Who is a Parish Nurse?

Our Parish Nurse is Joy Eastridge, RN, BSN.  She joined our staff in January of 2005.  Prior to that she was the Parish Nurse at another local church for over 7 years.  A graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1983, Joy has worked in a variety of settings as a nurse including pediatrics, medical/ surgical, and home health.

What is a Parish Nurse?
A Parish Nurse is a professional nurse who works in a church setting.  She works to promote wholeness so that parishioners stay healthy in body, mind and spirit.

What does a Parish Nurse do?
A Parish Nurse can extend and expand the ministry and outreach of the laity and staff.  She can serve as a resource, and advocate, and as a connector between those who desire to serve and those who are in need of help. 

 lu Shot Clinic

 

On Wednesday, October 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. Gina Pinney, PhD, will be administering flu shots. The cost is $20 and she will bill all insurance. Coverage can be determined at the time of the shot.

 

 Current CDC guidelines include the following:

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that the following groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications: 

  1. Pregnant women
  2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
  3. People 50 years of age and older
  4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
  5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
  6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
    1. Health care workers
    2. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
    3. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

 

 Who Should Not Be Vaccinated

There are some people who should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician. These include:

  • People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
  • People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
  • People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
  • Children younger than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
  • People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)

 

Medicare 101

 

On Wednesday, September 14, at 4:00 p.m. in room 141, Melody Conkin from the Area Agency on Aging will answer your questions about Medicare. Whether you are new to the system or just have questions about changes, come by that day and hear what Melody has to say.

 

A Poem about Halo Haircuts…

 

Ida Louise Smith, a member of another local Methodist Church, came by Halo Haircuts one day and let us give her a haircut. The next day we received this thank you note in the form of a poem in the mail.

 

Halo Haircuts

 

There is a need

Yes – indeed

For a helping hand

In this mountain land.

Volunteers meet

Every other week

To cut hair

And give care

To those in need.

Their halos are aglow

As God looks below

And blesses them.

 

Halo Haircuts is going well. We have been privileged to serve many people from the community by giving them a good haircut and a dose of TLC. We now have 10 volunteer stylists. We still need more church members to serve as receptionists once a month or once every other month. Let us know if you would like to help by calling Joy Eastridge at 224-1512.

 

Grief Recovery Starts Back

 

            On October 11, at 5:30 p.m., we will be starting another Grief Recovery group which meets in the library. If you or someone you know would like to participate, please call John Wilson.

            Grief recovery can be a slow and difficult process. Some of us take it in fits and spurts and others plow on through. With either approach, the support of a group can be very therapeutic and help the process move along.

            Pray about joining this group and let John know if you have questions or concerns. Remember, this group is open to the community.

 

CPR/AED Training

 

            Have you always wanted to know how to do CPR? Have you been thinking about refreshing your skills? If so, this is your chance to do that in a non-threatening, encouraging environment.

            Sign up today to take the class on either Monday night, October 24, 6-9 p.m.  or Tuesday, October 25, 9 to noon. The cost is $10 per person.

            The class will be at First Baptist Church where several Parish Nurses will gather to partner in teaching it. You will learn basic CPR, pediatric CPR, how to use an AED (automatic external defibrillator) and how to do the Heimlech maneuver.

 

Caregivers Connect

 

            Come to our next Caregiver’s Connect meeting on Wednesday, October  5, at noon. Doreen Paul will lead our session.

Taking care of a loved one in the home, nursing home or even out of town can be exhausting. Refueling emotionally by talking with others can contribute to better overall health and the ability to carry on with care in a loving manner.

 

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring…

So Exercise Here!

 

            Don’t let the rain keep you from exercising. Remember that you can exercise right here at church. In the Parish Nurse literature rack we have brochures which show the measured distances of the halls of the church. Pick a distance, pick a route, then add stairs for some cardio. Before you know it, you will have your exercise in for the day!

            Also, several classes from the senior center meet here on the second floor:

  1. Tai Chi- meets on Monday and Wednesday at 9
  2. Yoga- Tuesday and Thursday at 10.

To participate, you must be a member of the senior center and be at least 50.

 

A Note from Marcia Lin of Stitch and Pray…

 

Fall is on the way and it is time to dig out the knitting needles and help restock the Stitch-N-Pray collection of wraps and shawls. We are down to only a couple of shawls in our stock pile in the cabinet.

 

You all need to know just how important these shawls are to those that receive them. Within the past week, I have received two thank you notes conveying appreciation for the thoughts and prayers from our church family. These shawls give each person that receives one a tangible item to hold onto during a stormy time of their life.

 

LIVEWIRES: Sunday School from Home:


Did you know that we have a Sunday School class that meets on the phone each week? This is ideal if you have had surgery or had to be away or are out of town. You can connect to others once a week and receive spiritual nourishment from exciting teachers. The teachers are: Jane Schulz, Linda Morton, Sharon Miller, Fred Richard, and Margarette Johnson.
Live Wire Ministry meets on Wednesdays at 10:30-11. Join the class by calling this toll free number at 10:30 on Wednesday morning:

Call 1-877-807-9873

 

 Our Caregivers' Support Group meets on the first Wednesday of even months at noon in room 241.

 

Your Shadow
"People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by." Acts. 5:15

My sister-in-law, Nancy Eastridge, recently died. She was a woman who loved Jesus over all else and worked hard all her 46 years to proclaim his love to her children, family, friends and the world. She has left behind a tremendous void.
At her celebration of life, I was inspired by the tributes of others and by her own voice which was piped in over the P.A. system, addressing the congregation one last time. But her life didn't just inspire me to admiration, it called me to be more, to do more, to take advantage of every opportunity to share this wonderful Jesus that I love with others.
In the scripture above, we see Peter, a man who a few short pages before had denied his Jesus three times, now transformed into someone whose very shadow could change a life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he became much more.
Can I be so yielded to the Spirit of God that my life no longer reflects on me but shines the light on my Jesus? Am I willing to deny my "self" and pick up whatever cross Jesus asks me to bear?
Friends, we live but a short time on earth. We all have a choice to make: will we follow Jesus? Will our shadow bless others with true healing? Will our life be one of significance? These are the real questions for the New Year. Shalom!

 Communion Servers At Home
Would you like to serve communion to some of our "at home" members once a quarter? We could use a few more volunteers. Linda Price coordinates this ministry so give her a call and she will offer more details: 392-0528.

 

 

LiveWires Sunday School Class
Did you know that we have a Sunday School class that meets on the phone each week? This is ideal if you have had surgery or had to be away or are out of town. You can connect to others once a week and receive spiritual nourishment from exciting teachers. This is for people from First Broad and anyone in the community who might be interested.
The teachers are: Jane Schulz, Linda Morton, Sharon Miller, Fred Richard, and Margarette Johnson.
Live Wire Ministry meets on Wednesdays at 10:30-11. Call 1-877-807-9873