Month: March 2023

When Sue George asked me to write this week’s long read, admittedly I struggled to find a topic. So many things have happened over the last two-three years in the world and my own little corner of it that it’s hard for me to quiet my brain long enough to write anything more than a scientific manuscript or a standard operating procedure.
I decided to focus on a topic that has been important to me for years: disability and inclusion.

My exposure to disability and inclusion started early — my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis years before I was born.  Although the 1970s were a wonderful time for music, movies, and lack of “helicopter parenting,” unfortunately, science was not able to provide many treatment regimens for MS and there wasn’t a lot of consideration of access to public places, including the church I grew up in, which was built in the 1960s. As the 70s progressed, so did my father’s illness. His need for mobility accommodations — first a cane, then a manual wheelchair and eventually, many years later, an electric wheelchair — were a part of his everyday reality. 

Church was very important to my parents. To get into my parent’s church, you either had to go up or down. There were two entrances plus a few egress exits from the basement, all with at least five steps each. The ADA was not a thing yet and “Universal Design” wasn’t either, at least in our small church, so the church had no elevators or ramps. Church dinners, for the most part, took place in the fellowship hall, which like many churches of that era, was in the basement. As you’d imagine, at a certain point, and after more than a few close calls regarding safety, the church decided to install a ramp at one of the entrances, and years later, they installed an elevator so that my dad (and only my dad at that time) could access the first floor classrooms and fellowship hall like all the other congregants. Those decisions, made in the 70s and early 80s, were certainly ahead of their time, but have come to be important in that church as the congregation has continued to age and they have an increased need for accessibility accommodations.  

Fast forward to 2006. Wally and I found our own church home and Kate, our older daughter, was being baptized. It was so wonderful that my dad was able to join us in the church and sanctuary without issues in his very large, reclining electric wheelchair and that there were pew cutouts so that he was able to sit with our family for that service. Little did we realize at the time that we, as a family, would go on to experience a whole other world of disabilities – invisible disabilities. Invisible disabilities are defined as physical, mental or neurological conditions that are not (easily) visible from the outside, and yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.  A lack of an obvious disability can easily lead to misunderstandings, false perceptions and judgment. Our experiences with invisible disabilities in our family have been a learning experience for us and those around us. As the years have progressed, we have made connections at Derry that are invaluable. We have found people who embrace the commitment we all make when a child is baptized to support, care for, and nurture those we present or who present themselves to God.

Just before the pandemic, I became involved in Derry’s Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee that has focused on identifying and providing accommodations that allow many kids and adults to continue to worship and participate in programming held here at Derry.  We’ve been able to provide education for the staff of Derry Discovery Days regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as specifically provide individualized support so that members and visitors in our congregation can participate in Terrific Tuesday, church school, and youth activities. 

If you are interested in learning more about Derry’s Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, please feel free to contact me or Kristy Elliott. Just like in my dad’s case, accommodations and inclusion will certainly help others beyond those you see and help today.

Last Wednesday, the Session approved creating a Faith Community Nurse (FCN) position at Derry. A FCN is a licensed, registered nurse with specialized education in integrating faith and health. They serve within faith communities to build on and strengthen the capacity of individuals and families to become stewards of their health as guided by their faith tradition.

I worked with a FCN in my previous congregation and it was such a valuable ministry to the church and its members. The position is a pastoral care resource I’ve really missed since coming to Derry. There have been numerous times in my ministry here when I wished we had an FCN. In fact, I journaled a long list of those times over a 45-day period that I shared with the Session as we discussed this new role. I believe a Faith Community Nurse will be a huge asset to our staff and church community. 

Derry’s FCN will be a:

Health Counselor: Listen to and speak with persons regarding their health issues and problems. Make home, hospital and nursing home visits as needed. Offer presence and prayer during times of crisis and celebration.

Health Advocate: Assess/observe individuals for any health-related needs and interests. Speak up for individual needs and offer possible solutions (i.e. accompanying to medical appointments).

Health Educator: Provide health information and health awareness including educating people about different chronic conditions and diseases. Emphasize preventative health care through education, screening and assessments. Promote the understanding of the relationship between faith and health. Facilitate educational workshops, support groups and free clinics as developed within the FCN health ministry (i.e. Blood Pressure Screening Sundays, education events).

A Link to Resources: Help congregation members navigate the healthcare system and connect them to local resources as well as other Derry members who are experts in specific medical fields or other health care areas. 

A Spiritual Presence: Work in conjunction with the Derry pastoral care team (pastor, Deacons, Shepherd Group leaders) in the care-giving ministry of the church. Listen, pray, support and encourage through personal visits, telephone calls and other means of contact.

The FCN will NOT provide invasive/hands-on skilled care or provide medical diagnoses, replace regular medical appointments, maintain medical records, or fill pill dispensers. The FCN is a resource, educator, and advocate and not a nurse who will treat medical issues.

The FCN will start out as part-time (15-18 hours a week) as we assess how this new ministry is working and what the needs of the congregation are. 

The Session also approved the creation of a Health and Wellness Team to support the work of the FCN. The Health and Wellness Team encourages wellness — physical, spiritual, relational — as a faithful response to God, and as a commitment to a healthy congregation as well as healthy families, and communities.

The Team carries out its task by assessing the wellness needs of individuals, families, and the congregation at large. It meets those needs through health promotion, the Faith Community Nurse Program, educational programs, dissemination of information, referral services, and periodic health screenings such as monthly blood pressures with the Deacons. The work of the Health and Wellness team supports the pastoral ministries provided by the Board of Deacons, the Membership Involvement Committee, and the staff.

The Team will work closely with the Faith Community Nurse (FCN) by providing support, oversight, and a team to help facilitate the health and wellness ministries of the church. The FCN will provide direction and leadership to the Team to carry out its purpose, and the Team will help connect the FCN to needs in the church and potential volunteers.

The Health and Wellness Team will be comprised of representatives from the Deacons, Personnel Committee, Membership & Involvement Committee, and members in health-related fields. 

I am excited for the gifts a Faith Community Nurse will bring to Derry. We are already advertising the position and hope to have interviews in April. Please be in prayer for the church and the search team as we discern who God is calling to serve Derry in this important ministry of health, wellness, and care. If you have any questions about this position, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, Gregg Robertson, or Julie Yutesler.

Looking back on the past three years since COVID-19 came to the US, it is hard to measure the impact of this pandemic.  There are the statistics; more than half a billion cases worldwide and almost seven million deaths; although actuarial models based on estimated “excess global mortality” place the number closer to 20 million deaths. Numbers allow us to compare and analyze tragic events, but they are an incomplete measure. To put things in perspective it is estimated that the bubonic plague of the 1300s resulted in close to 200 million deaths, wiping out half of the European population. In terms of deaths, COVID-19 doesn’t even rank in the top five deadliest plagues.  Just in recent times HIV claimed more than 36 million lives. 

It is empowering to think that our knowledge, and technology helped to reduce mortality from COVID. It certainly did. But COVID highlighted our vulnerabilities, and if we are to learn from this experience we must acknowledge our flaws. History teaches us that another pandemic will occur. We just don’t know when. The question is, can we be better prepared from our experience with COVID-19? Here is my personal list of lessons learned:

Lesson 1: Transformation of the vaccine development paradigm. A major success story of COVID-19 was the development of an effective vaccine. In 326 days, we were able to move from discovery of a new genomic sequence to authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine by a stringent regulatory authority. Subsequent to the initial roll out, the industry has quickly developed and delivered modified vaccines with high efficacy against new severe COVID-19 variants. All of this with an outstanding safety profile. This would not have been possible without investment in research on mRNA and genome sequencing technology decades ago. We should not minimize the incredible impact vaccination had on our ability to respond to the COVID pandemic. It is remarkable that despite a series of mutations that increased the transmissibility, COVID has become a very manageable illness for most of society. In large part this is a result of an effective vaccine and our commitment to invest in basic research. In anticipation of the next pandemic, the industry needs to build on this success and develop an even more efficient process to identify emerging viruses before they spread and then have the infrastructure and processes in place to develop, test, and distribute new vaccines in under 100 days.

Lesson 2: We have a remarkable ability to innovate and adapt in a crisis. The early phase of the COVID-19 response was a period of tremendous innovation. Seemingly overnight we shifted to remote work, education, and worship. Zoom became part of the everyday vernacular. Disrupted supply chains spawned new sources of products and resources. We began 3D printing of personal protective devices such as face shields and masks. Distilleries shifted from vodka to hand sanitizer. Virtual doctor visits — a concept that for years was bogged down by regulatory and financial bureaucracy and poor IT infrastructure — became widely available in a matter of weeks. New technologies were adapted for surveillance of local outbreaks. Thermometers linked to a web-based platform were shown to be able to predict local outbreaks several weeks before there was a rise in positive cases and hospitalizations. Wastewater treatment plants began testing for viral antigens to identify early introduction of new variants into communities. In the later stages of the pandemic technologies for home testing were developed and became widely available.  

A common theme that drove this innovation was that it came from the bottom up, through interdisciplinary teams that were motivated to cooperate to solve common problems. Barriers were removed and those most closely involved with the problem were empowered to create solutions. We need to find ways to encourage and sustain that spirit of positive innovation, creativity, and collaboration. We live in times of rapid change that will continue to challenge our ability to adapt and respond to emerging challenges.

Lesson 3: Trust forms the basis for an effective pandemic response.  Trust is the social contract that allows individuals to work collectively to achieve the level of commitment and resilience necessary to persist through the challenges of an ongoing pandemic. In a 2022 study published in the journal Nature researchers found that all countries where more than 40% of survey respondents agreed with the statement “most people can be trusted” achieved a near complete reduction of new cases and deaths following the first peak in COVID-19 cases. More trusting societies were able to bring down cases and deaths faster and implement containment efforts more effectively. Societal trust is more closely correlated with better COVID-19 outcomes than a country’s wealth or public health infrastructure. 

In reflecting on our own response, a decline in public trust in science and government impaired our public health preparedness and response. The politicization of our response to COVID-19 led to mistrust in vaccination and public health policies. The low level of health literacy in the US population compounded the problem as even major media outlets were challenged to differentiate data produced by rigorous science from poorly substantiated or false claims. The scientific community must be more transparent in communicating the science that drives policy and rigorously review the outcomes of policy decisions based on prior assumptions. Oftentimes in hindsight well intentioned policy can be wrong. 

For example, a recent 2023 systematic review of 12 randomized clinical trials with 276,917 participants was unable to demonstrate that masking made any difference in the transmission of respiratory viruses. Systematic reviews of randomized clinical trials are generally regarded as the highest level of evidence in measuring the effect of an intervention, and this one was published in the Cochrane Library, generally regarded as the gold standard for systematic reviews. Science can be humbling. Some may say that these results indicate masking mandates were flawed, which may be true. A critical review of the original studies used in the analysis highlights how difficult it is to perform a rigorous experiment on mask effectiveness. Unlike a drug trial where you can measure drug levels, it is difficult to ensure people are following the experimental protocol and actually wearing (or not wearing) a mask.  

The important lesson to be learned is that science is not truth. It is an ongoing formal process that gets us closer to the truth. If we are to be more successful in the next pandemic, we must improve scientific literacy in the population, be humble, and be honest and transparent in communicating the results. Having mutual respect, understanding, and the humility to accept results that may challenge our personal biases is a critical first step in developing trust as we navigate the next pandemic response.

Lesson 4: We lack justice in delivery of healthcare. COVID-19 highlighted the impact of social determinants of health tied to the longstanding impact of poverty and racism.  With the exception of the first COVID-19 surge, U.S. counties with the lowest median income had death rates at least two times higher than that of the counties with the highest income. Individuals in poorer communities were more likely to be uninsured and have less access to high quality health care.  They are more likely to have conditions that increase the risk of death from COVID-19 such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and pulmonary issues. They were more likely to have occupations that made it more challenging to adopt behaviors that reduced exposure, such as remote work.  

Significant disparity in COVID-19 outcomes were correlated with race.  Data from the CDC show that Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), and Native Hawaiian, and Other Pacific Islander people experienced higher rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths than White people when data are adjusted to account for differences in age by race and ethnicity. Globally disparities in wealth and public health infrastructure led to persistent pockets of high virus transmission contributing to new more transmissible and virulent variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that then returned to reinfect wealthier countries that seemingly had the pandemic under control. A key lesson from the pandemic is we are all as vulnerable as the least among us.  

Lesson 5: Adjusting to the long-term impact of the pandemic will be challenging.  COVID will have long-term socioeconomic consequences that will remain with us for many years to come. Humanity has been traumatized and we will need to accept that the recovery will be slow. The social isolation of the pandemic has strained our support networks and social norms. It has brought to the surface the strain on mental health in modern society. Many are suffering from the effects of burnout, depression, addiction, and other mental health problems. It has forced us to reconsider our relationships to work and society, and reset our expectations of what is normal. Whether it is the “great resignation”, “quiet quitting”, or early retirements, 2021 and 2022 saw close to 100 million Americans quit their jobs.  Inflation resulting from higher competition for trained employees and supply costs seems to have temporarily peaked, but we will continue to feel the impact of these factors in many industries reliant on a trained workforce.  

Health care has been particularly hard hit. A survey by the consulting firm Morning Consult reported that one in five healthcare workers quit their job since the start of the pandemic, and that up to 47% of healthcare workers plan to leave their positions by 2025. This is resulting in substantial staffing shortages in many rural and underserved urban hospitals. Data from the HHS Department indicates 25% of Pennsylvania hospitals are facing critical staffing shortages leading to reduction or closure of patient services. Given the aging population of the healthcare workforce and smaller numbers of individuals entering the profession, these staffing shortages will likely worsen at a time where the demand from healthcare is increasing. Time will tell how these factors will impact future access to healthcare.  

As with many life changing events, COVID-19 brought out the best and worst of humanity. Hopefully we can build on our successes and find the resolve to fix our flaws. There are several themes in the lessons learned from COVID-19.  We must have mercy for each other, even those with whom we have disagreement. We must practice justice and compassion for the most vulnerable in our society. We must be humble. These are not new lessons. They have been with humanity throughout time. The lessons from COVID-19 are written in Micah 6:8 “what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Hopefully when faced with the next pandemic we will practice justice, mercy, and humility. That will prepare us well.

January brought lots of excitement in the music corner of Derry Church with the arrival of the Lee Ann Taylor Steinway. At the same time, the Communications & Technology Committee (CTC) celebrated another achievement: the installation of a Zoom Room downstairs in Room 7.

The Zoom Room makes it possible for us to host first-rate hybrid meetings, a capability we’ve never been able to handle well until now. The setup consists of two screens: one on the left allows a presenter to share a Powerpoint or use the screen as a whiteboard that can be seen in the room and by Zoom participants. It has a built-in camera and microphone that allows those on Zoom to hear the presenter and the people attending in Room 7. The screen on the right displays everyone who is joining by Zoom. They can be seen and heard by everyone in Room 7 and take an active part in the discussion.

The best use of the Zoom Room is for meetings like Session and Deacons. Both of these groups used the Zoom Room in February, giving us a chance to learn how the technology works. Every use teaches us something new and as we learn and improve, my hope is that more groups will discover and find benefits from using this technology and extending their gatherings to those who can’t attend in person. Let me know if you’d like to use the Zoom Room for your next meeting: it’s easy to learn.

Derry’s new outdoor signs are now in place across the church campus and I hope you are pleased that the signs provide a cohesive, unified look and clear directions. The staff likes being able to tell vendors and guests to “enter the building at door #1” — it’s so much easier than trying to explain how to drive around the building to the office entrance.

Recently a change was made to the large monument sign along East Derry Road: the original dimensional letters that looked great in the daytime cast shadows from the uplighting at night, making the sign hard to read. So the dimensional letters came off and were replaced by flat surface signs. This change saved us about $2,000, a happy benefit and win all around, and the sign is much easier to read at night.

In case you haven’t already heard, here are more recent changes you should be aware of:

• The WiFi upgrade throughout the church building was completed in December and tweaked in January to fix a few glitches. We now have a faster, more secure network and a stronger firewall to protect staff computers and copiers. Visitors to Derry Church should have an easier time connecting to the “Derry Guest” network and enjoy faster speeds and better coverage through the building. A new access point was added in the Lounge.
• New choir monitors have been placed in the Sanctuary to make it easier for those in the choir to hear anyone speaking from the pulpit or the other microphones.
• Along with the choir monitors, four new condenser microphones and a new pulpit mic have been installed thanks to the generosity of Derry members who gifted this equipment to the church. It’s great to have better quality mics for the choir and our musicians. The new pulpit mic has been more temperamental than we expected, so we’ve added an extension to bring the mic closer to those speaking from the pulpit.

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In March we’re lifting up the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s  One Great Hour of Sharing offering.

Received between February 22 and April 9, the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering is the single, largest way that Presbyterians come together to work for a better world by advancing the causes of justice, resilience, and sustainability. For over 70 years, these efforts of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have provided relief from natural disasters, food for the hungry, and support for the poor and oppressed. 

OGHS is administered through three programs: 

PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (PDA) is well-known for its rapid response to natural and international disasters by supplying funds to help initiate the recovery process. Through its long-term partnerships with several Middle East church councils, PDA has been able to rapidly respond to the recent devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. PDA also continues to support relief efforts in the US related to recent hurricanes and flooding, as well as aiding refugees resulting from the conflicts in Syria and the Ukraine. 

PRESBYTERIAN HUNGER PROGRAM (PHP) works to alleviate hunger and eliminate its root causes. Some of this is accomplished through providing animals, bees, and seeds, promoting better crop selection and agricultural methods, fair trade practices, and family gardens. They also seek to supply better and more nutritional foods, secure loans for income-producing projects, tree planting, and establish wells and sanitation systems, as well as addressing labor and environmental issues. 

SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE (SDOP) works in partnership with people in economically poor areas in the United States and around the world. The aim is to invest in communities responding to their experiences of oppression, poverty and injustice, thus helping them develop solutions to their particular problems in areas such as cooperatives and workers’ rights, farming, skills development, and immigration/ refugee issues.  

This year our OGHS Offering will again be divided equally between PC(USA) and Bridges to Community (BTC), the non-profit organization which has coordinated Derry’s mission trips to Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic for over 20 years. In June we will return to the Dominican Republic to help build a house for a needy family. By working with the family, local masons, and community members, a safe and secure house can be completed in about one week. With the BTC model, new homeowners are encouraged to pay into their local community fund, which can then be used by the community at their discretion for selected improvement projects. 

The Mission and Peace Committee has set a goal of $18,000 for this year’s OGHS Offering. You may give online or by check made payable to Derry Presbyterian Church notated OGHS. Enclose it in the OGHS envelopes located in the pew racks. Taken together, your contributions to the OGHS Offering, with our goal of $18,000, will enable both PC(USA) and BTC to assist many people in need, improving their quality of life. Thank you, Derry, for your generous support!