Winthrop Congregational Church,
United Church of Christ
No matter who you are. No matter where you are on life's journey. You are welcome here!
Wash Your Hands, Call Each other, and Keep Praying: Our Christian Response to COVID-19
Our church community endeavors to accept and embrace all who enter here. We welcome individuals of every race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, marital standing, socio-economic status, age, physical and mental ability to join us in the ministry of our church. All are invited to participate in worship, fellowship, and leadership
**Update as of June 17th, 2021**
As vaccination rates go up in our state and county, it seems to be the time to make plans to regather in-person. Our plans are below.
Beloveds in Christ,
The church council has been meeting regularly since March 2020 to continue our discernment on how we will function as a church in the midst of COVID-19. As you can probably imagine, these prayerful conversations have been a significant part of the last year and a half of our shared life as a church. We do not want our church to be a place where people get sick. We also believe that what is essential about our church is the relationships we have with God and with one another. We have a clear commitment to care for the most vulnerable in our community and also be guided by scientific recommedations for regathering.
As of our most recent church council meeting, here is what our next steps are as a community:
Pastor Chrissy
**Update as of June 17th, 2021**
As vaccination rates go up in our state and county, it seems to be the time to make plans to regather in-person. Our plans are below.
Beloveds in Christ,
The church council has been meeting regularly since March 2020 to continue our discernment on how we will function as a church in the midst of COVID-19. As you can probably imagine, these prayerful conversations have been a significant part of the last year and a half of our shared life as a church. We do not want our church to be a place where people get sick. We also believe that what is essential about our church is the relationships we have with God and with one another. We have a clear commitment to care for the most vulnerable in our community and also be guided by scientific recommedations for regathering.
As of our most recent church council meeting, here is what our next steps are as a community:
- We sent out a survey to gain a better sense of where our regular attendees are in terms of need and ability to gather in person. Thanks to everyone who filled out a survey. According to your responses, a good chunk of the church is ready to try to worship in-person on July 11th. Another good chunk of the church would like to continue to worship on zoom through August or September. We will continue running zoom while also gathering in-person. We will work on hybrid worship services where both are an option.
- Lots of folks are interested in outdoor services this summer. Once the browntail moth caterpillars start turning into moths in mid to late July, we'll work on planning some outdoor services (that will still be available on zoom).
- A lot of our plans rely on us being able to hire new cleaners, which the trustees are working on right now.
- Because we are committed to caring for the folks most at risk and we are also aware that many of our regular attendees are fully vaccinated, here are some safety measures we are putting into place:
- Worship outside: masks are optional but will not be required; no physical distancing will be required.
- Worship Inside: Given who is currently allowed to be vaccinated and who usually comes to worship in-person, one third of our in-person worshippers could be unvaccinated on any given Sunday. Also, while we have tall ceilings, we do not have central air, which helps with ventilation. The local schools plan to require masks for all in the fall. The council believes that it will be safest and most equitable to continue to ask for universal masking inside. Also, for those who would like it, the pews on the right side aisle (facing the altar) will be reserved for those who want to physically distance.
- We plan to re-evaluate all of these practices in September (hopefully, as more people get vaccinated, we will continue to have decreases in Covid cases in Maine and in Kennebec County).
- Hospitality: fellowship will be held outside all summer (again, mostly due to concerns about ventilation in the Fellowship hall). We won't be sharing food but people can bring their own snacks. Water bottles will be provided. Committees will be asked to take a Sunday to provide the water.
- Music continues to be tricky to plan for. We love and miss singing together. Unfortunately, group singing is among the highest risk activities to the unvaccinated (which, again, could be up to one third of our in-person worship based on pre-Covid attendance). That being said,
- Inside: piano, organ, and stringed instruments will be great. No live singing and no wind instruments. We can play recordings of folks singing.
- Outside: For now, we will stick with solo singers/instrumentalists and small, fully-vaccinated trios or quartets; no singing by the congregation (but clap all you want!)
- Communion: we can purchase prepackaged communion items at a reasonable cost. Recycling bags will be provided at a central location on the way out where people can drop off their prepackaged containers.
- The Offering plate will be in the back of the sanctuary or worship space rather than passed around. We can continue to use Paypal for online donations.
- Summer worship will continue to start at 10:00 am, rather than shift to 9:30, as was our pre-covid practice in the summer.
- AA: If we are back in the sanctuary, they can resume meetings once we find a cleaner.
- Everything will be reevaluated in September: masks, physical distancing, hospitality, music, singing, continuing with Zoom, etc.
- June 20: Pastor Chrissy and Pastor Intern Becky will broadcast from the Sanctuary as a “test run”. Tasha will be the Zoom Tech. All others will connect via Zoom (please call the church office at 377-2063 if you'd like the zoom link and don't already have it).
- June 27: Same as above, with a small group of parishioners who will be invited to attend in person (preference given to those who do not have the internet)
- July 4: Zoom only with Communion
- July 11 and ongoing throughout the summer: Hybrid services
- August 29 Zoom only Worship Service with Pastor Becky Walker while Pastor Chrissy is on vacation
Pastor Chrissy
We are now gathering in person with a ZOOM Hybrid Service for Worship.
See you at 10 AM on Sunday mornings.
See you at 10 AM on Sunday mornings.
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We are an Open and Affirming Church.
What does that mean? No matter who you are... No matter what your occupation... No matter what your race or ethnicity... No matter what your age... No matter where you live... No matter what your sexuality or gender identity... No matter where you are on life's journey… You are God's child and you are welcome here. When do we worship together? We currently conduct Worship Services in person and on ZOOM Sunday, 10:00 am Where are we located? 10 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop, ME 04364 [on the corner of Main and Bowdoin streets] Click here for map. How can you reach us? Tel: (207) 377-2063 or Leave a message at (207) 358-9343 E-mail: wccucc@fairpoint.net Webpage: www.wccucc.org |
Church Office Hours
Tuesday & Thursday: 9 am - 1 pm Mobility issues? Each floor of our church is accessible via elevator. |
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Minister: Pastor Chrissy Cataldo ~ Office Administrator: Cyndi Hall
Our church is part of the United Church of Christ. For more information on The United Church of Christ (UCC), go to www.ucc.org.
More information on the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ can be found at www.maineucc.org.
More information on the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ can be found at www.maineucc.org.
