Dear WUU Community,
It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since the pandemic hit.
I remember those early days of confusion, fear, and tumult—worried for loved ones who were falling ill, shocked at how suddenly we were forced to quarantine and upend our lives, scrambling to make the best decisions we could in a frightening situation.
Sadly, in the past year we have learned how to live with a staggering national and worldwide toll of illness and death, along with the simmering parallel epidemics of racial inequity, mental health crises, educational gaps, unemployment, poverty, hunger, and homelessness.
But we have shown tremendous resilience too. We’ve learned how to make face masks and social-distance, how to manage through unaccustomed shortages, and how to mobilize to meet the new and immense community needs triggered by the pandemic.
And, of course, we’ve learned how to find human connections through the small rectangles on our screens, even as we long for real hugs, shared meals, and the simple physical presence of others.
Now, with vaccinations underway, we have reason to hope. I’m thrilled to hear about how many of you have been able to be vaccinated already.
Here at WUU, it’ll be a long while yet before we can safely reopen our campus on Sunday mornings. It will likely be many months before all of us who want to get our shots will be able to. There’s still so much uncertainty, and no doubt there will be bumps in the road ahead. But still, we have hope. WUU staff and volunteer leaders are already working behind the scenes to get ready for whenever it will be safe to regather. In particular I want you to know:
- Our WUU Board is working with our Public Health Advisory Task Force to develop safety criteria that will let us know when it’s safe to gather in person.
- In addition, our Facilities Manager Joe Cross is investigating Covid mitigation strategies related to our ventilation systems.
- Meanwhile, I’m leading a new WUU Reopening Task Force to think through all the details of what Sunday morning worship, religious education programming, and social time might look like depending on how quickly we’re able to reopen the building, how many of us will choose to come in person vs. continuing to participate online, how soon children will be able to be vaccinated, and a whole range of other factors. Task force members include our Music Director Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of Religious Education Austen Petersen, Ben Thacker-Gwaltney, Lola Warren, and Dave Wilcox.
- Our AV Team and I are developing a plan for equipping our main building with technology that will help us gather simultaneously in-person and online for worship, small groups, and meetings. Online ministry has been such a gift for WUUs who can’t easily leave their homes or don’t live nearby. For the sake of accessibility for all, it’s time to embrace a hybrid future.
How about you—what are your thoughts, ideas, hopes, questions, and wonderings about ministry right now, reopening plans, etc.? I’d love to hear from you. Let’s stay connected!
Yours in faith,
Rev. Laura