Photo album from Christmas Eve by Carol Ring.
Dear Ones,
We hope this finds you enjoying the beauty of this season of peace, goodwill, and glad tidings. We have some important news we wanted to share with you about our congregation’s holiday offerings this season.
Candlelight Christmas Eve Service
Our traditional Christmas Eve Service will be offered online and in the sanctuary and Forbes Hall at 7 pm on Friday, December 24th.
We have decided to increase the seating capacity to allow for 20 members and friends in the Sanctuary and 10 in Forbes Hall, in addition to our staff members and choir. Unfortunately, as we are still in the transitional phase of the pandemic, we have to restrict in-person attendance to members and friends. We require vaccination, well-fitting masks, and social distancing while on the church campus.
Don’t forget your mittens! It will likely be cold in both spaces as we have to open the windows and doors to provide good ventilation, so please dress warm and come prepared for a chilly but moving holiday service.
You can register to attend with the church office on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need to send Cyndee Hayes a picture of your COVID-19 Vaccination Card (and vaccination cards for everyone in your party), if you have not done so already, to register to attend in person. You can use this special Christmas Eve form to RSVP.
Our Online Candlelight Christmas Eve Service is accessible to all of our families and friends, so we hope to be with you virtually, if not in person, this year on our Facebook page or on our YouTube channel.
Pastoral Care Holiday Circles
We are going to once again offer Holiday Pastoral Care Circles for anyone in need of some extra support or time with Beloved Community this holiday season. These will be sacred spaces for members and friends to check in with a circle of caring. Pastoral Associates and Care Ring members will hold space on two occasions–one will be online and the second opportunity will be in person at the church (masks and social distancing required).
Holiday Pastoral Care Circle (Zoom – Online)
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 7:00-8:30 pm
Host: Bettye Barclay
Holiday Pastoral Care Circle (at Church in Forbes)
Wednesday, Dec. 22, 3:00-4:30 pm
Host: Linda Van Ligten
To register – which is not required, or to request the Zoom link, please email pastoralcare@uusm.org.
Vaccine Boosters
We encourage everyone to speak with their healthcare providers about the appropriateness of receiving a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to help protect you and the larger community. Waning antibodies means many of us no longer have the protection we once did and it makes sense to boost protection this holiday season if you haven’t already. A booster shot is not yet required to attend in-person services and meetings, but we encourage you to consider it with your healthcare provider.
May we all be open to receiving the joy of beloved community this holiday season!
Warm Holiday Blessings,
