For the Week Beginning January 14, 2022
Second Sunday after Epiphany
THE WEEK AT REFORMATION
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Service of Holy Communion- Family Church Experience
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Facebook Live Service of the Word
Wednesday: 10 a.m. Morning Eucharist followed by Prayer Ministry
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Evening Prayer service on Facebook live followed by a study
Altar Flowers lend beauty to our worship experience and are a loving way to remember or honor a loved one or mark a special occasion. Please consider sponsoring an arrangement, or two, of flowers to celebrate a special occasion or remember a loved one. You may also sponsor the bulletin in honor or in memory of a special occasion or loved one. The Altar flower and bulletin sponsor chart is now posted on the board heading into the Narthex from the gathering area.
The cost for flowers is $30.00; bulletin sponsorship is $30.00. Don’t forget to take your flowers home with you after the worship service on Sunday. Thank you
Adult Bible Study
Our Adult Bible study class will resume this Sunday in the Great Room
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Our 2022 business congregational meeting will be held on Sunday, January 30th immediately after worship. We must have 40 members attending to have a quorum. We will review and recap 2021 and vote on our 2022 budget.
Please plan to attend this important meeting
Pray with the whole church each day at noon!
www.njsynod.org/virtual-church-resources
Connie, Edward Bale, Margaret Dix, Rosemary Howell, Royce Howell, Jonathan, Michael, Rose, Lisa & family, Trina, Heather Lombardo, Dan Nilsson, Beth Nilsson, Jeff Reis, Peter Repak, Penny Shermer, Diane Smith
PRAYER LIST UPDATE: If you have someone in need of prayers, please let us know via either Pastor Matt or the church office and we will be sure to add them to our list above. If you have good news to share on recovery of anyone on our prayer list, please let the office or Pastor Matt know. We’ll gladly share the good news!!
PICTURES THIS WEEK
Welcome Oliver and Ethan!!
Installation of our elected members and appointed treasurers
FELLOWSHIP
The Fellowship Committee is actively looking for a chairperson to head up the team. Your job would be to plan and coordinate the food portion of all events at the church. Edie Jansen and Deb Keszler will gladly provide assistance in the transition. Please reach out to Debbie or Edie for more information
ANNUAL REPORTS
ATTENTION ALL COMMITTEE CHAIRS:
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SEND IN A REPORT BUT TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!
All committee reports were due in the office this week. For those of you who may be new committee chairs this past year, a summary of your committee’s activities is required every January to be included in the Annual Report. The Annual Report is reviewed and submitted at the Annual Congregational Meeting in January. Copies of last year’s report are available through the church office. If you didn’t get your report in yet, please, please get it in to the office as soon as possible and absolutely no later than Wednesday of this coming week!
Website update
We would like to update our website. All committee chairs should review the summary of their committee and send updates to the office by early January. Go to www.reformationwlb.org and click on the drop down menus across the top of the home page to find your committee.
2021 COMMITTEE CHAIRS
All 2021 Committee chairs should be scheduling a meeting during January to elect a new chairperson and to plan their 2022 schedule. You can our dial-pad account to schedule the meeting by reaching out to Pastor Matt.
“SOUPER” BOWL OF CARING
A favorite event will continue this year!! Debbie & Edie will be making soup to sell for a donation to support our hunger ministries. Look for details soon including a preorder form.
And, please start saving your loose change for a “noisy” offering collection by our SCS students on Sunday, 2/13.
THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS
Did you know Thrivent also has a program called Choice Dollars? Another way Thrivent gives back is based on your product with them where you can earn “Choice Dollars”. These dollars can then be donated to the charity of your choice (i.e. Reformation!). Your account is credited with these “Choice Dollars” every quarter and they need to be donated by March of the following year. You can go in and donate the dollars quarterly or once a year but please donate them!! If you don’t donate them, they will go away. Thrivent will donate them to a charity on their list. They must donate a percentage of their profit to the community to maintain their non-profit status. Need help? Ask Debbie Keszler or Sue Homza!!
THRIVENT ACTION TEAMS
Let’s start 2022 planning how we can make full use of all that Thrivent has to offer us!! For those of you who have a product through Thrivent Financial (life insurance, investments, long term care insurance, etc.) you have two (yes 2) Thrivent Action Team events you can take advantage of. Exactly what does that mean? It means Thrivent will GIVE you two $250 gift cards to kick start two projects (yes 2 –that’s $500). If you don’t have a product and might be interested, John Seifert is our Thrivent representative and the office can put you in touch with him.
The projects can vary – education, fundraising, or service to the community. Right now Judy Mischler is kicking off a fundraising appeal to get a new Christmas tree for the Narthex. That tree is probably 40+ years old and in sad shape. With your help, Judy is going to help us get a new tree!!
Thrivent Action Teams were used to purchase supplies to refurbish the pews, to cover costs of the dinner dance to begin the new flooring fundraiser, to cover costs for paint for the great room and kitchen, food drives for the pantry, racks and hangers for the clothes closet, support for our VBS program, to help our SCS program especially when we had to go virtual, our Advent wreath making events, our virtual cookie making last year, our “souper” bowl of caring event, our bread baking event, Advent devotionals, Lenten devotionals, and so much more………
So what projects do you want to see accomplished in 2022? Perhaps painting the choir room, new window treatments in fellowship hall, new grocery carts for the pantry, our souper bowl of caring event to support hunger ministries, a fundraiser to finally be able to replace the windows in the SCS wing. Just put your thinking caps on and look around the church building (inside and out) for ways we can make use of our available Thrivent Action Team Community Impact Cards!! If we all work together, we have the potential to access $12,500 via Thrivent Action Teams (and that’s only a best guess, it could be more)!! That’s amazing – let’s see how close we can come!! If you have questions, reach out to Deb Keszler or Sue Homza.
A PARISH NURSING UPDATE
This information explains what to do at home if you have or might have COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a viral illness that can affect your lungs and airways.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may be mild or severe. They can include:
Fever above 100.4 °F (38 °C) or chills
Cough
Breathing problems (such as shortness of breath or chest tightness)
Fatigue (feeling very tired or having very little energy)
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Lost sense of taste or smell
Sore throat
Stuffy (congested) or runny nose
Nausea (feeling like you’re going to throw up) or vomiting (throwing up)
Diarrhea (loose or watery bowel movements)
You may start to notice symptoms 2 to 14 days after you’re exposed to the virus. Your symptoms may last for 1 to 3 weeks. In general, people with cancer don’t have different symptoms than other people.
Some people who have COVID-19 don’t have any symptoms (are asymptomatic). Even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still spread the virus to other people.
Many people have a cough for several weeks after having a viral illness such as COVID-19. As long as your cough is the same or getting better, you don’t need to worry. Cough into your elbow or cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough. If your cough gets worse, you have blood in your sputum (mucus that you cough up) that you haven’t had before, or you start coughing up more sputum, call your healthcare provider.
Types of COVID-19 Tests
There are currently 2 types of tests used to diagnose COVID-19.
A PCR test, also called a molecular test. PCR tests are very accurate, but it can take a few days to get your results.
A rapid test, also called an antigen test. It usually takes less than an hour to get your rapid test results. But rapid tests are more likely than PCR tests to have a false negative result. This means rapid tests are more likely to show you don’t have COVID-19 when you actually do. If you have COVID-19 symptoms and get a negative rapid test result, it’s best to get a PCR test to make sure.
With both types of tests, you’ll get either a positive or negative result. A positive result means the test showed you have COVID-19. A negative result means the test didn’t show you have COVID-19.
How to Manage Your Symptoms
It’s helpful to keep a daily journal of your symptoms and the medications you use to manage them. This will help you see how your symptoms are changing over time. This can be useful if you need to contact or visit your healthcare provider.
If you use a device for sleep apnea (such as a CPAP machine) or a home nebulizer, talk with your healthcare provider before using it. These devices may spread the virus that causes COVID-19.
Medications
You can use acetaminophen (Tylenol®) to help treat fever, body aches, and headaches.
Don’t take more than 3 grams (g) of acetaminophen in 1 day. Taking too much can harm your liver.
Acetaminophen is a very common ingredient in over-the-counter and prescription medications. Always read the label on the medications you’re taking. The full name acetaminophen isn’t always written out. For a list of common medications containing acetaminophen and abbreviations for acetaminophen, read the section “About Acetaminophen” in Memorial Sloan Kettering’s resource Common Medications Containing Aspirin, Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), or Vitamin E found on this website: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/common-medications-containing-aspirin-and-other-nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-nsaids
Over-the-counter cold medications won’t make COVID-19 go away faster, but they can help if you’re coughing, have a sore throat, or have nasal congestion (a stuffy nose). Don’t use a decongestant if you have high blood pressure.
Antibiotics won’t make COVID-19 go away faster. Don’t take antibiotics unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
If you have COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms, don’t take cold medications, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil®) and naproxen (Aleve®). These medications may hide the symptoms of COVID-19.
It’s OK to take baby aspirin (81 milligrams (mg) per day) if your healthcare provider told you to. If you think you need to take a higher dose, talk with your healthcare provider.
Keep track of your temperature
Measure your temperature 2 times every day: once in the morning and once in the evening.
If you’re getting chemotherapy and have a new fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher, call your healthcare provider.
If you have a fever of 102 °F (38.9 °C) or higher that lasts for 24 hours and doesn’t get better after you take acetaminophen, call your healthcare provider.
Eating and drinking
Eat light meals. For example, have 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 big ones. This will help with nausea and appetite loss.
Drink 6 to 8 (8-ounce) glasses of liquids every day. This will help you stay hydrated and help loosen mucus in your nose and lungs. Water, sports drinks, carbonated (fizzy) drinks without caffeine, juices, tea, and soup are good choices.
How to Avoid Spreading COVID-19
COVID-19 can easily be passed from one person to another. It can spread in droplets in the air or left on surfaces after a sick person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread if someone touches a sick person and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth.
Follow the instructions in this section to help keep COVID-19 from spreading to people in your home and community.
If you have COVID-19 symptoms and are waiting for your test results, follow these instructions until:
You get your test results and they’re negative. If you had a rapid test and get a negative result, get a PCR test to check your results. Keep following these instructions until you get a negative PCR test result.
If you don’t have COVID-19 symptoms and are waiting for your test results, follow these instructions until:
You get your test results and they’re negative.
If you have COVID-19 and have symptoms, follow these instructions until:
You haven’t had a fever above 100.4 °F (38 °C) for at least 3 days and aren’t using medication to lower fevers. Examples of these medications include acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), full-dose aspirin (more than 81 mg daily), and indomethacin (Tivorbex®).
Your breathing problems have gotten better or your breathing is back to usual.
It’s been 10 or more days since your first positive COVID-19 test.
If you have COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms, follow these instructions until:
It’s been 10 or more days since your first positive COVID-19 test.
If any of your COVID-19 symptoms come back, start following these instructions again right away and call your healthcare provider.
Some people may be infectious for a long time after they have COVID-19. This means they can still spread the virus to other people, even if they don’t have any symptoms.
You may still be infectious if:
You had a very serious case of COVID-19 and were in the hospital.
You have a very weak immune system (for example, if you have a blood cancer like lymphoma or leukemia).
You recently had a stem cell transplant.
If you have a very weak immune system or recently had a stem cell transplant, talk with your healthcare provider. You may need to get a PCR or rapid test to make sure you’re not still infectious.
Stay home except to get medical care
Avoid doing anything outside your home except getting medical care.
Don’t go to work, school, or other public areas.
Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing services, and taxis.
If you need to go outside your home, wear a mask over your nose and mouth, if you can.
If you need medical care, call your healthcare provider first to tell them you’re coming.
Separate yourself from other people in your home
Choose a room in your home. Stay in that room away from other people and pets as much as you can.
Use a separate bathroom, if you have one.
At least once a day, clean and disinfect the surfaces you touch often (such as phones, remote controls, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets, counters, tabletops, and bedside tables). If the surface is dirty, use soap and water or a household cleaning spray or wipe first. Then use a household disinfectant. Follow the instructions on the label.
Don’t let anyone visit you.
If you need to be near people or pets in your home:
Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away as much as you can.
Wear a mask, if you can.
Open the window and turn on a fan to help air flow.
Choosing a caregiver
If you need help, choose one person in your home to be your caregiver. Your caregiver should be healthy. They shouldn’t have any chronic (long-lasting) medical conditions or a weak immune system. It’s best if your caregiver is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Your caregiver should follow the instructions in MSKCC’s resource:
Managing COVID-19 at Home: Information for Caregivers found on MSKCC’s website:
Wear a mask
Wear a mask over your nose and mouth if you need to be around other people or pets, even at home. You don’t need to wear a mask when you’re alone.
Don’t wear a mask if you have breathing problems when you wear it or if you can’t take it off by yourself.
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put your used tissues in a waste bin with a liner and lid.
Clean your hands right away after you cough or sneeze.
If you’re washing your hands with soap and water, wet your hands and apply soap. Rub your hands together well for at least 20 seconds, then rinse. Dry your hands with a paper towel and use that same towel to turn off the faucet. If you don’t have paper towels, it’s OK to use clean cloth towels. Replace them when they’re wet.
If you’re using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, be sure to cover all parts of your hands with it. Rub your hands together until they’re dry.
Avoid sharing personal household items
Don’t share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.
Wash used dishes, drinking glasses, cups, and eating utensils well with soap and water or a dishwasher.
Keep your dirty laundry in a laundry bag. Don’t shake your dirty laundry. Wash it using regular laundry soap on the hottest setting available. Dry it well.
Tips for Managing Stress
It’s normal to feel worried about COVID-19, especially if you or your loved one is sick. You can take care of yourself by doings things such as:
- Calling or video chatting with a friend or loved one.
- Starting a new hobby or doing an activity you usually don’t have time for.
- Taking a break from the news.
MSK has many professionals, volunteers, and support programs that can help you cope during this time. For more information and more tips for managing stress, read MSKCC’s resource Managing Stress and Anxiety Caused by COVID-19. Found on MSKCC’s website:
When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider
Call your healthcare provider right away if:
You have trouble breathing when you’re resting.
You have trouble breathing when you walk short distances. An example of a short distance is walking from one room to another, about 25 feet (7.6 meters).
You’re getting chemotherapy and have a new fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.
You have a fever of 102 °F (38.9 °C) or higher that lasts for 24 hours and doesn’t get better after you take acetaminophen.
You have blood in your sputum.
You have chest pain.
You have a very bad headache.
You have questions or concerns.
For more information about what to do if you or a person in your home has COVID-19, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick.
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