I found a unicorn!

[ktgrok]

Ok...not a real one, but it seems like it! I found a church in Florida that has reinstated masking for everyone due to increase in Delta variant! They had gone to allowing vaccinated people to not wear masks, but stepped back to everyone masked based on the rise in numbers and CDC reccomendations. Y'all....that should be SO basic, but it's the ONLY church I've found so far doing it!!!!

And during a service I was listening to online, one of the pastors said that although she'd love to talk with everyone, she would not be greeting people outside after the service because she also works in a small college that does not have a mask mandate, and classes started up, and Covid is rampant among the staff and students and since she is so exposed there daily she is going to stay up in the front of the church (in the chair they sit in near the altar) and keep her distance. And that if someone wants or needs to speak with her after the service they can come to her, but she'd advise they not, and if she were them she'd avoid her like the plague. 

Y'all!!!! COMMON SENSE and caring for others! Oh, and although they do have a kids church thing going on, they are doing it outdoors. And I saw no where that masks were only for adults - it said everyone. And they are having a coffee time - but outside, distanced. 

Why can't they all be like this??  (It's a UCC church, if it matters. I am going to watch them tomorrow instead of my home church, and may switch my donations to them. And if cases ease up, I'll try attending I think. Big high ceilings, people masked, the bulletin contains an encouragement to get vaccinated if you can, etc.)

[desertflower]

Glad you found something!  Those basic rules makes sense to me too! 

[happi duck]

Yay!

My brain first thought "I bet she found a unicorn outfit for the goose"! 😁

[wendyroo]

The UU church local to us, where my oldest was attending their OWL Sex Ed course when the pandemic struck, is still entirely on Zoom. They are running 6+ Zoom meetings a week: the service and choir practice, but also Coffee with the Minister, a monthly Book Group, meditation night, Karaoke night, an environmental justice group, etc.

The first thing you see on their homepage is: "We put everyone’s health and safety as our primary concern."

Meanwhile, almost all the other churches are mask-less, distance-less, not a care in the world as their members fall like flies. 😟

[MercyA]

Yeah, we've got about 20 churches in my small town, and the UCC one (my childhood church ❤️) is the only one that's shown any sense whatsoever about COVID. Actually, they've shown a lot of sense. Basically rocked it out compared to everyone else. I disagree with the denomination on several significant issues but give them props for, you know, actually caring about other people during a pandemic. 👍

[AmandaVT]

26 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Ok...not a real one, but it seems like it! I found a church in Florida that has reinstated masking for everyone due to increase in Delta variant! They had gone to allowing vaccinated people to not wear masks, but stepped back to everyone masked based on the rise in numbers and CDC reccomendations. Y'all....that should be SO basic, but it's the ONLY church I've found so far doing it!!!!

And during a service I was listening to online, one of the pastors said that although she'd love to talk with everyone, she would not be greeting people outside after the service because she also works in a small college that does not have a mask mandate, and classes started up, and Covid is rampant among the staff and students and since she is so exposed there daily she is going to stay up in the front of the church (in the chair they sit in near the altar) and keep her distance. And that if someone wants or needs to speak with her after the service they can come to her, but she'd advise they not, and if she were them she'd avoid her like the plague. 

Y'all!!!! COMMON SENSE and caring for others! Oh, and although they do have a kids church thing going on, they are doing it outdoors. And I saw no where that masks were only for adults - it said everyone. And they are having a coffee time - but outside, distanced. 

Why can't they all be like this??  (It's a UCC church, if it matters. I am going to watch them tomorrow instead of my home church, and may switch my donations to them. And if cases ease up, I'll try attending I think. Big high ceilings, people masked, the bulletin contains an encouragement to get vaccinated if you can, etc.)

I belong to a UCC church and that's roughly what we do. Outdoor coffee hour, everyone masked, instead of the choir singing, they are playing bells.

[ktgrok]

9 minutes ago, happi duck said:

Yay!

My brain first thought "I bet she found a unicorn outfit for the goose"! 😁

No, but now I need to look for one, lol

3 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

The UU church local to us, where my oldest was attending their OWL Sex Ed course when the pandemic struck, is still entirely on Zoom. They are running 6+ Zoom meetings a week: the service and choir practice, but also Coffee with the Minister, a monthly Book Group, meditation night, Karaoke night, an environmental justice group, etc.

The first thing you see on their homepage is: "We put everyone’s health and safety as our primary concern."

Meanwhile, almost all the other churches are mask-less, distance-less, not a care in the world as their members fall like flies. 😟

Yes, this church is also doing all activities as zoom only or mixed platform with some in person and some on zoom. So you can choose to attend, but zoom is an option for all activities, bible studies, business meetings, etc. 

[JustEm]

We are going back to Mass tomorrow for the first time since the mask mandate in the state was taken away. I am incredibly nervous and will 100% not continue going if social distancing and masking isn't happening there. I simply do not trust my fellow Catholics to be vaccinated because I know a large percentage of our Catholic friends aren't. 

I'm so sick of this shit

[Catwoman]

Am I the only one who is disappointed that she didn’t find an actual unicorn? 😉 

[wendyroo]

13 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Am I the only one who is disappointed that she didn’t find an actual unicorn? 😉 

I thought she had found the homeschooling unicorn - a curriculum that is rigorous, cheap, and no-prep. But alas, just a church a thousand miles from me.

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Ok...not a real one, but it seems like it! I found a church in Florida that has reinstated masking for everyone due to increase in Delta variant! They had gone to allowing vaccinated people to not wear masks, but stepped back to everyone masked based on the rise in numbers and CDC reccomendations. Y'all....that should be SO basic, but it's the ONLY church I've found so far doing it!!!!

And during a service I was listening to online, one of the pastors said that although she'd love to talk with everyone, she would not be greeting people outside after the service because she also works in a small college that does not have a mask mandate, and classes started up, and Covid is rampant among the staff and students and since she is so exposed there daily she is going to stay up in the front of the church (in the chair they sit in near the altar) and keep her distance. And that if someone wants or needs to speak with her after the service they can come to her, but she'd advise they not, and if she were them she'd avoid her like the plague. 

Y'all!!!! COMMON SENSE and caring for others! Oh, and although they do have a kids church thing going on, they are doing it outdoors. And I saw no where that masks were only for adults - it said everyone. And they are having a coffee time - but outside, distanced. 

Why can't they all be like this??  (It's a UCC church, if it matters. I am going to watch them tomorrow instead of my home church, and may switch my donations to them. And if cases ease up, I'll try attending I think. Big high ceilings, people masked, the bulletin contains an encouragement to get vaccinated if you can, etc.)

I think this is because it is U.U. which just operates so differently from regular church. I have noticed that on the Huntsville U.U. site, they are still taking a lot of precautions, and right now, back to doing zoom/stream church.

[itsheresomewhere]

5 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

I thought she had found the homeschooling unicorn - a curriculum that is rigorous, cheap, and no-prep. But alas, just a church a thousand miles from me.

Sarcasm-

Don’t you know that exists!  It is called time 4 learning. 
 

Sorry, I had to do it. If I see that recommended as the greatest, most rigorous, no prep curriculum ever one more time this week…….

 

[ktgrok]

12 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Sarcasm-

Don’t you know that exists!  It is called time 4 learning. 
 

Sorry, I had to do it. If I see that recommended as the greatest, most rigorous, no prep curriculum ever one more time this week…….

 

so I'm not the only one seeing that this week?

[itsheresomewhere]

Just now, ktgrok said:

so I'm not the only one seeing that this week?

Nope.  I moderate a group and the amount of recommending it even for middle/high school this week is amazing.  Between that and the word pod this week..

[Matryoshka]

I just volunteered to be a greeter at our 'welcome back' service at our church - which has been on Zoom this whole time except for two outdoor only services.  We pretty much take the summers off except for super-tiny mostly lay-led services; I think they did move those inside, but cases were low, most people are vaxxed, and it was well-ventilated.  I haven't been going, even on Zoom, but I (like most of our church) pretty much take the summer off.  I think we had hoped to be able to do more 'normal' services in the sanctuary this fall, but even here Delta is going up, so we're having a socially distanced (but still indoor) service with masks in the Fellowship Hall which is larger and easier to space, and has windows that open, and no singing.  And still simultaneously live-streaming on Zoom.  Our sanctuary is from the 1700s...  I will greet by a big open door and no hugging or shaking hands, methinks.   We've talked about somehow keeping our normal ice-cream social we have on welcome-back day and moving it outside, but I think that's being ditched as still too risky.  I'd approve of coffee hour outside, though, at least while the weather holds... I'm not sure what we're doing about RE...  that's going to be tricky, with the kids still not able to be vaxxed...  but if anything's in person, I know it will be masked.

Anyway, it's a UCC/UU church (yes, we're both).  Interesting (and encouraging) to see that this kind of caution seems common to these denominations even in some of the hot-spots...

[Paige]

21 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

so I'm not the only one seeing that this week?

This week? How about every day at least. 

[itsheresomewhere]

22 minutes ago, Paige said:

This week? How about every day at least. 

Lol. This week it just seems worse.  

[theelfqueen]

I thought you found free, high quality, totally independent curriculum here .... lol

[ktgrok]

So I emailed them a question and thanked them for requiring masks again, when really no other church is. Told them I have a kid with two autoimmune diseases and it means a lot to see they are showing both wisdom and love, etc. They asked if they could share my message anonymously in the bulletin or newsletter (I said yes) and briefly shared my message at the service during announcements, as an encouragement to continue masking 🙂

They also won't be doing communion until Sept or October, and it will be individual containers and gluten free is always available. And they do not have a full choir, just a soloist or at most 3 people, masked, at a distance. In a huge cathedral ceiling church with only a few people attending in person. and children's sunday school is outside. 

 

[Indigo Blue]

19 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Sarcasm-

Don’t you know that exists!  It is called time 4 learning. 
 

Sorry, I had to do it. If I see that recommended as the greatest, most rigorous, no prep curriculum ever one more time this week…….

 

Good grief. Is THAT still around??

[HomeAgain]

21 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Nope.  I moderate a group and the amount of recommending it even for middle/high school this week is amazing.  Between that and the word pod this week..

It's Acellus here, the wonder program. 

And oh, gosh, the pods.  It's like watching a real life acting out of the Belling The Cat tale.

[Indigo Blue]

I wanted to say that I was so glad to hear about the church in this thread is being more responsible. This forum is the only place I can come to hear other people talk about taking the pandemic seriously. It was so nice to read this.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Indigo Blue

[ktgrok]

3 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

I wanted to say that I was so glad to hear about the church in this thread is being more responsible. This forum is the only place I can come to hear other people talk about taking the pandemic seriously. It was so nice to read this.

The sermon actually touched on this, as did the ending prayer, about how we feel so done, but knowing we are not alone can help. 

[itsheresomewhere]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

It's Acellus here, the wonder program. 

And oh, gosh, the pods.  It's like watching a real life acting out of the Belling The Cat tale.

We have a few singing Acellus praises.  Telling how it is the most rigorous program for high school.  Your child will be guaranteed a spot in college using it. Then they mention how their precious is only in 8th-10th grade…..  
 

I told my friend the word “pods” needs to be banned in the homeschool circles. Lol

[Acorn]

4 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

 

I told my friend the word “pods” needs to be banned in the homeschool circles. Lol

I have asked my boss, director of education, to STOP with the word. Her belief is that each classroom creates a pod so no masks or distancing needed. Never mind that several teachers have multiple classes a week, many of the students have  parents who are rabid  no mask, no vaccines, and most families have older children in other schools. 

Pod of potential exposures.

[JustEm]

Is it bad that when I see a family at Mass with no one wearing masks even though the kids are old enough to but to young for the vaccine that my only assumption is the parents aren't vaccinated.

We went to Mass for the first time since the state removed the mask mandate. I was pleased that most people were wearing masks. And I assume most that weren't were vaccinated. But I couldn't help assume the maskless parents with 4 kids under 12 but old enough to mask were likely not vaccinated. I'm really disappointed in what seems like all my young Catholic friends with young families simply refusing to vaccinate and mask. I don't know how I'll ever feel comfortable hanging out with them again even after all this is over.

[ktgrok]

51 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Is it bad that when I see a family at Mass with no one wearing masks even though the kids are old enough to but to young for the vaccine that my only assumption is the parents aren't vaccinated.

We went to Mass for the first time since the state removed the mask mandate. I was pleased that most people were wearing masks. And I assume most that weren't were vaccinated. But I couldn't help assume the maskless parents with 4 kids under 12 but old enough to mask were likely not vaccinated. I'm really disappointed in what seems like all my young Catholic friends with young families simply refusing to vaccinate and mask. I don't know how I'll ever feel comfortable hanging out with them again even after all this is over.

The disconnect is so hard. I know my parish is so wonderful in so many ways, but at what point is me justifying staying there even though their decisions and stance could KILL MY FAMILY is me justifying a really unhealthy dynamic?

And yet, say at the laundromat a man was super sweet and offered me detergent. He was wonderfully polite and generous. But no mask. He's willing to give away detergent to a stranger, but not willing to mask. I just...ugh. And Honestly, that dude probably doesn't understand why it is so important. My church leaders? They do know. And still made decisions based on getting along rather than doing the right thing to protect people. And...no...I'm not going to be okay with that. 

[JustEm]

13 hours ago, ktgrok said:

The disconnect is so hard. I know my parish is so wonderful in so many ways, but at what point is me justifying staying there even though their decisions and stance could KILL MY FAMILY is me justifying a really unhealthy dynamic?

And yet, say at the laundromat a man was super sweet and offered me detergent. He was wonderfully polite and generous. But no mask. He's willing to give away detergent to a stranger, but not willing to mask. I just...ugh. And Honestly, that dude probably doesn't understand why it is so important. My church leaders? They do know. And still made decisions based on getting along rather than doing the right thing to protect people. And...no...I'm not going to be okay with that. 

Thankfully for me my actual parish is handling well enough for me. They don't require masks for the vaccinated, which I wish they did, but can understand that decision is done out of ignorance. They also require masks for the unvaccinated but have no real way to police it, especially once Mass starts, which is when this family came in the building.

Now the parish I was considering switching to right before the pandemic where most of our Catholic friends attend, no way will I support them again. No one masks there, even before vaccines were available. And of the ten or so families I know who attend only one I know for sure it vaccinated and 3 I know are not.

What really breaks my heart is that their selfishness has kept other people away from Mass.

[ktgrok]

Oh my goodness! I got an email from the faith formation lead, and mid September they are starting Sunday School up...and it will be "Camp Sunday School" - all outdoors!!!! They are giving each child their own camp chair and supplies to avoid mixing them, will distance, and be outside! And they have no plans to go back inside until and unless it is safe - and she said that since it will only get cooler, they see no reason to move back inside anything in the near future. 

Y'all, I LITERALLY cried when I got the email. This is the first thing my kids will have done since Covid began. That this church cares this much...it means the world to me. They are truly being the hands of Jesus, and doing his work. 

Now...to figure out how on earth I cancel my weekly donation to my current church so I can switch, lol. I forget how I did it. 

Edited August 23, 2021 by ktgrok

[MercyA]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Oh my goodness! I got an email from the faith formation lead, and mid September they are starting Sunday School up...and it will be "Camp Sunday School" - all outdoors!!!! They are giving each child their own camp chair and supplies to avoid mixing them, will distance, and be outside! And they have no plans to go back inside until and unless it is safe - and she said that since it will only get cooler, they see no reason to move back inside anything in the near future. 

This is so awesome. And it's not that hard! 

I've been tempted to go to the UCC in our town, if I'm being honest. And I've encouraged my parents to do so. I wouldn't give money to the denomination, but I could support them in other ways. (Like, when my parents went to an Episcopalian church, they just gave $ to the church's food pantry and possibly for utilities or something similar.)

Our UCC was closed completely for a long time and then when it got warm and cases were down, I saw them all sitting outside on lawn chairs.  🙂