Resources listed here are meant to assist you in offering pastoral care during times of serious disruption of regular routines.

5.10.2020
  • Our thanks to Rev. Dr. Bob Hill for p[assing along these helpful links:
  •  Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler’s presentation on “Self-Care for Leaders in Crisis” as part of the Kellogg’s Center for Nonprofit Management’s recent Virtual Faith Leaders Summit at Northwestern University.
    Rev. Dr. Nicholas Pearce’s presentation on “The Shepard CEO-Leading People and Congregations Through Crisis” as part of the Kellogg’s Center for Nonprofit Management’s recent Virtual Faith Leaders Summit at Northwestern University.
         Anthony Butler (of VIP - Violence I Prevent) who               regularly inspires local school leaders and                         students and who offers in our current moment a             hope-filled encouragement to pursue                                  innovation. 
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5.8.2020
  • Merriam Christian Churchmerriamcc.org/ brightened up the day for its members when leaders planted the signs above (with permission) on the lawns of those members who are observing the shelter-in-place guidelines.

























5.3.2020 
  • ​Information for Missouri workers who file for unemployment - update.

5.1.2020
4.21.2020
  • For Hospital Chaplains:  Healing the Healers - Part 1 - 11 minute video
  • White House Guidelines for the Opening
  • From Regional Minister Bill Rose-Heim:
    • Pastors, the urge to reconvene is growing stronger and may override the wisdom and concern for neighbor among some members of your congregation.  Our highest priority is the safety of those we are called to serve.  We set boundaries in congregations to reduce the chances of abuse on our campuses and we rightly expect everyone to follow them even when it creates inconvenience.  If we are willing to incur the wrath of people who chafe at practicing safe boundaries, surely we can stand up to those who who are willing to risk passing on to a visitor or another church member a disease which could kill them.
    • The virus is reported to be responsible for 42,000 deaths over a 4-month period.  The  "CDC estimates that influenza was associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses, more than 16.5 million medical visits, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths during the 2018–2019 influenza season" https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2018-2019.html, .Jan 8, 2020
    • John Richardson, Interim Regional Minister CC(DOC) in the Upper Midwest found this gem by  Andrew Yancey on Facebook:  “We should be thinking about reopening the economy as similar to the game of baseball - it's based on achievement rather than arbitrary timing.  In baseball, there is no clock.  You have to get the other team out three times before you get a chance to score runs yourself - no matter how long it takes.  Similarly, we have to achieve certain results before we can responsibly open the economy back up - sustained declining numbers of infections, robust testing and contact tracing, and adequate resources for health care workers and facilities.  It's not about picking a day on the calendar.  It's about doing what it takes to meet these milestones.”
    • From Rick Spleth, Regional Minister CC(DOC) in Indiana: Here is a link to the story in the Wichita paper I mentioned on our call.  The judge who ruled in favor of the two churches who sued the governor, nonetheless imposed 24 criteria for them to meet which would be difficult to follow.
       
      https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article242100806.html
      Broomes’ order specified 24 protocols the churches will have to follow to have in-person services:
      ·       Prior to and following the in-person service, the facility will be deep-cleaned
      ·       Invitations will be directed to regular church attendees for this in-person service
      ·       Individuals will be advised to continue to engage in “stay at home” protocols as directed by executive order 20-16 in order to attend the service
      ·       No church members are known to have had any contact with known COVID-19 confirmed cases
      ·       Attendees will be advised to perform temperature checks at home on all attendees prior to attending the service. Individuals that are ill or have fevers will not attend
      ·       High-risk individuals will be advised not to attend the in-person service
      ·       Attendees will be advised to bring their own personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves
      ·       Attendees will be advised not to engage in handshaking or other physical contact
      ·       Hand sanitizer will be available for use throughout the facility
      ·       The in-person service will be limited to 50 individuals in a space that has a capacity for 300 individuals (a cross-shaped auditorium 50 feet by 74 feet at the center; 2,950 square feet total, allowing almost 57 square feet available to each attendee at maximum social distancing)
      ·       Co-habitating family units may sit closer together but otherwise the maximum social distancing possible will be used, however, at a minimum, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended protocol will be observed with a minimum distance of at least six feet
      ·       A single point of entry and single point of exit on opposite sides of the building will be used, establishing a one-way traffic pattern to ensure social distancing
      ·       Ventilation will be increased as much as possible, opening windows and doors, as weather permits
      ·       These procedures will be communicated to church members in advance of the service
      ·       Church bulletin and offering plates will not be used during the service
      ·       Attendees will be advised to wash their clothes following the service
      ·       If Church leadership becomes aware of a clear, immediate, and imminent threat to the safety of the attendees or cannot follow the protocols listed above, the gathering will be immediately disbanded.
      ·       Splitting out pews and marking designated sitting areas to keep non-cohabitating congregants at least six feet apart before, during, and after the worship service
      ·       Marking multiple entrances to encourage socially distanced foot traffic
      ·       Propping doors open to prevent the need for congregants to touch doors while entering and exiting the church or sanctuary
      ·       Suspending passing offering plates and bulletins
      ·       Actively discouraging handshaking or other social touching
      ·       Offering hand sanitizer throughout the building
      ·       Providing face masks to offer to any interested persons


4.18.2020  Special thanks to Laura Phillips for alerting us to:
  • Dr. Naomi Paget, B.C.C., B.C.E.T.S. Fellow, National Center for Crisis Management March 2020 Dr. Naomi Paget, BCC, BCETS 2 Ministry During Pandemic: From Awareness to Implementation, 
  • Laura wrote in the GKC Disciples Leaders Responding With Faith, Hope, and Love Facebook page:                     Dr. Naomi K. Paget BCC is one of the leaders in the field of disaster spiritual care, crisis management and traumatic stress.  She wrote the book: Ministry During Pandemic: From Awareness to Implementation over the last year. She had a contract in hand to publish it. You know how long it takes to just do the mechanics of publishing. She wrote the following:
    "It wasn’t going to be ready until 4-6 months, so I decided to just give it to everyone for free. We needed this now, not in 6 months! So, yes, by all means, share it with anyone you feel appropriate. The work is mine so no special attribution needs to happen."
    Please download this book and make use of it. Further, PLEASE share the link and book with your denomination and other leaders of faith communities. Dr. Chaplain Paget has offered to us an amazing and much needed resource at this time. What WE need to do as chaplains is to get this distributed as widely as possible.

4.13.2020
  • Resources provided by Dr. Kevin Becker during a conference with Regional Ministers today include a helpful diagram of the Psychological Life Cycle of a Disaster, End of life Support for COVID 19, and Spiritual Resources for Hard Times with prayers, tips, and other helpful elements in several languages from Massachusetts General Hospital - shared with permission.
  • Thanks to Brandon Gilvin for sharing this link on the Disciples Clergy Facebook page to a 15-minute video on Staying Together While We Are Apart from the Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment

4.9.2020
​
People staying home may need a little extra and affordable outlets.  The Kansas City Film Festival will be virtual this year (and other virtual entertainment events featured in the KC Star today)

4.8.2020

Resources from our colleagues Rev. Dr. Robert Howard Community Christian Church, Tempe, AZ:
Death, Dying, & Funerals After COVID-19: Online Resources

Guidance for Ministries to the Dying and Bereaved During Social Distancing (United Methodist)
https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/10241/guidance-for-ministries-to-the-dying-and-berea
ved-during-social-distancing

Digital Pastoral Care for Grief: Individual & Collective (United Church of Christ)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sdalu3udRXIadlo9A_E0J2URF0EqzXHAFlQUhXl_esY/e
dit

Guide for Christian Funerals During COVID19
https://www.masscouncilofchurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2020.03.24-Christian-Fune
rals-during-COVID19-Version-3.0.pdf

Guidance for Funeral Practices : Ministering to the Bereaved During a Public Health Crisis
(ELCA)
https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Guidance_for_funeral_practices_d
uring_a_public_health_crisis.pdf

Death, Grief and Funerals in a Time of Social Distancing (Presbyterian Church of Canada)
https://presbyterian.ca/downloads/68386/

Responsive Prayer Model for On-line Funeral (United Church of Christ)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jC1jDMOvOYwpyhy-KeCi97ScC9Ps4ptG-F_LG5d_MXk
/edit

Supporting the Bereaved During COVID-19
https://good-grief.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Supporting-the-Bereaved-During-
COVID-19.pdf

Funerals in the Time of a Pandemic: A Toolkit for Children & Families
https://good-grief.org/wordpress/wp-content/themes/x-child/pdf/Children-Funerals-and-a-Pande
mic.pdf

A Simple Reflection at Home on the Day of a Funeral You Can’t Attend (Church of England)
https://cofeportsmouth.contentfiles.net/media/assets/file/A_simple_reflection.pdf
A Time of Reflection When You Can’t Attend a Funeral (Methodist UK)
https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/16626/i-cant-get-to-a-funeral.pdf

4.4.2020
  • ELDERS AND DEACONS CONFERENCE: An opportunity to check in with each other share concerns, discoveries, and successes. Recorded first session Apr 2, 2020 06:58 PM  Focus turned toward contacting members and offering spiritual and emotional support.
    • Next Session: May 7, 7 pm. (Will send out more Zoom information closer to that date.)

4.2.2020              Here is a paper written by Carrie Doehring, of Iliff School of Theology, to help those who are trying to help                     others during this Coronavirus crisis, available here.
       
              10 guidelines for pastoral care during the coronavirus outbreak by Eileen R. Campbell-Reed
             
              4 guidelines for improvising pastoral leadership through a pandemic by Eileen R. Campbell-Reed

             COVID-19 Resources for Faith Communities: Congregational Care Emory University Interfaith Health           
​             Program