Dear Friends,
What a week this has been! Every day, we have heard more news about the spread of COVID-19, and more advice about how to prevent getting sick and spreading germs to others. We have been advised to practice “social distancing.” In a community of people who care about one another and rejoice in opportunities to be together, this is hard advice! We know that being in community in essential to our well-being; we also know that we are dealing with a virus that spreads easily.
Our staff have been struggling with how to balance our need for community with the need to make responsible public health decisions, especially in relation to worship. Today, three of us participated in a webinar hosted by leaders of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. I am grateful they were courageous enough to offer clear guidance.
So…at the recommendation of the Conference leaders, we will NOT gather in our sanctuary for worship for the next two Sundays (March 15 and 22).
However, we will still worship together. Thanks for the foresight and expertise of our Commissioned Minister of Music, Rick Seaholm, we will “live-stream” our worship service this Sunday and next. If you have a smart phone, a tablet, or a computer, you will be able to experience a full worship service–audio and video, music, liturgy, children’s time, prayer and sermon. If you don’t have internet access, you will be able to “phone in” with a regular phone and hear audio. Following the service, we will have an on-line Sunday School class for our children as well.
To make this happen, we are using a “Zoom” platform. That may sound familiar to some of you, and you know that you will get a link and a phone number to help you connect. For others, this is a whole new concept. We will help you through it!
We will send another email out by Saturday morning, with detailed instructions on how to participate in our “live-stream” worship. We may be able to offer a trial run. Please let us know if you have any questions.
This is not the way I want to do church. I am very sad not to be gathering in our sanctuary, singing with our choir, sharing hugs and smiles and prayers. That said, I am so grateful we have the option to connect in creative ways. I am excited to learn how to use technology that can help us reach out to isolated folks even after this crisis has ended. I trust in the deep roots that connect us, and in the Holy Spirit’s gift of creativity to help us find ways to stay connected.
Peace,
Debbie