Beloved Members and Friends of UUManchester:
After deep thought and careful consideration, and on the advice of our minister, the Board of the church has decided to not hold Sunday services in our sanctuary for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning this Sunday, March 15, 2020, and for the foreseeable future.
This message and phone calls will notify our members and friends today. We are working on re-envisioning and rescheduling important church events. We will be listening closely to the advice from the UUA and the recommendations and instructions of local, state, and national health authorities — and figuring out ways we can safely be together and stay in community. We are working to use online tools and social media platforms to stay in touch and to create ways for us to assist and support each another.
The UUManchester staff will work remotely/from home as much as possible.
This decision was made after considering information from:
• the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association),
• the CDC (Center for Disease Control),
• other organizations (other faith communities, school districts, universities),
• advice from authorities in areas already more seriously affected than we are, so far, in New Hampshire.
We have decided to act as those groups recommend and in a spirit of precaution, acting to protect staff, members, friends and the community that we are all a part of.
All in-person Services, Large Meetings and Events are canceled.
(We have not yet canceled all small meetings; we encourage you to carefully consider your own health and that of others — and all best public health practices — if and when you choose to meet.)
Rev. Patrick is available for pastoral care, conversations, and will continue many facets of the ministry that serves our congregation. He will visit people as able and needed. You can reach him by phone (or text) or email him at minister@uumanchester.org
Our Office Administrator, Meg, is reachable too. She will continue to handle UUManchester phone calls, voicemail, etc She can be reached at admin@uumanchester.org
Maura, our DRE, is available to meet your family’s RE needs, via phone and email at DRE@uumanchester.org
You can find the staff phone numbers in the recently shared directory and on Breeze.
Your Board and minister will reach out to hear your needs and ideas for staying in community over the next few weeks, both online and by other means. We are already exploring technology that will allow us to offer Sunday services and other meetings in easily accessed online ways, and by phone.
Thank you for your understanding as we take these steps.
We will keep you informed of any changes via the website — uumanchester.org — by email, our Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/UnitarianUniversalistChurchOfManchester/) and (https://www.facebook.com/groups/uucmmembersandfriends/), the Flame & Chalice, via Breeze, and by telephone.
We promise to keep you informed about opportunities to help and support one another, even if we cannot be together in our usual ways.
Know this: our congregations is not closed. Only the building is. Our community is caring and alive. You are the church. Please reach out and care for each other as often as possible.
In Faith and affection,
Rev. Patrick
(on behalf of your Board of Directors)
Topics: Worship