John Knox Presbyterian Church's Response to COVID-19 Concerns:
August 30, 2020
Dear Friends,
After long discussions, your Session has decided that it’s time for us to get back together for worship in person! Beginning this Sunday, September 6, at 10:30 a.m., we will gather in the sanctuary for the Service for the Lord’s Day. We invite all of you— if you are comfortable— to join us in person.
We know that many folks are still staying home these days, and if you are one of those, please know that we will still be recording our service and posting it on our website and on facebook. If you are in a high risk group, we encourage you to continue to worship at home rather than take the risk of being in the sanctuary. For everyone who plans to attend, monitor your own health before coming— if you have a cough, fever, shortness of breath, or any of the many symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home until you know you’re in good health.
For those who will attend, masks will be required, covering both nose and mouth, and we ask that you follow the guidelines that the ushers will share with you. Bulletins will be placed on the pews in a way that indicates where to sit, so that we are careful to stay 6 feet apart from each other. Communion will be served this week by coming forward and receiving the elements, rather than by passing plates in the pews. In addition the service will be somewhat shorter than usual, and there will be less singing than we usually do— though we will have a chance to sing together a little bit!
I know that I look forward to seeing everyone in person, and to catching up after the service outside in the courtyard or parking lot. I’m sure you all are also excited about this. Our season apart hasn’t been easy for any of us. We’ve missed a lot of time together!
For those who will be coming— see you on Sunday!
Blessings and peace to everyone,
Pastor Becky
Dear Friends,
After long discussions, your Session has decided that it’s time for us to get back together for worship in person! Beginning this Sunday, September 6, at 10:30 a.m., we will gather in the sanctuary for the Service for the Lord’s Day. We invite all of you— if you are comfortable— to join us in person.
We know that many folks are still staying home these days, and if you are one of those, please know that we will still be recording our service and posting it on our website and on facebook. If you are in a high risk group, we encourage you to continue to worship at home rather than take the risk of being in the sanctuary. For everyone who plans to attend, monitor your own health before coming— if you have a cough, fever, shortness of breath, or any of the many symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home until you know you’re in good health.
For those who will attend, masks will be required, covering both nose and mouth, and we ask that you follow the guidelines that the ushers will share with you. Bulletins will be placed on the pews in a way that indicates where to sit, so that we are careful to stay 6 feet apart from each other. Communion will be served this week by coming forward and receiving the elements, rather than by passing plates in the pews. In addition the service will be somewhat shorter than usual, and there will be less singing than we usually do— though we will have a chance to sing together a little bit!
I know that I look forward to seeing everyone in person, and to catching up after the service outside in the courtyard or parking lot. I’m sure you all are also excited about this. Our season apart hasn’t been easy for any of us. We’ve missed a lot of time together!
For those who will be coming— see you on Sunday!
Blessings and peace to everyone,
Pastor Becky
For Help and Hope...
Below is some information from Hope Disaster Recovery regarding free food delivery for anyone you may know that is in need. There is also information for those interested in helping out.
CROWD SOURCE RESCUE:
This is a FREE food delivery service of the Houston Food Bank for those who are elderly or homebound. Those in need can go to www.CrowdSourceRescue.com to register for a free delivery of groceries.
VOLUNTEERS can go to the same site to register to make home food deliveries. Once they are authorized, they can start picking up prepackaged food from a Houston Food Bank Pantry and deliver it to the pre-approved recipient.
STEPHEN MINISTERS AND PASTORAL CARE PROVIDERS
VOLUNTEER NOW!
As this pandemic worsens, our protective measures are becoming more burdensome and costly. We understand the stress and emotional affect this is having on our neighbors.
The strains of constant togetherness or isolation are showing themselves in increased irritability, loss, depression, anxiety and fear. Many are feeling hopeless and lost in the darkness.
Can you share a few hours a week to be a listening ear and to share hope to help them cope?
Hope Disaster Recovery is in the process of developing HOPELine, a virtual call-in center to offer hope and encouragement to those who have nowhere to turn. While congregations are caring well for their members, many people are not connected to any community of faith and have nowhere to turn for support and comfort.
Please consider making your caregiving skills available during this unprecedented time by volunteering to serve from the comfort of your home.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Completed the Stephen Ministries course or received pastoral care training.
2. Attend an upcoming virtual hour-long training specific to compassionate care during this pandemic.
3. Be willing to serve one shift per week (4 hours)
Please register here to volunteer. Thank you!
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy.Beasley@hopedrtx.org.
Thank you to our collaborative partners!
SHUR (Southwest Houston United Responds)
Houston's First Baptist
Naomi Paget: Chairperson of NVOAD's Emotional & Spiritual Care Committee
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CROWD SOURCE RESCUE:
This is a FREE food delivery service of the Houston Food Bank for those who are elderly or homebound. Those in need can go to www.CrowdSourceRescue.com to register for a free delivery of groceries.
VOLUNTEERS can go to the same site to register to make home food deliveries. Once they are authorized, they can start picking up prepackaged food from a Houston Food Bank Pantry and deliver it to the pre-approved recipient.
STEPHEN MINISTERS AND PASTORAL CARE PROVIDERS
VOLUNTEER NOW!
As this pandemic worsens, our protective measures are becoming more burdensome and costly. We understand the stress and emotional affect this is having on our neighbors.
The strains of constant togetherness or isolation are showing themselves in increased irritability, loss, depression, anxiety and fear. Many are feeling hopeless and lost in the darkness.
Can you share a few hours a week to be a listening ear and to share hope to help them cope?
Hope Disaster Recovery is in the process of developing HOPELine, a virtual call-in center to offer hope and encouragement to those who have nowhere to turn. While congregations are caring well for their members, many people are not connected to any community of faith and have nowhere to turn for support and comfort.
Please consider making your caregiving skills available during this unprecedented time by volunteering to serve from the comfort of your home.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Completed the Stephen Ministries course or received pastoral care training.
2. Attend an upcoming virtual hour-long training specific to compassionate care during this pandemic.
3. Be willing to serve one shift per week (4 hours)
Please register here to volunteer. Thank you!
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy.Beasley@hopedrtx.org.
Thank you to our collaborative partners!
SHUR (Southwest Houston United Responds)
Houston's First Baptist
Naomi Paget: Chairperson of NVOAD's Emotional & Spiritual Care Committee
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
713.874.6588 | www.CatholicCharities.org offers support for seniors.
The Senior Program supports older adults age 60 and up so you can live independently and with dignity. Our compassionate staff visits with seniors on an ongoing basis. We work with you to assess your needs, then provide assistance and connections to resources.
Personal attention. No fee for services.
Please see the attachment below for more information.
713.874.6588 | www.CatholicCharities.org offers support for seniors.
The Senior Program supports older adults age 60 and up so you can live independently and with dignity. Our compassionate staff visits with seniors on an ongoing basis. We work with you to assess your needs, then provide assistance and connections to resources.
Personal attention. No fee for services.
Please see the attachment below for more information.
| 2019_senior_program_12-20-19__2_.pdf |
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
FROM PRESBYTERY OF NEW COVENANT:
An expansion on what was in today's Tuesday Connect regarding Hurricane and Tropical Weather preparedness:
With COVID understandably taking over most of our bandwidth, Hurricane Season preparedness may have slipped the minds of many. This week there is potential for a tropical event that most meteorologists predict will be nothing more than a rain event for the coming weekend. As we know though, a rain event could still cause flooding and other issues for us in Southeast Texas which means we need to be prepared.
A few tips for preparedness:
*Utilize this list from ready.gov to help you in making sure you have what you need on hand. https://www.ready.gov/kit
*This list for clean up buckets from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is meant for collecting buckets for donation, but is also a great list for tools, cleaning supplies, etc that you may need in case of a disaster. https://pda.pcusa.org/page/kits/#bucket
*Ensure you have a detailed inventory of household items: furniture, electronics, keepsakes, clothing, etc. Pictures always help as does having serial numbers for your electronics when it comes time to file claims.
*Make sure you have all important documents and a list of phone numbers in a waterproof and fireproof container. You may also want to ensure you have digital copies stored in the cloud instead of only on your computer or physical hard drive. (OneDrive, Drop Box, Google Drive, and Amazon Drive are some examples of cloud storage services.)
*Make sure your flood insurance is up to date. If you do not have flood insurance, you may want to consider getting it as more places with no history of flooding have started having flooding issues. Generally, your homeowner's policy does not cover flood damage. More information about flood insurance can be found here. https://www.floodsmart.gov/
While it may not be feasible to purchase all of the items in the lists linked above at one time, you may want to consider picking up a few items with each grocery trip or online shopping order. For example, each time my family gets groceries we get a few gallons of water and canned goods to keep on hand. This keeps the cost spread out over time and allows us to avoid any shortages that could come from the rush when a storm is headed our way.
If you or your congregation are interested in getting involved in disaster preparedness and recovery, please email me, Jamie Hannan, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Coordinator for the Presbytery of New Covenant, at jhannan@pbyofnewcovenant.org. I look forward to connecting with you.
Stay safe,
This may be a good time to check to make sure you have your hurricane season supplies on hand.
See this website for a thorough list of supplies you may want to get: https://www.ready.gov/kit.
An expansion on what was in today's Tuesday Connect regarding Hurricane and Tropical Weather preparedness:
With COVID understandably taking over most of our bandwidth, Hurricane Season preparedness may have slipped the minds of many. This week there is potential for a tropical event that most meteorologists predict will be nothing more than a rain event for the coming weekend. As we know though, a rain event could still cause flooding and other issues for us in Southeast Texas which means we need to be prepared.
A few tips for preparedness:
*Utilize this list from ready.gov to help you in making sure you have what you need on hand. https://www.ready.gov/kit
*This list for clean up buckets from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is meant for collecting buckets for donation, but is also a great list for tools, cleaning supplies, etc that you may need in case of a disaster. https://pda.pcusa.org/page/kits/#bucket
*Ensure you have a detailed inventory of household items: furniture, electronics, keepsakes, clothing, etc. Pictures always help as does having serial numbers for your electronics when it comes time to file claims.
*Make sure you have all important documents and a list of phone numbers in a waterproof and fireproof container. You may also want to ensure you have digital copies stored in the cloud instead of only on your computer or physical hard drive. (OneDrive, Drop Box, Google Drive, and Amazon Drive are some examples of cloud storage services.)
*Make sure your flood insurance is up to date. If you do not have flood insurance, you may want to consider getting it as more places with no history of flooding have started having flooding issues. Generally, your homeowner's policy does not cover flood damage. More information about flood insurance can be found here. https://www.floodsmart.gov/
While it may not be feasible to purchase all of the items in the lists linked above at one time, you may want to consider picking up a few items with each grocery trip or online shopping order. For example, each time my family gets groceries we get a few gallons of water and canned goods to keep on hand. This keeps the cost spread out over time and allows us to avoid any shortages that could come from the rush when a storm is headed our way.
If you or your congregation are interested in getting involved in disaster preparedness and recovery, please email me, Jamie Hannan, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Coordinator for the Presbytery of New Covenant, at jhannan@pbyofnewcovenant.org. I look forward to connecting with you.
Stay safe,
This may be a good time to check to make sure you have your hurricane season supplies on hand.
See this website for a thorough list of supplies you may want to get: https://www.ready.gov/kit.
