The Earth Justice Ministry urges you to keep contacting your leaders to pass the Build Back Better Act.
It has been delayed in order to garner support for it. In early November, President Biden will attend the U.N.’s 26th Conference of the Parties in Glasgow. If he must report that the U.S. has, yet again, passed no concrete legislation to address the climate crisis, the other 196 nations will have no reason to take action. Now is the time for every citizen who wants action to end the climate crisis to say: “HOLD THE LINE! NO CLIMATE NO DEAL!”
CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS – TODAY & EVERY DAY UNTIL THEY PASS THE BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN Call Now! Find the phone number for each in House of Representatives & Senate (search by State)
CALL SCRIPT:
My name is ___________. I am a constituent from _________. My message for you is to HOLD THE LINE! PASS THE ENTIRE BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN, WITH NO CUTS TO CLIMATE ACTIONS OR SOCIAL JUSTICE. HOLD UP THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL UNTIL THERE’S A DEAL ON ALL OF IT!
Eat Plants for the Planet Tip: Now that it’s getting cooler, for a quick vegan meal add a package of mixed frozen veggies to an instant miso soup packet and hot water. Microwave for a 2-4 minutes.
INTERFAITH HOMELESS EMERGENCY LODGING PROGRAM (IHELP)
The Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-HELP), a program of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, partners with churches and community groups to shelter people experiencing homelessness while I-HELP case managers transition program participants from crisis to stability. LSS I-HELP shelters 30-40 people every night in the cities of Mesa, Surprise, Avondale and Goodyear, and is working to start operations in Glendale this fall. Your support could go towards hygiene products, uniforms for new jobs, transportation assistance, or down payment for a new apartment so I-HELP participants can end their homelessness permanently. LSS I-HELP has several volunteer opportunities available: Prepare hot meals or snack bags for those experiencing homelessness; Serve as an overnight monitor in City of Surprise; Drive I-HELP guests to shelter locations in City of Surprise; Take LSS Emergency Services Vehicles for regular mechanic appointments. Visit www.lss-sw.org/copy-of-volunteer-opportunities-emergency-services for more information.
Donate here (Please designate your donation for “Share the Plate”)
Join us for an evening discussing water conservation. After one of the wettest Monsoon seasons in some years what a better time to celebrate Water Conservation! This is the first collaboration between UUCP’s Children’s Ministry Navigators group and the Earth Justice Ministry. Our conversation will be lead by Laurel Hardin and co-facilitated by Jezz Putnam. This event will be inclusive of all age groups yet, youth focused. We hope to see you there!
You can easily join us on Zoom from a smart phone, computer, or tablet:
Why reinvent the wheel? The latest newsletter for Elders Climate Action has cool programs (one with Paul Hawken Nov. 9, and some for young people-our grandchildren), info about a Plant-Rich Diet, a link to a form letter to John Kerry who will be our rep. at the Conference in Glasgow, and slick ways to connect with legislators to urge them to pass that $3.5 Trillion bill (only 1.5 % of the total budget for the same period). Please look at their website: www.eldersclimateaction.org and maybe sign up for their newsletter.
Metrics that we are using are from covidactnow.org for Maricopa County, AZ, particularly the cases per 100,000, infection rate, and positive test rate metrics. There are specific colors below that are referenced from that tool.
Note–re-opening is not permanent. We will respond to the metrics of the pandemic for Maricopa County, including the possibility that we may need to re-close. We will phase up and phase down as the numbers and the science dictates. This is a beta document of our plans that will certainly change.
For ALL these rules, we will need to be adaptable, taking into account accessibility, welcoming and justice issues.
These guidelines are supported by the staff, the board and the Minister.
All community members should assess their own comfort and risk when deciding when or whether to come back in-person. Online worship will always be available.
RE-OPENING RECOMMENDATIONS
Vaccinations
For congregants, we will not mandate vaccinations, for several reasons:
Our Greeters and Ushers are already stretched. With requiring masks, they will need to play that role. It is unreasonable to also expect them to check vaccination cards.
Vaccination cards are not regulated by the government. Anyone can download one from the internet.
This would require us to turn away people–including newcomers–who didn’t know they needed to bring a card.
Assuming everyone is vaccinated creates a false sense of security. We know that with breakthrough cases, everyone is still vulnerable.
The board unanimously voted that all staff and contractors must be vaccinated. They can request a waiver for legitimate medical or religious purposes.
Masks
For all indoor events, masks are required until further notice.
For Worship, we will provide surgical masks for each person, unless they are wearing a KN95 or have a legitimate accessibility issue. We will ask them to use those instead of their fabric masks since the research is showing that they are more dependable than fabric. It is fine if people want to double mask, using the UUCP provided masks as one of their masks.
For outdoor events, masks are optional, depending on the consent discussions with the team, considering vaccination status and distance between participants.
Worship
Starting on October 10th, members of the Worship Team (Rev. Christine, Benjie, Worship Associates as they are comfortable) will start leading worship from the sanctuary, testing our live streaming equipment and easing into the new technology process.
Online worship will ALWAYS be available for anyone who wants to join virtually.
As the surge decreases, we will open up worship to small amounts of people, based on the metrics (see below).
As the numbers go down further, we will increase the number of people invited into the sanctuary.
Seating in the sanctuary will be in groups of 1, 2, 3 and 4 people, with space between. As the numbers go down, the spaces between them will decrease.
If necessary, we will use a reservation system to make sure we don’t have more people than the phase allows.
Children’s Ministry
We will not offer in-person Children’s Ministry programming until we know that children can return safely after vaccinations are available for children under 12.
Children, as always, are always welcome in the sanctuary for worship, once it is open to in-person.
When Children’s Ministry resumes in person activities, as much as possible will be offered outside.
Food/Coffee Hour
There will not be food or beverage offered in a live coffee hour for the foreseeable future. Eating and drinking requires taking off masks, which will not be allowed until we are in green metrics.
We will need provisions for hydration for children when they are doing Children’s Ministries outside.
We will continue with virtual coffee hour, adding additional breakout rooms for small group meetings, faith development classes, etc. as we can.
Music in Sunday Services
All the data says that singing indoors is still too dangerous to participate in.
We recommend alternative forms of music during indoor services: videos, drumming, strings, piano, clapping, stomping.
We may have one person singing from the front of the sanctuary–with as much distance as possible. We will consider whether that person should be masked on a case-by-case basis, but if we are unsure, we will have the person masked.
Choir
Once covid numbers drop, the choir could meet outdoors, being both masked and distanced.
Meetings would last no longer than an hour.
Meetings could be recorded, and those recordings could be included in Sunday services.
Having all choir members be vaccinated has not been decided yet.
Small Groups
Once all of the covidactnow.org categories (see below) are out of the critical range, we encourage small groups (12 people or fewer) to meet in person, as long as they have FULLY CONSENSUAL conversations about the rules that make them feel safe.
We still recommend the two out of three rule if everyone is fully vaccinated.
Outside, distanced and/or masked.
Tent Meeting Room
We are recommending putting up an open-sided large tent in the Memorial Garden that can be scheduled as an outdoors meeting space. We will provide lighting for evening meetings. Groups can schedule it for safer meeting spaces for small groups. The congregation just purchased an easy-to-use PA for larger outdoor events.
Metrics
Metrics for in-person gathering for worship will be based on three factors: cases per 100,000, infection rate and positive test rate from covidactnow.org. When we have each metric for 7 consecutive days, measured on each Tuesday:
Small groups can start meeting as long as at least two categories are not in “critical” (red) categories.
Anything in the “critical” (red) category–only worship team in the sanctuary
Having 2 out of the 3 metrics be in high (orange) and one in medium (yellow)–No more than 50 people in addition to worship leaders
Having 2 out of the 3 metrics be in medium (yellow) and one in low (green)–No more than 75 people in addition to worship leaders
Having 2 out of the 3 metrics in low (green) and one in medium (yellow)–no more than 100 people in addition to worship leaders. This is 50% capacity.
Having all metrics in low (green)–full capacity.
We recommend these metrics be fluid and not cast in stone so we can respond to changing conditions, including completely closing again, if necessary.
Next Steps
Get a task force with representatives from our Ushers, Greeters, Safety Team, Children’s Ministry, Building Team, Administration and Worship teams to work through the details of opening, mask enforcement and support needed.
Get our internal facilities team organized for a work-day to get the campus ready. We may need additional ones as Children’s Ministries or expanded use happens.
Notify the schools so that we can reclaim the space that the schools have been using while we’ve been closed.
Begin to allow reservations of rooms and space, including the Patio, Outdoor Tent meeting space, making sure that the calendar is updated again.
Safety Team to create recommended materials and instructions for space sharing and cleaning for meeting rooms. As we open more spaces for more people (including children), these expectations will need to increase.
