“After all, I can’t complain. I have my friends.” ~ Eeyore
Friendship is part of the lifeblood that keeps the UUFP going. Seeing and being with friends is what most people have missed during this pandemic. The UUFP is no different. If not for friendship, why else would people come out to the fellowship on a chilly and rainy Sunday afternoon to kick off, of all things, the Pledge Drive? There wa,s of course, the Bake-off Contest, but what kept people there was catching up with friends. A good time, albeit a bit muddy, was had by all.
Congratulations to Lorien Duske on winning first prize in the bake-off. Her mini cheesecakes were delicious and definitely worth the calories! This fun event would not have been possible without the help of some special friends. First, thank you to our Treasurer, Linda Pallay, for her great leadership in developing and managing this year’s Pledge Drive. Second, thank you to Kay and Jon Price for providing oversight of the logistics of the event, ensuring that there were tents, picnic tables, and of course, coffee. Lastly, thank you to all who have pledged to provide ongoing support of the UUFP in the upcoming fiscal year.
As we start to hold outdoor social events, you may be wondering when we will start to have in-person Sunday Services. Wouldn’t it be nice that when we gather with our friends and it starts to rain, we could actually go inside the building? The Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Worship Committee, have been working on finding an answer. To date, we have developed a set of Guiding Principles that ground us in our decision making. We have also decided on a set of data that would help to inform us of the risk level of contracting/transmitting COVID-19 in our surrounding community. The data is pulled from the Berks, Chester and Montgomery County Health Departments. The Board and Worship Committee will be reviewing this information on a weekly basis. A letter providing more-in-depth detail on the above was emailed out to members and friends. This letter, along with the Guiding Principles and COVID Risk Tracker will also be posted on our website.
Next steps for the Board and Worship Committee will be to think through how we handle things such as children’s RE, Nursery Care, and the basic logistics of having a service while adhering to Covid-19 prevention protocols. We are committed to keeping you informed as decisions are made regarding our progress toward holding in-person (indoor and outdoor) Sunday Service, so look for updates on our website and in the Sojourner.
Remember, in order to keep our friendships healthy, we need to keep our friends healthy.
Yours in friendship, Linda K.