Hello –
Back in 2010 when we had such a snowy January and February the Worship Team spent some time discussing winter weather and how to handle. We said we’d share with the congregation yearly which I’m not sure we’ve done or needed to do since. But with snow falling gently outside right now, and some accumulation predicted overnight, here’s an outline so you have a better idea what to expect tomorrow.
The main thing to know is that the 10:30am worship service will NOT be cancelled – tomorrow or any Sunday. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that even if we wanted to cancel there will inevitably be folks who leave home and arrive to church and wouldn’t be fair to those folks to change things up. Second, on any given Sunday there will be folks who need to be in community together, or to share a heavy Joy or Sorrow, for whom having a service may be really important, or even life and death. Third, with our urban location in a walkable neighborhood during severe weather we actually tend to get more neighbors walking over for service who aren’t up for travelling to their home church but are looking for a place to worship.
So tomorrow – and every Sunday – there will be a service. In 2010 we had two Sundays where we held intimate fireside style services in the Emerson Room, and people showed up on cross-country skis. If the weather means that speakers, musicians, etc, can’t make it, then the service format may be a little different. But we’ll still be there for anyone who can make it! And we’ll make sure the sidewalks are shoveled and steps are cleared and you can get in and out of the building safely.
With that said, we understand that everyone is coming from different parts of town, and that roads or travel snafus may be enough to keep you home on some days. We certainly want you to evaluate the trip from your home to the North Side and make sure your personal safety is primary in your decision.
If we have updates to share we’ll post them to the Allegheny website so check there for the latest.
So enjoy the beauty of a winter storm tonight! I don’t know about you but I find shoveling snow to be a great spiritual practice. And hope to see you at Allegheny on Sunday.
Mark Tomlinson
President, Board of Trustees
Allegheny UU Church
alleghenyuu.org