Important Message from Pastor Adam
August 24, 2021

Dear Clackamas UCC,

After many conversations, studying the virus and the Delta variant, and prayer, I have decided that we need to temporarily halt in-person worship until the Delta variant subsides. 

The trend for cases during the last few weeks has been rising at high levels throughout Oregon and in Clackamas County. Currently, Clackamas County has 22,596 confirmed cases with a rising number of cases each day. The Delta variant continues to spread quickly and much of it is unknown. The confirmed cases do not count the many people in our county who have the virus but refuse to seek medical help. Hospitalization rates are at an all-time high due to the virus, with emergency room hospital beds taken up by folks infected with COVID. 

Like us, many of our fellow Portland area UCC congregations began worshiping when the restrictions were lifted earlier this summer. They wore masks, were vaccinated, and were socially distanced, and yet many of them had breakthrough cases, so they went back to online worship. I don’t want to wait for a breakthrough case in our community before we make this decision. I realize that most of us are vaccinated and we are doing a great job wearing masks, but we do have many vulnerable members and I want to err on the side of caution. This is especially the case as our children go back to school and medical professionals are expecting an even higher increase in the spread of the virus during the month of September. 

This is a very difficult decision. It has been a great joy to be together on Sundays. But I think safety requires us to temporarily halt in-person worship for the time being. The Worship Committee, the Trustees, and I will continue to monitor the situation. Hopefully, the projected rise in cases will stop in the near future and we will be able to worship in person again soon.

Until then, we will go back to worshipping solely online. Worship will be on our Facebook Page and YouTube Channel Sundays at 9 am Pacific. I have this Sunday and the following Sunday off, so we will have a recorded worship service on both days that will appear on Facebook and YouTube at 9 am. We will go back to live online worship services on the second Sunday of September.

As always, I invite you to contact me if you have any comments, questions, or would just like to talk.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Adam
adam@c-ucc.org