Updated Reopening Announcement

We have some exciting news to share – the Reopening Team, which includes the ET plus Erica Lavine as safety consultant, has settled on September 11 as date for our worship services to become mask optional, assuming community spread statistics remain acceptable. September 11 should provide enough time for little children between 6 months and 5 years to get vaccinated now that vaccines for that age group have been approved. It is also the date for the incoming service and Water Communion, which feels like a nice time for transition.

We are also making plans to hire childcare workers so that we can resume offering childcare during services in the fall. No date yet, but more information to come!

We’re committed to a reopening that honors our UU Principles and is safe for all: young, old, healthy, immunocompromised, vaccinated, and those who cannot get vaccinated yet or at all. In that light, an important aspect of our reopening plans involved simultaneously streaming the live service via Zoom. Our previous attempts at this uncovered the need to upgrade our equipment in order to provide a pleasurable experience. Thank you to the IT Team for a lot of hard work and to the generous donors for making this possible!

Everyone involved in Sunday Services has been working hard to make sure our online services are professional and engaging. Thank you, Worship Team!

Until September 11th

• Masking will continue to be required for services and within the building for the time being, despite the State of Illinois dropping its mask mandate.
• There will be no childcare at this time.
• Fellowship hour will resume with masks and social distancing. No coffee or food will be served.
• More information on RE will be forthcoming soon. Please don’t hesitate to contact RE Coordinator Marj Askins if you have questions or want to volunteer to be a part of faith development in UU kids and youth.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during these challenging times. We hope to see you Sundays on Zoom or in person!

The Reopening Team/Executive Team