Coming Together Update

Good news, beloveds! Your expressed desires to gather together in person have taken another step forward this week. The Coming Together Team and the Board of Trustees have approved guidelines for indoor gatherings at the church.

Because Pierce County remains at very high risk for transmitting the Delta variant (see COVID Act Now data here), and since the sanctuary is the only space that we can currently make compliant with UUA, CDC, State, and County guidelines, TUUC’s indoor gathering guidelines allow for small group gatherings of up to 8 participants to take place in our sanctuary only. Restrooms will be accessible so long as the guidelines posted in the restrooms are followed. The rest of the building’s offices, rooms, and basement level remain closed at this time.

Here are TUUC’s indoor gathering guidelines at this time:

Small Group Indoor Gathering Guidelines (Approved September 16, 2021)

Please follow these guidelines when gathering together indoors:

1. At this time, the only location we can authorize for any church group gathering is the sanctuary of our building.
2. Take care of yourself and others by staying home if you are not feeling well, or if you may have been exposed to COVID in the past 14 days.
3. Participants age 3 and older must wear masks at all times inside the building.
4. All gatherings must take place in the sanctuary only, with HVAC system turned on, all windows open, fans in front of windows blowing fresh air, and HEPA air purifiers within the group’s circle of chairs turned on.
5. Please limit the size of your group to 8 participants (including facilitators) and arrange chairs 6 feet apart. Maintain 6’ social distancing throughout the gathering.
6. Groups wishing to have more than 8 people will need to obtain permission from staff.
7. Please limit the gathering to 2 hours or less.
8. Please refrain from eating or drinking inside the building.
9. Please follow posted washroom use guidelines.
10. Singing even while masked is not considered safe at this time. No singing inside the church, but do consider hand clapping, movement, rhythm instruments, etc.
11. Participants should add their name and contact information to the group leader’s sign-in sheet so they can be contacted in case of exposure.
12. Wash hands frequently; use hand sanitizer; use sanitizing wipes on shared objects and surfaces.

You can always review our full set of COVID guidelines for outdoor and indoor gatherings here.

Because we now have these guidelines, our Chalice Circles are now forming in-person or via Zoom! Follow this link for more information.

And if you’d like to host an event or have an idea for one, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact the Coming Together Team at tuuccomingtogether@gmail.com.  And as usual, all church group gatherings indoors, outdoors, or on Zoom need to be scheduled through our Church Administrator, Libby Ball.

Thank you so very much for your compassion and patience as we have researched and approved these guidelines.  They serve, after all, as our covenants with one another to respectfully gather together while honoring the needs of the most vulnerable among us.

Sincerely,

Your Coming Together Team

tuuccomingtogether@gmail.com