Dear Mrembers and Friends,
This is a good time to look back over the church year and reflect on where we are. We have survived another challenging year. COVID fatigue was settling in when we entered the current church year. We were still grappling with many unknowns, including how the pandemic would affect members, church membership, church programming, finances, and our sense of community.
Little did we know that the pandemic would continue for another year and more. Many of us thought the pandemic might last only a few more months and we would be back to normal. Although we are not fully through COVID misery, we have survived the worst of the pandemic and have reason for optimism.
In fits and starts, we have reopened more fully. We have adapted to changing conditions and maintained our sense of community. As a church, we have shown great resilience. We are not back to pre-pandemic normal, but we are defining a “new normal.”
So how will things look as we enter a new church year? A recent Board Happy Hour discussion focused on what we should keep and what we should change. Here are a few concerns that were raised:
- As we reopen our in-person worship services and other in-person activities, how do we greet one another? Do we allow or discourage hugging and touching? Is there a way we can signal to others our preferences? Do we continue the “bridge of love” with children?
- Change has already come to our worship services. Hybrid services (in-person and virtual via Zoom and YouTube) are here to stay. It is unlikely that we will again have 175 or more people back together in the sanctuary. Hybrid services are a good thing for those who cannot come in person. Can we expand our hybrid technology for small groups.
As we reopen more fully, can we resume having members light the chalice, reinstate a flower committee, having people bring food for food banks? Can we broaden our musical offerings? Should we return to passing the offering basket?
- Can we redefine how we do coffee hour? Many have complained that our former Berg Hall coffee hour felt intimidating and unwelcoming. Those of us who have been members for a while find our friends and take a table. We look forward to our weekly visit with church friends. But those who are newer may experience coffee hour as a gathering of cliques and feel left out.
Our coffee hours held outdoors have a different feel. There are no tables and fewer chairs. Being outdoors and having less structure make it easier to mingle and interact with different people. Can we preserve this if we move back indoors?
- The pandemic has shown us the importance of social contact, particularly for those of us who may live alone and/or have limited family nearby. How can we promote social interaction in a safe and meaningful way? Some ideas raised include having low-cost or free lunches after the service, having a free “pie” event where people would bring desserts or other foods to share, church-wide events such as the recent picnic, and resuming circle suppers.
- Volunteerism at many churches has suffered during the pandemic. How do we develop new leadership for important church roles? How do we reinvigorate our important social justice programs that address environmental and immigration issues? How do we address racial justice and 8th Principle concerns? Can we strengthen our homelessness initiatives?
More questions than answers have been raised in this article. But coping with crisis offers opportunity along with danger. We have the opportunity to make UUCV a stronger, more resilient, and more vital community for us all.
Be well,
Yukio Okano
UUCV Board President
