Ideas to stay connected from a distance
In this time of crisis there are many opportunities to pray, reach others and discover new ways of doing things and being church. Through this time God will continue be with us and show us may positive ways to relate together.
Sunday Services
We shall be making a virtual service available from this Sunday morning – this will include links to songs, a talk, readings, prayer and all age talk and opportunities to interact through live streaming.
We will continue to provide recorded or paper resources for those that need it.
Details of how to access this will be sent out shortly.
Inviting your help
As we develop new ways of working we are seeking help from those who have technical and production skills as we put on virtual services. Please get in touch with Shona or Graham if you can help.
Groups – small groups, home groups etc
The guidance is that you do not meet at the moment.
We suggest the following:
Hold a virtual meeting by Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook or Zoom
You can find details by checking online – for instance Zoom offers a free 40 minutes meeting with one person signing up as a host.
If virtual technology doesn’t work for you then why not send an email to one another and agree to meet and pray in your homes at the same time in the week.
Ring each other in your group 2 or 3 times a week.
You may consider meeting up safely by meeting in a park and going for a walk together, whilst keeping a safe distance. Please be aware that children are unlikely to keep the necessary safe distance. If you do this remember to travel in separate cars.
Please remember:
SOCIAL DISTANCING = avoiding all non-essential contact with others, and staying at home as much as humanly possible to reduce the risk of catching the infection. For at-risk groups ie over 70s, pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions or taking meds that risk their immunity…
SELF ISOLATION = staying at home COMPLETELY 100% (and even staying by yourself within the home where possible) for 7/14 days (depending on if symptoms vs household contact) because you or a member of your household have symptoms to reduce the risk of transmitting infection to others.
Buddying Up and visiting neighbours
Please be especially aware of those who are vulnerable or have been asked to self-isolate. Currently over a third of our church falls into this category. We are developing a network of pastoral care, please contact Jane Coates (07824317650) to volunteer to help. We are looking for those who can make calls and run basis errands.
Members of the Pastoral Care Team will be in regular telephone contact with those who are in the over 70 or ‘at risk’ and all who are required to self-isolate at home. Other members of the church have also been invited to offer support with regular telephone contact and with offers of appropriate practical support.
Here is a form you can copy and give out:
You can connect with friends and neighbours by ringing and checking the following things:
- How are they – physical health, mental well-being?
- Are they able to move around and do what they usually do at home?
- Do they have telephone contact with friends/other social support?
- Have they got enough food in the house at present? How are they getting their essential items of shopping?
- Have they got all the medication that they need – is this organised to be delivered by their pharmacy?
- Is their house working as it should e.g. heating on, lighting etc?
- Have they got things to do to occupy themselves?
- Is there anything urgent which they need posting?
- What would you like me to pray for?
Pastoral Follow Up
At the bottom of this note are useful contacts for Senior people in need of support.
If you have a concern when you are in touch with someone please get in touch with Shona or Graham.
Meetings of church
We are looking to enable meetings of teams and church to happen virtually through something like ‘Zoom’, we shall send details round before meetings are held.
We shall be in touch with any special invitations for prayer, support or gathering virtually.
Shona Shaw 07735458661 Graham Brownlee 07979343857
Moortown Baptist Church Leadership Team.
Useful Websites and Contact Numbers
Government Guidance on Preparing to Stay at Home
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#things-to-help-you-prepare-now
Government Guidance on Social Distancing and Accessing Essential Services: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults
NHS info on coronavirus:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
NHS 111 – checking symptoms and get advice: https://111.nhs.uk/ Or dial 111.
Mental Health Support – Taking care of your mental well-being during coronavirus outbreak, including advice, resources and links to helplines and local services
https://www.mindwell-leeds.org.uk/home/information-on-coronavirus
CarersUK – General advice for carers: https://www.carersuk.org/ and also coronavirus-specific e.g. how to make a contingency plan if you are a carer, how to protect those who you care for: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19 CarersLeeds helpline – 0113 380 4300 (Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri 9am-4.30pm, Weds 8am-6.30pm).
AgeUK Information and advice on all aspects of growing older: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/and also coronavirus advice: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/conditions-illnesses/coronavirus/
AgeUK Free Helpline – 0800 678 1602, Open 365 days a year from 8am-7pm
Silverline Free Helpline – 0800 470 8090, Open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
68% of calls are made at nights and weekends. Helpline for older people, includes services such as telephone friendship where a volunteers are matched to a person who they make a 30 minute telephone call to, once a week https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/
Leeds Directory – Information on checked and vetted local services and tradespeople
https://www.leedsdirectory.org/ Leeds Directory – 0113 378 4610 (weekdays 9-5)
Care and Repair – https://care-repair-leeds.org.uk/ Independent Home Improvement Agency with charitable status. Currently offering telephone assessments for fitting of grabrails, bathing equipment, and heating issues such as broken boiler/gas fire and contractors will then visit to carry out the work. Telephone to check eligibility for assessment: 0113 2406009
By 5pm this evening today’s Church at Home Service, which was streamed live via Facebook had reached a total of 2,141 people, it had attracted 627 engagements (that’s viewers sending messages in) and 123 individual comments. That my friends is remarkable!
Hosted from home by Shona, Tom and Rosanna Shaw the service was a mix of live streaming and material that had been pre recorded. There were songs and hymns, an all age talk from Shelley (ably assisted by Daisy and Rowan), a mini sermon from Graham, a vigorous exercise session from the Thompson family of Hillsprints Church fame and prayers led by Ann and Joe.
