This is an extraordinary time.  The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly reshaped how we live, move and have our being in the world.  And we are still learning, adapting and creating.

And in some cases…just surviving.  

Then, in the midst of the pandemic the killing of George Floyd sparked a new emergence of a cry to recognize and oppose racism in all its forms.

Your Conference Ministers from across the UCC realized that there is a lot of experimentation and innovation happening in our churches across this country for times such as these.  And, as is the case with such things, some are brilliant, some we won’t have to try again.  There is a saying: ‘there is no failure only feedback.”   We’ve been watching and learning and want to give folks a chance to share the feedback insights with everyone.  

So we are developing a series of webinars that will bring together 3-5 panelists from churches across the country. Each webinar will focus on a particular theme hosted by one or more of our Conference Ministers.  Panelists will share what they did, how they decided to do it and what they learned.  You’ll have the unique opportunity to be inspired, warned, and guided.  You’ll have ideas to bring back and modify, adapt or use as is.  

The first webinar in the series is Phasing Forward Towards In Person Worship:Stories of How a Decision Was Made in a Local Church, being held July 1 and hosted by Rev. Don Remick, Bridge Conference Minister for Innovation, Southern New England Conference UCC.

Panelists will share their stories telling about: 

• What information or guidance did they consider in making their decision
• Who did they include in the decision making process
• What perspectives did they seek from the congregation. 
• What engagement did they have with local health agents or board of health.
• How did they communicate their decision to the congregation. 

The intention is not to give advice on what you should do.   We are too diverse in our geographies, approaches, styles of church and spread of this illness to try to give uniform advice.  Your best approach is always to contact your Conference for their suggestions and guidelines.  Your SNEUCC has some excellent resources and guidance on our Phasing Forward web page.

Rather this is a glimpse of how different churches made their decisions.  You’ll learn insights from their thinking, process and conversations that may help you with yours.  

And if you miss it, they’ll be recorded and available to view and review later. 

Register here