The vendor for our free telehealth service has changed from MDLive to Teledoc effective January 1, 2022. A Welcome Kit from Teledoc will soon be mailed to all health plan enrollees. This kit will provide instructions on how to set up their account with Teledoc. Telehealth visits through this vendor are free – no copays! Visit the Insurance webpage for more details.
Congregational COVID Update – January 4, 2022
As people who follow Jesus Christ, we remember his words, “As you did it unto one of the least of these, you did it to me.” Jesus connects the way we respond to the most vulnerable among us as the way we respond to Jesus. In this time of pandemic, we continue to hold and protect the health of those who are immuno-compromised or health-compromised in other ways. We do this out of Christian love and we do this as a way of following and worshipping Emmanuel, God with us. With these thoughts in mind, here are our latest COVID-19 updates.
Omicron continues to ravage the state of North Carolina. Omicron is generating many more cases than previous variants. Although only a small percentage of the total infected will become extremely ill, because of the immense numbers of those who are becoming or will become infected, we can expect that more people in our congregations and communities will experience serious illness. One significant outcome of this is that hospitals are overwhelmed by COVID patients and are then unable to provide immediate acute care for trauma, heart attacks, strokes, and other emergency care. In protecting ourselves through vaccinations, masking, distancing, and virtual gatherings, we protect our neighbors, and thus, do the will of Christ.
All masks are not created equal. Cloth masks are much less effective at preventing infection from the Omicron variant. Dr. Wesley Wallace, our resident Disaster medicine physician, offers the following for updated mask information:
“Several of you have asked for information on more protective masks now that the incredibly infectious Omicron is upon us. Here is some information you might find helpful. In this video, Aaron Collins, a chatty aerosol engineer talks about effective masks and names some of his favorites. You can find a compilation of his data here. There is a lot to look at, primarily you want a mask that has a high filtration efficiency and a low-pressure drop. It also needs to fit you well. At the far right-hand side of the spreadsheet are sources for these masks. Be cautious about ordering from Amazon or eBay—lots of problems with counterfeits on these sites. If this all gets to be too much just follow the recommendations in the Collins video.”
To see Dr. Wallace’s Monday COVID-19 update, follow this link using your nccumc.org email address: 2022-01-03 Faith Community COVID-19 Update.
Dr. Christine Harman Retires, Other Staff Changes Announced
![Chris Harman](https://nccumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/chris-harman-new.jpg)
We in the North Carolina Conference celebrate the retirement of Dr. Christine Harman. Dr. Harman served on the staff of Connectional Ministries as the Director of Christian Formation from July 2010 – December 31, 2021. Previously, she served on staff in the Kentucky Annual Conference (KAC) for 10 years. Dr. Harman was incredibly active in the United Methodist Church, serving as a delegate to General Conference four times and as the KAC Lay Delegate Leader in 2008. While in the North Carolina Conference, Dr. Harman was a key leader in Discipleship development, helping to create The Disciple-Making Way, a discipleship process to lead congregations to deeper discipleship beyond the walls of the church. She also developed a dynamic online training platform for Certified Lay Minister training. Dr. Harman also supported multiple other ministry areas such as Lay Servant Ministries, Evangelism and Discipleship, Church and Society, and other ministries. A leader in the work of Spiritual Formation, during her time in the North Carolina Conference, she also published “For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts.”
“Your passion in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is contagious, and your roots in ministry among us will continue to spread far and deep for generations to come.”
Rev. Terry Williams
We will deeply miss Christine’s wisdom, quick wit, intellectual curiosity, and deep Christian maturity that always called us to deeper and more effective ministry. We pray God’s continued blessings on Dr. Harman as she continues her journey with Christ and in a well-earned retirement.
“There are so many people who you have touched, so many people whose lives are different because Christine Harman was there for them.”
Steve Taylor
Continuing with the Connectional Table’s realignment work, Ms. Leah Wiebe-Smith will serve as Director of Leadership Development and Christian Formation and will work as staff liaison with Lay Servant Ministries, the Board of Laity, and Certified Lay Ministry. Dr. Josey Snyder will serve as Associate Director of Leadership Development and Christian Formation. Ms. Ani Simpkins will serve as Leadership Development and Christian Formation Administrative Assistant. Home Missioner Steve Taylor will serve as Connectional Ministries staff liaison with Conference Youth Ministries. Ms. Wiebe-Smith continues as the Director of the Center for Leadership Excellence. Ms. Simpkins continues to support the work of Conference Youth Ministries. If you have any questions about the changes, please contact Home Missioner Steve Taylor at staylor@nccumc.org.
Episode 4: The Great Thanksgiving (Paragraph 1)
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you…
In this month’s episode of the Grace for the Future podcast, Bishop Leonard Fairley and his guests, Pastor Won Namkoong, an elder from the North Carolina Annual Conference, and Rev. Robert Amundsen, an elder in the Central Appalachian Missionary Conference (formerly the Red Bird Missionary Conference), discuss The Great Thanksgiving section of the Communion liturgy.
What does it mean when the pastor takes the bread, the body of Christ, and offers it to the congregants? What does it mean to receive the body of Christ as a congregant? How does this means of Grace inform who we are as Christians? The two pastors and Bishop Fairley discuss this very meaningful portion of our Communion service. Join us for this month’s episode of Grace for the Future!
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Updated & Aligned COVID-19 Recommendations
![COVID-19 Omicron Update](https://nccumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/covid_omicron_update.jpg)
As the COVID-19 Omicron variant increases, we have reviewed and aligned our recommendations with the updated CDC guidance. We strongly urge you to follow the CDC guidelines and take the necessary precautions to guard the health of your congregation and community.
Here are a few resources available:
- In-Person Community and Worship: Recommendations for navigating church life in a pandemic.
- COVID-19 Scenarios and Our Congregations: Recommended actions for COVID-19 scenarios congregations may encounter.
- Coronavirus Resources: a wealth of information about COVID-19 risk, vaccination, financial assistance, mental health resources, ways to stay connected, and more.
Status of 2022 BCBS cards
Blue Cross Blue Shield sent participants’ insurance cards to the vendor today. The cards will need to be produced and mailed before participants begin to receive them. All participants are in the BCBS system, however, so coverage is active regardless of having the insurance card in hand.