Churches support Covid-19 relief
COMBINED churches in the Berea, Sparks and Sydenham areas are rallying together to help their parishioners with counselling support, and are making sandwiches as part of the Denis Hurley Centre feeding outreach.
Ministers from Berea, Sydenham and Sparks are collaborating as part of the KZNCC led LEANS project (Local Ecumenical Action Network).
Typically LEANS leverage relationships with other churches and civil society organisations to provide the best response for their churches and communities. The churches combined response initiative is rooted in the KwaZulu Natal Christian Council (KZNCC) and its affiliates. Through the LEAN network, relief and care can be efficiently focused to avoid overlaps and to maximise resources.
Every Tuesday morning, volunteers from Musgrave Methodist, Holy Trinity and St Thomas on the Berea, drop off sandwiches which they have made. These are then collated and delivered to pre-arranged delivery points as part of the Denis Hurley Centre initiative of decentralising feeding schemes. More than 1000 sandwiches are contributed every Tuesday morning.
At a time of huge anxiety and stress over health issues, grief, children’s education, loss of income, depression and uncertainty, the churches have responded by providing an online counselling service which has evolved in response to the needs and requests from parishioners.
Professional counsellors with experience have been identified through the participating churches and have volunteered their time and talents to help with the emotional and psychological support of their parishioners. A team of therapists, social workers, church ministers with appropriate training and nurses who have trained in psychology are available for online counselling sessions. Calls are channelled through a central point and passed onto the most appropriate counsellor in each instance.
Professional protocol systems have been put in place, consent forms drafted, and administrative structures established in order to offer a professional and efficient service – conducted online, via WhatsApp or email.
This service grew out of a LEANS initiative to provide counselling support and pastoral outreach for staff and Covid-patients in the local hospitals and has developed into a service offered to all parishioners and their families of all participating churches.
The counselling service is co-ordinated by Lauren Ganesen and Rev David Barbour from Musgrave Methodist.
To offer your services for the sandwich ministry, email: marie.sturgess@gmail.com. For counselling services, book an appointment (8am until 5pm) with David via WhatsApp/phone on 083 731 7432 or barbour@absamail.co.za or Lauren via WhatsApp/phone on 073 702 0292 or lauren.c.ganasen@gmail.com.
COMBINED churches in the Berea, Sparks and Sydenham areas are rallying together to help their parishioners with counselling support, and are making sandwiches as part of the Denis Hurley Centre feeding outreach.
Ministers from Berea, Sydenham and Sparks are collaborating as part of the KZNCC led LEANS project (Local Ecumenical Action Network).
Typically LEANS leverage relationships with other churches and civil society organisations to provide the best response for their churches and communities. The churches combined response initiative is rooted in the KwaZulu Natal Christian Council (KZNCC) and its affiliates. Through the LEAN network, relief and care can be efficiently focused to avoid overlaps and to maximise resources.
Every Tuesday morning, volunteers from Musgrave Methodist, Holy Trinity and St Thomas on the Berea, drop off sandwiches which they have made. These are then collated and delivered to pre-arranged delivery points as part of the Denis Hurley Centre initiative of decentralising feeding schemes. More than 1000 sandwiches are contributed every Tuesday morning.
At a time of huge anxiety and stress over health issues, grief, children’s education, loss of income, depression and uncertainty, the churches have responded by providing an online counselling service which has evolved in response to the needs and requests from parishioners.
Professional counsellors with experience have been identified through the participating churches and have volunteered their time and talents to help with the emotional and psychological support of their parishioners. A team of therapists, social workers, church ministers with appropriate training and nurses who have trained in psychology are available for online counselling sessions. Calls are channelled through a central point and passed onto the most appropriate counsellor in each instance.
Professional protocol systems have been put in place, consent forms drafted, and administrative structures established in order to offer a professional and efficient service – conducted online, via WhatsApp or email.
This service grew out of a LEANS initiative to provide counselling support and pastoral outreach for staff and Covid-patients in the local hospitals and has developed into a service offered to all parishioners and their families of all participating churches.
The counselling service is co-ordinated by Lauren Ganesen and Rev David Barbour from Musgrave Methodist.
To offer your services for the sandwich ministry, email: marie.sturgess@gmail.com. For counselling services, book an appointment (8am until 5pm) with David via WhatsApp/phone on 083 731 7432 or barbour@absamail.co.za or Lauren via WhatsApp/phone on 073 702 0292 or lauren.c.ganasen@gmail.com.
