It was great to be back in the sanctuary on Sunday morning with so many of you as we gathered to worship in the sacred space we have missed so much. Now that we’ve “returned,” it makes no sense to go back to Kelley Hall on Sunday mornings. We will continue to worship in the sanctuary as long as we’re able. We will worship at 10:00am in the sanctuary through August, with Sunday school remaining online and continuing our summer break on Wednesday evenings.
On Wednesday, September 1, we’ll gather in Kelley Hall for our first meal together in over a year and on Sunday, September 5, we will return to a more regular pre-COVID schedule. Choir, Sunday School, and Godly Play will return to our Sunday morning schedule prior to Morning Worship.
Two phrases there may have caught your eye or ear: “as long as we’re able” and “more regular.” Both are intentional. Here’s what we mean:

“as long as we’re able…”

On Monday, July 19, the Mississippi Department of Health reported over 2,300 new cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi from the weekend. The Delta variant is in our community and, paired with our state’s low vaccination rate, seems to be the major cause of this spike. We don’t fully know what this means for our community moving forward, but we know that we must continue to do everything we can to take care of each other and our neighbors.
We need to consider all the ways we can reduce the spread of the virus. One way is to get vaccinated if you are able and have not already done so. Another way, since we know some people cannot get vaccinated, including children under 12, is to wear a mask in larger crowds even if you have been vaccinated. Monday’s statistics are a reminder that we are not post-COVID yet, despite how desperately we want to be. We strongly encourage you to wear a mask now as we gather in our sanctuary (a smaller and less flexible space than Kelley Hall) and continue to try to worship as normally as possible without having to go back to outdoor or online worship as the norm. We hope this makes sense.

“more regular…”
Many of you have shared how much you’ve enjoyed the earlier worship time on Sunday mornings and some even expressed interest in meeting with their Sunday school classes after worship instead of beforehand. We’ve discussed this for months now among the staff, with the deacons, Sunday school teachers, and the congregation. Last night, our Deacons unanimously approved a new Sunday morning and Wednesday evening schedule for UBC that will begin in September. Here it is:

Sunday Mornings:            
8:30am – Choir Rehearsal
9:30am – Sunday School
10:30am – Morning Worship
11:30am – Additional Sunday School Time (If Classes Desire)

Wednesday Evenings:
5:30pm – Covered Dish Supper
6:00pm – Small Groups
Worship Arts Ministry (PreK-5th)
College Reading Group
Adult Study Groups
Childcare (Birth through Pre-K)

Shifting our Wednesday night gathering times accomplishes a several things. It allows us to continue meeting as an entire church community for fellowship and meal, something we’ve missed for a long time. Our previous schedule did not allow for some working families to get their children to UBC in time for WAM or forced them to choose between the kids going to WAM or the adults participating in small group studies. This removes that choice. It also allows us to get out a little earlier, which helps those who don’t like to drive later in the evening be able to participate more fully throughout the year. Again, we hope this makes sense.

As we continue to move toward this new fall schedule, please be mindful that we’ll be paying attention to what is happening in and around our community and may have to adjust or reimagine our schedule again. We ask for your continued flexibility as we continue to try to do the best we can to gather as Christ’s body and to love our neighbors together. If you have any questions, please contact the church office or reach out to Brett directly. We look forward to seeing in the sanctuary on Sunday morning at 10:00am!