UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP

of CHARLOTTE COUNTY

Dennis Shaw, Board President  
Rev. Dr. Dan Lambert

March 13, 2020
Beloveds,

News of the Coronavirus has been all over the media the past couple of weeks, and the UUFCC Board has been following developments closely. After consultation with five medical professionals from our fellowship, and based on the recommendation of the UUA, the Board unanimously voted last night to cancel all activities, including the Sunday morning service, effective Saturday, March 14, at noon.  Please share this information with anyone that you know of who doesnot do email.

We realize that this may seem drastic and may be an overreaction. That may turn out to be true, but we firmly believe that now is a time for extreme caution. If you would like more details on why this decision was made, please read to the end.

Because community is the most important reason that most people attend UUFCC, we will work to have as much community as possible using a variety of electronic formats. In fact, we are working on plans to have some type of worship experience to share via outlets such as ZOOM and Facebook this coming Sunday. We will communicate those details as soon as we have them worked out.

Please know that you are not alone and that we do not want you to feel isolated during this challenging time. It's hard to know what to believe and what is being exaggerated or under reported. Rev. Dan, the Board, and the Caring Team will all be available to contact people simply to make sure we're in touch. Rev. Dan will be available for regular pastoral care visits, even in homes and hospitals. Email Rev. Dan at minister@uufcc.org or call him at 561-628-6954.

Dear Ones, this is uncharted territory for us all. There is no book to read or best practices to follow when facing a real global pandemic. We ask for patience and understanding as we work together to figure out how to best keep everyone safe while still ministering to spiritual and personal needs.

We'll do some things well and make mistakes on others. We have only your best interest and that of our community at heart.

Here are some of the factors that convinced us that this is the best decision:

* The UUA recommendations.
* Many of our most respected research universities have gone to online learning and closed their dorms to students.             These are schools that have world-renown epidemiologists.
* Most professional, college, and high school sporting events have been cancelled.
* We know that our heath care system is not equipped to process the number of tests needed to confirm or deny potential Coronavirus cases.
* There is confirmed Coronavirus in Charlotte County.
* The world-wide trend indicates that the virus spreads exponentially once it hits an area.
* People are contagious for many days before they show symptoms, so waiting until there are more confirmed cases is not reasonable.
* People over 60 and those with underlying medical conditions are most susceptible to severe symptoms of the virus, and that describes the majority of our fellowship.
* Coronavirus is VERY contagious.
* There is no treatment or cure for those who get sick.
* There is no vaccine available yet.
* There are certainly a great many more people who have Coronavirus than have tested positive because not everyone who needs to be tested has been tested.
* Even people who never get sick from this virus can be carriers to others who will get sick from exposure.

So overall, it's just not worth the risk of anyone of us passing Coronavirus to any of the rest of us. The only way to prevent the spread at UUFCC is to practice the recommended social distancing. Canceling all activities for a time is the most effective way to accomplish that.

Please contact Rev. Dan or any Board member with questions.

Look for more information about how we plan to keep connected!

Stay healthy and remember to be a blessing!

In the Spirit of Love,

Dennis Shaw & Rev. Dan

Sunday Services - 10:30 am

Thursday Meditation - 5 pm

Office Hours:

Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Tuesday and Friday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Email Contacts at:
minister@uufcc.org

Rev. Dr. Dan Lambert