. What does this mean for things like choir, small groups, etc? We’re still working that out!

In an email letter to members and friends, Rev. Barbara outlined "How We Do Church Now" as Eliot Chapel suspended face-to-face meetings. As a guiding document, it was always open to changes as we found out what worked and what didn't in our response to this extraordinary situation. You can find this document on our website now. We will keep it updated as things change. We'll also try to let you know here of any changes.

If you need assistance or have any questions, please email the appropriate staff person.

The Eliot Ride Team provides rides to church and to medical appointments for Eliot members and friends who cannot drive themselves. If you need a ride, email ineedaride@eliotchapel.org with your name, your address, where you need to go, and the date and time needed. We will be in touch to make arrangements. 

The Eliot Meal Train provides meals to Eliot members and friends who need some love and care. For example, we will provide meals for those who have recently lost a loved one or are recovering from medical care. If you would like to request meals or offer to provide meals, please email mealtrain@eliotchapel.org with your contact information and someone will be in touch with you.

Our COVID team is here for you. If you are quarantining and need support having groceries and prescriptions picked up, please email pastoralcare@eliotchapel.org with your contact information. 

Women’s Alliance will meet Tuesday, July 5, at 9:30 am in Adams Hall. We’ll have conversation and a brief business meeting then discuss the book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Discussion leader will be Claire Robertson. Please feel free to join us, whether you’ve read the book or not. For more information, contact womensalliance@eliotchapel.org.

Note: Because our technical director is out of town, there will be no Zoom for this meeting – but this meeting only. Zoom will be back!

Note that masks are optional

for outdoor activities.