UU Berks Worship Reopening FAQs

Updated September 9, 2021

When will we worship in the Sanctuary again? 

The first in-person worship service in the Sanctuary is expected to be held on Sunday, September 12, at 10:30 am. We will be sending an email update and, if we can meet, an online sign up form on Wednesday, September 8.

Will we have to wear masks? 

Yes. Universal masking is required for any events or activities in the building. 

What about social distancing?

Social distancing will be required. Pews will be marked to indicate spacing requirements. A sign up system will be used to ensure we adhere to occupancy limits. There will be 30 seats available.

Will vaccination be required?

The church is requiring proof of vaccination for those attending worship services in person. The Minister, staff, guest speakers, and all RE volunteers are required to be vaccinated.

What about the kids? 

In-person programming for children under 12 will not resume in the church building in September. The RE Committee and Ebee Bromley, Director of Religious Education are developing plans for regular outdoor programming in addition to virtual RE hangouts. 

What about singing? 

We do not know when we will be able to safely resume singing during in-person services. Decisions about choir rehearsals and singing in worship are still in development by Ebee Bromley, Director of Music, based on available metrics and recommended practices. 

Will I still be able to attend worship remotely? 

Worship services will continue to be accessible remotely via zoom. 

How will we decide whether to meet in person?

The FUUBC Board will decide which planned activities may go forward, based on available metrics from:

• “U.S. COVID Risk & Vaccine Tracker,” which provides real-time data: https://www.covidactnow.org/us/pennsylvania-pa/county/berks_county/?s=21621088; 

• CDC guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/faith-based.html

• and UUA recommendations: https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/delta-guidance. 

What are the church policies regarding other meetings and gatherings?

You can read the current policy “UU Berks Gatherings & Covid Requirements” here. FAQs

Please review our updated policy at the link below
Updated Onsite and Offsite Church Gatherings Policy

Join us on Monday September 13th, @ 7:00pm for a “Contemplative Regathering” when we welcome Jane back to the circle (and maybe a few others who took a summer hiatus?). PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND MONDAY! Contact Nadine Smet-Weiss (njw1258@hotmail.com or 484-333-4015) for further information or to receive the zoom link for these gatherings.

We have changed our meeting time to 7 PM on Sundays to accommodate parents and those folks who may be attending church in person.  We will continue in a virtual format for the foreseeable future. 

On September 12th, at 7 PM we will be in conversation about systemic racism in the K-12 school systems. We have invited the diverse group of people in our congregation who have and are working in a variety of positions to share their experiences and insights about schools and racial justice and injustice.  We have also invited the librarians to recommend books for parents and children.

On October 17th, at 7 PM we will hear from the people involved with higher education about their experiences with systemic racism.

November 14th, again at 7 PM, we will be examining racism in the workplace.

And on December 12th, as the winter holy days approach we will look at the racial factors involved in creating the dilemma of the unhoused in our community.
Please plan to attend and bring your friends!  

4th Tuesdays, 7-8:30 pm (see details below)
Sign ups: required
Deadline: Sept. 21
Limit: 15
Meetings: by Zoom

Beginning the fourth Tuesday in September, Rev. Dr. Sandra Fees will facilitate a monthly small group for deep sharing, listening, and spiritual reflection. Participants are encouraged to attend regularly to enable the group to cultivate trust and vulnerability 

Sign ups are required for this program due to zoom logistics and passcodes. To sign up and be added to the monthly email invitations, contact Rev. Sandra at minister@uuberks.org.

Soulful Conversations Schedule:

• Sept. 28 – Embracing Possibility
• Oct. 26 – Cultivating Relationship
• Nov. 23 – Holding History
• No December meeting
• Jan. 25 – Living with Intention
• Feb. 22 – Widening the Circle
• Mar. 22 – Renewing Faith
• Apr. 26 – Awakening
• May 24 – Nurturing Beauty

First UU is again fielding a CROP Walk team to raise funds that help keep the costs of our monthly food pantry low. The Reading-Berks 40th annual CROP Walk will be held  on Sunday, Oct. 10, and you have the option of participating virtually or by starting at the Grings Mill Recreation Area, 2083 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing.

To foster social distancing, registration for those walking in-person will be open 12:30 to 2 p.m. and teams are encouraged to begin their walks whenever they choose.

To sign up for the team, go to the Web URL, www.crophungerwalk.org/ReadingPA and click the blue REGISTER button at the top right of the page. Each walker on the First UU team will receive a reusable tote bag with the CROP Walk logo.

Also, there’s a kickoff event on Thursday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Isaac’s, Village Square

94 Commerce Drive, Wyomissing. Mention the CROP Walk and 15% of your eat-in, takeout and online orders—even gift cards!—will go to the Reading-Berks CROP Walk!

A reminder that money raised from the CROP Walk benefits worldwide projects of Church World Service and a quarter of the funds stay local with Helping Harvest, the Berks / Schuylkill Fresh Food Bank.

Questions? Call Jim at 717 507-7237 or e-mail to jamesmbeidler@gmail.com

What can you find on the UUBerks Member Info site?

• Email contact information for our staff and all of our committees
• The current version of the Church Directory, the Member Photo Album, as well as our current budget and board meeting minutes
• Links to all of our recurring Zoom meetings
• Help documentation and FAQs

Use the link below to register for either a 1-on-1 help session and/or an introduction to the website via Zoom.  You can also use the form to just post a question about the private Member Info website and request access.

https://uuberks.org/member-info-signup

Here are a few common questions and answers:

1)Why do I have to login to access this site?  This site is private and the information on it is for members only. By having a login, we can restrict access to those individuals that are FUUBC members.

2)I attend services all the time but I am not a member. How do I become a member?  We have a page on our public website with all of the details.  See https://uuberks.org/connect/become-a-member/ 

3)I have a Google account, but I don’t remember my password.  (1) Go to the Google login page at accounts.google.com, (2) enter your email address, (3) click on the “next” button and (4) click on the “Forgot password” link.

We have established a Zoom service tech line if you are having trouble logging into our Sunday service. If you do not get an immediate answer, leave a message and your call will be returned momentarily.Dial 484-925-1684.

• You can now give online on our website UUberks.org by clicking on the online giving tab or clicking
  here
• You can also give by downloading the GivePlus app on google play and the App store below. You can easily locate our church by zip code 19602

It’s important to note that our attention to what’s possible doesn’t come at the expense of tackling problems and harsh realities. If anything, our focus has been a powerful call to engagement. Unitarian Universalists are called to act, to be part of creating the world we imagine, a world where love prevails.

As we begin this new church year, I am wondering what possibilities we will embrace as a community. What relationships and commitments will we renew and build? How will our learnings from these past few years so rooted in trauma inform what we do next and how we understand our role in the world? What do we need from one another?

As we embark on this new church year, I look forward to embracing the possibilities as we move into the future together.

“Gather the spirit of heart and mind.  Seeds for the sowing are laid in store.  Nurtured in love, and conscience refined, with body and spirit united once more.” 

These words by Jim Scott are some of the first words I remember learning by heart as a UU kid.  As a UU adult typing those words out I can’t help but hear Jim’s melody in my head.  As UU’s we are called to gather for we know that the spark within each one of us needs tending to.  It is easier to keep that spark lit when there are others around to re-light it, when there are others around to witnes our peace, our thanks, our sympathy, our hope, compassion and strength.   

“Gather the spirit, harvest the power.  Our sep’rate fires will kindle one flame.  Witness the mystery of this hour.  Our trials in this light appear all the same.”

So once more we gather with a whole bunch of mystery ahead.  This year we hope our monthly themes will fuel everyone in our congregation from cradle to sage with core actions that our faith calls us to and our times need from us.  

At the start of this new church year we explore the ways in which our faith and times call us to “Embrace Possibilities!”  What relationships will we strengthen this year?  What new friends will we meet?  Who will we say goodbye to?  What will we try anew?  What will we try again?  What will we never try again? 

We will get to embrace these possibilities of ours as we

“Gather in peace, gather in thanks.

Gather in sympathy now and then.

Gather in hope, compassion and strength.

Gather to celebrate once again.”

nadine j. smet-weiss

spiritual director

beloveds

let us embrace

beginning

release

the anxiety

of arrival

the journey is

step

by step

in time

punctuated by

pauses 

for 

reflection

restoration

reorientation

celebration

between

beginnings

embraced