Hey there Friendship Leaders and Mentors,
Wow, what a different world we are now living in. Hm, “living.” That’s a great word and one that strikes me as relevant during this pandemic. I’m not thinking of life or death situations, but rather, what does truly living each day during a pandemic look like? How do we bring out the best of us during a time of heightened anxiety, fear, and isolation?
If the pandemic has left you with more unscheduled time, I want to challenge you to take that time to continue, enhance, and invest in your inclusive ministry. Our Friends fall into a more vulnerable group of people, leaving them in greater isolation than the average citizen. Friends with disability may be frightened to see their caregivers dressed in masks, gowns, and gloves. Their daily activity has likely been drastically changed. Now is a great time to step up our game, reach out in love, and continue to encourage one another in the faith, friends, and belonging that we share!
CONTINUE: Reach out to your Friends and their caregivers to offer encouragement and support. Our TOGETHER materials are quarantine-friendly, and you can use the digital pictures, video, and stories to share and even lead a lesson via Zoom with your Friends. Perhaps you want to send care
packages and words of encouragement – who doesn’t love a card in the mail?
ENHANCE: While church groups are not regularly meeting in person, now is a really good time to take a deep look at your group members, mentors, and leaders. What is working well? What needs adjustment? Ask your church leadership to help you recruit new mentors or “pass the torch” to a new leader. It’s so important to have a good transition from one leader to the next.
INVEST: It is vital that FM continues its work. We have felt the squeeze of COVID-19, and your financial support will get us through. Won’t you please remember to support us? It’s easy to give an online gift through the website; just click “Donate’ in the upper righthand corner. You can even sign up as a monthly giver. Thank you for helping us continue to support our Friends!
With you in quarantine… and in Friendship!
Heather DeBoer
Friendship Ministries Canada
