Dear members and friends of UU Wellesley Hills -
Due to a growing concern about the spread of the Coronavirus in our area,
we have made a decision to close our church campus to the public for two (2) weeks starting this Sun. Mar. 15th at 5:30 p.m. Our 10:30 a.m. service in the the Sanctuary this Sunday will be the last in-person worship for a couple of weeks
,
at least. That Worship will be followed by a brief time of gathering in Parish Hall place of our customary Fellowship Hour, and no volunteers are required.
In the coming weeks, we will be holding virtual Worship broadcast live from the Sanctuary
, but only staff and participants will be in our building each Sunday morning. This is a decision that has been made after careful consideration and in close consultation with our
Standing Committee Chair Kathy Coolidge
and other lay leaders of this congregation.
We plan on a scheduled closure of the church and its offices from Mar. 15th - Mar. 29th; as we get closer to Mon. Mar. 30th, we'll gauge our readiness to re-open to the public. Decisions will be made from Sunday to Sunday
, using the most updated information we have available to us. We are likely to err on the side of caution, for the safety of our faith community and the sake of easing any undue burden on our local healthcare systems.
UU Wellesley Hills will continue its usual business with myself,
Congregational Coordinator Amanda Spinazzola
, and our
Treasurer Betsy Taylor
remaining available through the work week, although we may be working remotely at times.
Our committee meetings and Touchstone Groups will be held virtually in our church Zoom room; Amanda will issue you invitations to those via e-mail. All church rentals have been cancelled through Mar. 29th, along with our 2020 Rummage Sale and Pride Movie Night in March
. Since UUSWH staff and clergy will be on site Sundays and other days during the week, we want to limit their exposure to potential contagion.
During this time of social distancing
,
we strongly encourage people to find ways of staying connected to one another and to UU Wellesley Hills.
We request that people call, text, and email each other and post news and updates in our Facebook group share. Starting next Sunday, our plate collections will be taken electronically through the Breeze portal on our website, and between services, we will be making regular use of our social media outlets. Together, we will make our way through the continuing public health crisis.
Be assured that none of us is alone in this!
This week, the UUA announced that it is closing its headquarter offices in Boston until further notice.
The hope is that closures such as theirs and our will help slow the spread of Coronavirus and thereby serve to protect the most vulnerable in our midst while Massachussetts remains in a state of emergency.
Through March and possibly into April, we may have to envision newer ways of being in community and doing church
. So we will do just that, in a fullness of spirit that rises to meet these times.
If you require any special support during this stressful period, please tell us that
. Let our
Intern Minister Joan de Artemis
know about any joys or sorrows you would like to share or discuss, and keep our
Caring & Community Team Lead Elaine Mittell
apprised of any needs that might arise for you. I will be available for phone calls and FaceTime, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me, as well.
In the midst of an outbreak of the Spanish Influenza during the last century, this congregation suspended its weekly services for a time. The church resumed corporate worship when it was safe to do so and emerged stronger for its prudence.
While I will do my best to make well-reasoned choices on behalf of UU Wellesely Hills, I invite each of you to exercise your good judgment in determining what risks you will or will not take individually
.
Please take very good care of your dear selves now. Keep each other in your hearts and thoughts these days.
We will do all that we can to keep channels of communication open in the coming weeks; always feel free to ask any questions you might have
. Remember that there is a love holding us, just as there is a love holding all, and it will guide our decisions here.
Your in faith -
