9/4/21
This morning the Executive Committee and Rev Sullivan met to discuss whether we feel comfortable moving forward with an in-person service on September 12. We reviewed data from the covid task force, discussed the pros and cons of meeting in person or not meeting in person and decided that we will move forward with the live service. Some of the factors that helped us come to this decision are the high vaccination rate in our communities, the fact that we will all be masked, and the fact that people will have a choice to watch the service remotely if they are not comfortable attending. While we cannot eliminate all risk, we feel that these factors reduce the risk of contracting and having negative outcomes from the virus to an acceptable level.
6/9/21
We are planning to hold our first in-person regular church service in the sanctuary on September 12th. While much can change between now and then, we have developed tentative guidelines to be followed when we get back together. Some aspects of building use will be back to “normal.” We will have regular seating; coffee hour will take place as usual; and there will be no limitations on bathroom use. We still need to take precautions regarding some issues, however.
- There will be no congregational singing.
- Children will need to wear masks as required in school (unless guidelines change).
- Anyone in close contact with children will need to wear a mask.
- Children should wash their hands before leaving.
- Group size and spacing for children will conform to local school district guidelines.
- Any adult in the nursery must wear a mask.
The Task Force recognizes that no arrangement can be perfect, and our decisions will continue to be informed by UU Principles, our Covenant, and CDC guidelines. For now, our building remains closed except for staff and people preparing for programming. Access must be arranged with the Church Administrator. We will reassess in August.