COVID-19 Resource List: Caring for Ourselves and Each Other Compiled by Heather of the West Point Grey Baptist Church Pastoral Care Team Last update March 27, 2020 Are you wondering how to stay spiritually and emotionally well--or even to thrive--during the COVID-19 outbreak? It’s normal for such a big event to leave us feeling many things. At times we might feel disoriented, bored, or lonely. Many of us will struggle with anxiety for ourselves, loved ones, and our world. We might disagree with loved ones. We might even relate to God differently. We might wonder what He is doing, have difficulty engaging in our usual spiritual practices, or miss meeting together as a church. But this is also an opportunity to support each other, to grow, trust God more, and to find inner strength we didn’t know we had. Here are some resources to support our spiritual, emotional, mental, and community life health. Please browse through and use whatever you find most helpful - it will be different for everyone! Additional Support If you need support beyond what online resources provide, don’t hesitate to reach out to each other via phone, texting, email, etc., or to the pastoral team (John, Lisi, Michael) for care, support, and/or prayer. If you have practical needs (e.g. grocery or medication pickups) and don’t know someone in our church community you can ask for help, you can contact the church office and they will connect you with someone. On this Page ● Spiritual Wellness Resources ● Mental Health Resources ● Community Connection Resources ● Boredom Busters ● Emotionally Healthy ways to Stay Informed about COVID-19 Spiritual Wellness Resources Resources that provide spiritual perspective, comfort, and inspiration. Confidence in Chaos by Claire Perini | Regent College Chapel Talk Looking for a hopeful word in this challenging time? Check out this recent Regent chapel talk by Claire Perini (Assistant Dean of Students) on Psalm 45: “God is your refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” https://soundcloud.com/regentcollege/confidence-in-chaos-claire-perini Poet’s Corner by Malcolm Guite | Article and Poem An encouraging reflection on spiritual practice and God’s love during times of isolation, written in response to COVID-19. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/13-march/comment/columnists/malcolm-guite-poet- s-corner Pray-as-You-Go | Daily Prayer Pray As You Go is a daily prayer session. A new prayer session is produced every day of the working week and one session for the weekend. It is not a 'Thought for the Day', a sermon or a bible-study, but rather a framework for your own prayer. https://pray-as-you-go.org/ Or on your phone app store. Our Daily Bread | Daily Devotional Daily devotionals by various contributors including scripture, reflection, and prayer. These don’t discuss COVID-19 (so far), and are a nice break from current events. https://odb.org/ Regent College Chapel Music Spotify Playlist A Regent student created this playlist of calm, encouraging worship music sung at Regent Chapels. A lovely mix of hymns and contemporary music. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1GTAWgglSZJ0984J0R6NbK Listen to a sample favorite from this list here on YouTube! ​ ​ Mental Health Resources In the current situation, most people will experience some challenges with their mental health. However, if you experience persistent ongoing struggles with your mental health, please make sure you reach out to someone you trust for support, whether in our church community or others. Contact a counsellor or appropriate health care professional if needed (some counsellors do online counselling). The HealthLinkBC page posted below also includes phone support lines. Keep an eye on things that might signal you or your loved ones aren’t doing as well as usual, such as changes in sleep or eating, difficulty concentrating, or changes in your physical health. Here are some resources you might find helpful for yourself or to support someone else. The RobCast | Podcast Christian author, speaker and former pastor Rob Bell has recently been focussing his podcast on managing the emotional ups and downs of the coronavirus situation. https://robbell.com/portfolio/robcast/ Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries | Blog, Podcast, and Free Course Christian organization offering a variety of online resources for your own mental health and supporting others. Their podcast and blog features guests such as theologian/former registered mental health nurse John Swinton and UBC president Santa Ono. Currently offering the Sanctuary Course for free. The course is designed for small groups, so you may want to do it together online with friends or your home group. https://www.sanctuarymentalhealth.org/ HealthLink BC Mental Health | Website Key information about mental health topics, support phone lines, and emergency phone numbers. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/mental-health Phone Apps There are many apps to help calm and manage your thoughts and emotions, both Christian and general. Some commonly used ones include Reimagining the Examen, Calm, Breathe, and Headspace. Take a look on your phone’s app store, ask your friends for recommendations, or ask the church community on our Facebook page! Go Outside Being present in God’s creation can have a wonderfully calming and healing effect. Spend time doing yardwork or going for walks or hikes. Just be sure to maintain social distancing and not to gather in large groups, per Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s directions. Community Connection Resources While we follow social distancing practices, let’s check in regularly with each other. See how someone is doing, even someone you don’t normally call. Ask someone if they need groceries or medication picked up. Phone or text often. You can even watch a video online together - Google “watch a video online together” for ways to do this. Church Emails Our church sends out a weekly update email on Fridays, and more frequently during this season we are not meeting. Stay in the loop - you don’t want to miss these! Sign up here, and ask others if they are signed up. https://www.pointgreychurch.ca/connectwpgbc Canadian Baptists of Westerrn Canada Our Denomination’s website has a lot of information and resources available already, and they also have recently posted about COVID-19. https://cbwc.ca/ Zoom West Point Grey Baptist is using Zoom - it’s easy! Zoom is an online meeting tool that works with two or more people. It allows participants to listen, speak, see each other via video, and share a view of their computer screen as they choose. You can start a meeting yourself or easily join one when the meeting organizer emails you a link. Stay tuned for WPGBC emails (https://www.pointgreychurch.ca/connectwpgbc) about online gatherings. ​ ​ Zoom Requirements ● Computer with internet connection ● Computer speakers (many computers already have them built in) or headphones - headphones are preferred during conversation, to prevent feedback. ● Optional: Webcam if you want others to be able to see you - helpful for community! ● No special software needed - it works through your browser - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc. (You may download the Zoom software if you wish, but it’s not necessary.) Helpful Links Zoom Website: https://zoom.us/ ​ How to join a meeting: https://www.youtube.com/embed/vFhAEoCF7jg ​ How to use meeting controls, e.g. mute and unmute your mic etc.: https://www.youtube.com/embed/4w_pRMBEALE Boredom Busters A sudden change in routine and activities might leave you wondering what to do with yourself. How we spend our time has a surprisingly profound effect on how we feel, think, relate to each other, and even our health and identity. The good news is, the break from our regular busyness can lead to refreshing creativity and new experiences, if we allow ourselves to be open to it. Seek Opportunities Our own Judith created this list of ways to be intentional about her day. You can even adjust it to your needs. For example, I added “Normality: What can I do today to restore a measure of normality for myself and others?” ● Creativity: Where can I be creative today to bring joy to God, my neighbor and myself? ● Opportunities: What opportunities does this crisis has for me today? ● Vulnerability: How can I care for me and others today? ● Intimacy: How can I feel a sense of belonging today? ● Dance: What rhythms and movements can I exercise today? Download Judith’s questions with her beautiful photography in a PDF or choose from 3 image files here: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ADkrwA0bWmLNfnY&id=22B3C4331BFA00D1%21325 51&cid=22B3C4331BFA00D1 A Sample Daily Routine | L’Abri Canada We don’t always realize the importance of our daily routines until they change suddenly. The good news is, it’s easy to create a new one! L’Abri Canada (Vancouver Island) has kindly agreed to share their weekly schedule with us. The L'Abri communities are study centers in Europe, Asia and America where individuals have the opportunity to seek answers to honest questions about God and the significance of human life. L’Abri Canada Schedule (Click the link to download a larger size.) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s8iM18DVZZdjGbfcBZw7u37aCl75ErOR/view?usp=sharing Learn Something New, or Tackle a Home Project Now is a great time for whatever you’ve been putting off! Pull out your guitar or Google “learn how to sing free course,” or dust off your knitting needles or whatever hobby supplies you have in the closet. If you’re feeling ambitious you could even declutter - watch Marie Kondo’s show “Tidying Up” on Netflix or Google decluttering resources. Call someone and ask what projects or hobbies they’ve been up to.