WellSprings Band, LIVE!

Join us as the WellSprings Band reunites to play – live and in-person! – for the first time in over a year, at the Montgomery School. Come sit outside and enjoy the music on Sunday, June 27^th at 1pm, and help us rededicate the gathering space of our beloved spiritual home.

Since we’ll be entirely outdoors, we’ve set a rain date for July 11^th at 1pm. If you’re excited to join us, you may want to save both dates, on your calendar!

You might have questions about what gathering in person, as a whole community, will look like – so we’ve prepared a Q&A, below. If you have additional questions that aren’t answered here, please feel free to contact office@wellspringsuu.org.

---

Where exactly will we be, on the school’s campus?

We’ll gather on the lawn in front of Bell Hall. The band will be playing under the covered patio in front of the Gresh Center. We’ll have a speaker system set up so you can hear the music, all throughout the space. The playground is open and will be available for families with young children.

What safety precautions will be in place for Covid-19?

• Outdoor Only. Our event will be entirely outdoors. In case of inclement weather on June 27, we will reschedule to a rain date of July 11.

• BYO Food/Drink. We will not be serving food or drink. You may bring your own food and drink, if you choose. No alcohol is permitted at WellSprings events.

• Masks. The CDC recently announced new guidelines, indicating that fully vaccinated people can attend small outdoor gatherings without wearing masks. Masks are still recommended for medium or large-sized outdoor gatherings, even for vaccinated people. None of those size categories are strictly defined, in the guidance – and we can’t assume that everyone attending a WellSprings event will be fully vaccinated, especially while young children are still ineligible for the vaccine. We don’t know exactly how many people will join us on June 27th. Our best guess is that somewhere between 75 and 150 people may attend.
  
  Considering all of this, we will ask that you practice something called “masks on the move.” While arriving and leaving, moving around the grounds, or in any situation where social distancing can not be maintained, please wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth. When you are seated and enjoying the music, masks may be removed.

• Distancing. We’ve chosen a site on the Montgomery School grounds that offers plenty of space to spread out, and offers a mix of lawn, shade, and covered patio seating options. We encourage you to choose a seating area at a comfortable distance from others, and to always ask before approaching another household’s seating area.
  
  Please also assume social distancing as the default, and practice asking for consent before closely approaching another person. Everyone will not have the same norms, or comfort levels, when interacting with people outside their household. This may be the first sizable gathering some of us have attended, since March 2020. Take good care with each other, especially with those you haven’t seen since before the pandemic. Ask before approaching within six feet, and especially before touching or hugging – and families, please ask your children to give space, and practice good consent and care behaviors, as well. Remember not to take a “no, thank you” personally, if you receive one. It’s ok for all of us to re-adjust to being in public spaces at our own speeds.

• Sanitizing & Supplies. Wipes and sanitizer will be available at various spots throughout the campus grounds, including near doors and bathrooms. Masks will be provided for anyone who arrives without one.

Want to see what we have planned for kids? Click here to read about Miss Carol’s activities for the day.

Do we need to bring our own chairs? Will seating areas be accessible?

Yes, we do ask that you bring your own blankets and/or lawn chairs. We will have a very small number available to borrow. (If you have extra that you’re willing to lend, please bring them too!) There are now tree stump-style seats installed on parts of the School lawn, for those who don’t mind them. The covered patio at the top of the hill (in front of Bell Hall) is accessible by ramp from the Cafeteria-side parking lot, and has fixed bench seating. Please leave those seats open for anyone who has trouble maneuvering on grass.

I heard singing isn’t safe. Can we sing along with the band?

Singing together in enclosed spaces is widely regarded as one of the least safe activities during the pandemic, yes. This is part of why we are gathering outside – distance and outdoor airflow are, according to current research, the best ways to mitigate the risks of singing together. The band will be spread out within their performance area, which will be more than 20 ft away from the seating area. As attendees, you will have a very large area in which to spread out for seating, and to space yourself away from others according to your comfort level. When you are seated in your space and enjoying the music, you are welcome to sing. Again, we ask everyone in attendance to practice “masks on the move” and to always ask before approaching or entering another household’s seating area.

You can access a full lyrics list for our concert at this link!

Will bathrooms be open?

Yes, bathroom facilities will be available inside the Montgomery School. Masks must be worn when inside all Montgomery School buildings, no exceptions.

Will the concert be live-streamed?

Yes! For anyone who can’t attend in person or prefers to watch online, you can see our band’s first live show in over a year at 1pm on our YouTube channel.

So… does this mean we’re back?

Yes and no. Our first in-person event in over a year will give us a chance to test some things out for Sunday services. We’ll start getting answers to questions like: “how many people want to return to in-person events at WellSprings?” and “how do we livestream an event that people will want to watch, and will still feel included in, from afar?”

We’ll take our first crack at testing out appropriate safety guidelines for our community, and have a chance to get your feedback after the event – especially on guidelines for gatherings where both children and adults are present. Going slow also gives our staff time to work out some technical questions, and to recruit new volunteers that will be needed in order to restart in-person YouthSpirit, and livestream an in-person service every Sunday.

Hosting this first event gets us one step closer to figuring these things out – and we plan to take what we learn in June to inform future gathering plans, including plans for Sunday services, over the next few months.

Is there a goal or timeline for returning to in-person services?

If all goes well this summer, our goal is to be back in person for weekly worship by WellCome Back Sunday, in September – with a simultaneous weekly livestream of our service, from the inside of Bell Hall.

We hope to see you on June 27th!