As we continue to make our way through this time of physical distancing, one of the things that helps to sustain us is gathering together (virtually) in community.

As part of our call to minister to us all in these challenging times, we’re starting a mid-week worship gathering for adults in the congregation. Join us for the first such gathering tonight (March 18) at 7 p.m. when Rev. Jen will lead us in prayer and story, and help us make space for all the things we’re holding – the joy, the grief, the resilience, and the loss. Together, we can hold more than any of us can alone, and we hope you’ll join us for this brief service of connection and care. 

Worship Tonight at 7 p.m.
We will gather tonight via the zoom platform. Go here at 7 p.m. tonight to join us. If you’ll be joining us via a mobile app, use the meeting ID: 214 541 563

Calming Circle with Rev. Ruth at 7:30 p.m.If you’d like to participate in Rev. Ruth’s Calming Circle, which is a small group meeting in which all participants can participate with video and audio, that will begin at 7:30 p.m. in a separate Zoom meeting here: Calming Circle with Rev. Ruth. (meeting ID: 961 054 162)

Here are step-by-step instructions for joining WORSHIP if this is your first time joining us via Zoom:

If you haven’t used Zoom before, you’ll need to download the free Zoom software (or app, if you’re on a smartphone or tablet). It’s called “Zoom Client for Meetings.” It would be a good idea to download it in advance here. (You can find where to download the mobile apps here too – just scroll down a bit.) On your computer, find “Zoom.pkg” (or something similar, like “Zoom.exe”) in your downloads and double-click it to install the application, then follow the prompts on your computer.

Join worship here at 7 p.m. You’ll be prompted to open (or download) Zoom. Depending on your browser, you may see a message asking if you’d like to allow the browser to open the link in Zoom – choose “allow” or “open.” Enter your name and your email address when prompted. We’ll go live at 7 p.m. and we’ll allow several minutes for folks to join before worship starts.
Know that your microphone will be muted and you will not be seen via video during our worship livestream.

If you experience difficulties with the link in step 2, you can also go here https://zoom.us/join and enter the meeting ID: 214 541 563
Once there, if you are a bit early, just wait!

Optional: once the live stream begins, you will see an icon toward the bottom that says “chat.” If you’d like to participate in the chat, click on the chat icon, and the chat box will appear on the right side of your screen. At the bottom of the chat box in blue, you’ll see To: “All Panelists.” The “panelists” are our worship leaders. Click on “All Panelists” to bring up the menu and instead select “Everyone (in meeting)” to make your comments visible to everyone participating.

To join worship by phone (audio only):
Dial: 929 205 6099  or 312 626 6799  When you hear “Enter your meeting ID, followed by pound,” enter: 214 541 563 #

Please join us online on Sunday, March 15 at 10 a.m. for our first virtual Sunday worship experience, appropriate for all ages! (And remember – there will be no in person worship; we’re moving to online only through at least the end of March.)

We will be live-streaming here via Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 15.

We recommend getting yourself set up early, so that we’ll be able to assist if you need help.

To join worship online:

1. If you haven’t used Zoom before, you’ll need to download the free Zoom software (or app, if you’re on a smartphone or tablet). It’s called “Zoom Client for Meetings.” It would be a good idea to download it in advance here. (You can find where to download the mobile apps here too – just scroll down a bit.) On your computer, find “Zoom.pkg” (or something similar, like “Zoom.exe”) in your downloads and double-click it to install the application.
2. Join here. You’ll be prompted to open (or download) Zoom. Depending on your browser, you may see a message asking if you’d like to allow the browser to open the link in Zoom – choose “allow” or “open.” Enter your name and your email address when prompted. We’ll go live at 10 a.m. and we’ll allow several minutes for folks to join before worship starts.
3. Know that your microphone will be muted and you will not be seen via video during our worship livestream – so it’s okay to show up in pajamas and with messy hair!
4. If you experience difficulties with the link in step 2, you can also go here https://zoom.us/join and enter the meeting ID: 711 817 509
5. Once there, if you are a bit early, just wait!
6. Optional: once the live stream begins, you will see an icon toward the bottom that says “chat.” If you’d like to participate in the chat, click on the chat icon, and the chat box will appear on the right side of your screen. At the bottom of the chat box in blue, you’ll see To: “All Panelists.” The “panelists” are our worship leaders. Click on “All Panelists” to bring up the menu and instead select “Everyone (in meeting)” to make your comments visible to everyone participating.

To join worship by phone (audio only):

Dial 1-929-205-6099

When you hear “Enter your meeting ID, followed by pound,” enter: 711 817 509 #

Need help?

You can call the church at 612-825-1701 on Sunday morning from 9-9:45 a.m. to be connected with a fellow congregant volunteer who can assist you via phone. Staff will also be available in the week ahead to help – we are committed to working with everyone who wants and needs help to ensure that all have access to our virtual worship services.

Want to practice?

We’ve set up a place where you can practice connecting on Zoom on Sunday morning, from 9-9:45 a.m. This practice room is a little different than the webinar format we’re using for worship because you’ll be able to interact with others in the room over video and audio. The practice room is the same format that will be used for smaller gatherings, like the ones below.

Next Steps: Smaller gatherings to help keep us connected

After worship, please join us in a smaller gathering on Zoom sometime Sunday or this week:

• Social Hour with Arif Mamdani, all are welcome, Sunday immediately after worship
• Virtual Youth Group with Emma Paskewitz and Rev. Ruth, for 9th-12th graders only, Sunday at 11 a.m.
• Sunday Storytime with Seth Matz, for families with babies through 1st graders, Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
• BIPOC Group with Bryana French and Michael Dotson, for Black, Indigenous and People of Color ages 16+ only, Sunday at 1 p.m.
• Gathering for Grownups with Lauren Wyeth, for adults parenting K-6th graders, Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• Calming Circle with Rev. Ruth, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Coming soon…

• Middle School Youth Group, for 6th-8th graders
• Elementary Cool Group, for 2nd-5th graders
• More Gatherings for Grownups with younger and older kids

Dear ones, 

Like so many of us, I’ve been carefully following the developing news about COVID-19. There is so much I want to say to you – and the most important words we ever say to each other will always be this: I see you, and I love you. 

I see you, worried and well and worried and sick. I see you struggling to decide if you should send your kids to school, attend that gathering of friends you’ve been looking forward to for weeks, or tell anyone about the underlying conditions you carry so close to your chest. I see you as you make your own decisions to stay home or head out. I see you as you calculate the cash, hoping you have enough to call in sick, make up for lost tips, and stock your fridge. I see you as you grieve the loss of visits as nursing homes limit your contact with loved ones. I see you as the things you hoped and planned for slip away with only a moment’s notice. I see you as you search for information, not wanting to overreact or look back later wondering if you’ve done enough. I see you, all of you, and I love you.

And it is out of love for one another that, in light of the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, we are moving to virtual church – staying connected by phone, email, and online. 

We have decided to close the church building starting tomorrow, Friday, March 13,  through at least the end of March. This includes all in-person gatherings – from Sunday morning worship and religious education classes to small group meetings, choir rehearsal and congregational meetings. With the continued spread of illness caused by this novel coronavirus and the limited public health response, we are prioritizing our care for the community and each other over in-person gatherings. We will shift our shape – continuing to connect and care for each other in new and old ways. 

Here’s what we are doing in the coming days:

• Our first virtual gathering will be this Friday evening at 7 p.m. via Facebook Live, where Rev. Jen Crow will help us create space to hold all that we’re carrying right now; go here to join us then (no Facebook account required)
• Staff and ministers will remain available by email and phone; we will work together to coordinate pastoral care, create online worship, and offer opportunities for virtual connections for all ages
• We will be reaching out directly to lay leaders, group leaders, and religious education volunteers to make plans to reimagine how we make church happen in this time of social distancing

Here’s what you can do:

• Let us know if you are sick or need resources (whether you suspect you have COVID-19 or not); put the church’s number (612-825-1701) in your phone to call if you have a pastoral emergency
• Let us know if you need help with technology, like learning how to attend Friday’s Facebook Live event
• Take gentle care of your body, your loved ones, and others, as you are able
• Remember that small acts of self care and community care, when done with attention and intention, are a form of spiritual practice
• Stay connected with your church community by keeping an eye on your email and attending our online events
• Here are tips from the CDC and WHO – and here specifically for children –  for coping with stress during COVID-19 pandemic

In the midst of these troubling times, it helps to remember who we are and how we promise to be. There is so much unknown right now. But we do know this: We are people who believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, each of us one shining gem on this interconnected web, each of us valued and valuable, whole, holy and worthy. Our faith calls us to care for the common good, to center the lives of those on the margins, and to care for one another. 

This is who we are and this is what we do. This is the work of our church.

In gratitude,

Rev. Jen Crow, Co-Senior Minister
Bryana French, President of the Congregation

And your First Universalist staff leadership team: 
Lauren Wyeth, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries
Rev. Ruth MacKenzie, Minister
Arif Mamdani, Director of Membership and Adult Ministries
Jenn Stromberg, Communications and Office Manager

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Feb. 27

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Feb. 20

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Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Feb. 6

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Jan. 30

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Jan. 23

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Jan. 16.