Another source for conferencing: Go To Meeting

Joining a GoToMeeting -



Getting started with G.T.M.

How to Facebook Live

https://www.facebook.com/business/help/626637251511853?id=1123223941353904

CHURCH IN CRISIS : Ideas for Churches During Covid-19

https://get.tithe.ly/blog/coronavirus-church-ideas


Daily devotionals or study offered to small groups or whole congregation and guests.

If you do not have a full scale camera set up, a tech staff, and the like, adopt a "fireside chat" approach, a casual (but not too casual) and more intimate "facetime" offering.  Be upbeat, encouraging, and emphasize that being separated does not mean being alone. Encourage phone trees for checkins and prayer times.

How to "Zoom"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSJ0YDoF7o


Here is one for joining a meeting:

 https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-Meeting

Blessing Ideas for These Times

Ideas from the Board of Laity, OKUMC. Blessing Ideas; BoL Friends,

"Ideas that might be useful, especially those of us that feel like we need to be helping others in a time when that is a real challenge.

Our daily blessing checklist

By Janey Thomas

This is an opportunity to leave your home for a short period of time. This allows you some time to get some sunshine and fresh air. We are not encouraging you to leave your vehicle. Stay safe & stay healthy.

Sunday:

-watch online church with your family.

-play a board game with your family.

Monday:

-go to your local courthouse; pray for your local leaders as well as our state, nation and world leaders.

-leave a friendly note on your neighbors’ front porch.

Tuesday:

-go to your local hospital; pray for the medical teams.

-call someone you see only on Sunday at church. Check on them.

Wednesday:

-go to your local school; pray for administration, staff, faculty and students who are now experiencing distant learning.

-sit outside, be still and listen. What do you hear?

Thursday:

-go to a local nursing home; pray for the staff and the patients, especially as loved ones aren’t able to visit.

-send a card to a loved one.

Friday:

-go to a local restaurant; pray for the owners, management and the workers, especially in these hard times.

-ask yourself: where have you seen God this week?

Saturday:

-drive by your church and pray for your pastor, your staff, the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference Bishop-Jimmy Nunn and our Oklahoma Annual Conference.

-invite someone new to join you tomorrow online to watch your church.

From Maurice Hawthorne

We have been told to wash our hands thoroughly to keep disease spread to a minimum and protect ourselves. It has been recommended to wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and to judge the time by singing "Happy Birthday" through once (or more recently - twice).

An alternate suggestion is to sing the Doxology to help time the washing, and it will remind us who really is in charge, AND to praise Him at the same time.

Doxology: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen

*You will need to sing it twice to achieve the 40 seconds wash time.

Chuck Stewart

THE PAUSE: Full-stop or Re-start? It is Our Choice.

In this pause there may be a lot of new challenges but as Lay Servants we can continue to serve:

1) PRAY. For health of those around us, for our leaders, for those being challenged by difficult circumstances and those anxious and fearful that find God's direction and peace.

2) CALL or EMAIL.  Keep in touch even while "social distancing" as is being requested. Give a word of cheer, of comfort, or laughter so help alleviate loneliness, anxiety, and stress in this time. Connections allow people to realize they are not in the situation all alone - even if it may feel that way. If your church offers an online service, be sure and share that information with them.

3) PLAN. After the virus, after this pause, what does God want us to do? How can we better serve our communities and each other? How can we better communicate the Gospel? This pause can also allow us to consider what the church may need us to do. Sometimes when teachers go back to school in the fall they have to trade rooms because another class may need their space due to size or other concerns. Do you have a class that is lost in too big a space and another class cramped into too small a space? Use the pause to plan to revamp and start over in a new space with new vision! Maybe the pastor and others have wanted to change some process or pattern previously set in stone; with the pause, prayerfully join with others to see what God would love to see happen. The list could go on and on...

4) GROW.  Use the pause to set aside that time for prayer, that time to study the Bible in greater depth, to visit with family, to learn a new skill or try something different that helps to illustrate that change - even a pause like the time we are in - can give way to the positive growth needed for great things to begin in our lives and our churches.

5) HELP. Even with social distancing, voluntary isolation, there are many ways to continue to help others.  People (wearing masks and gloves ) are helping in 'drive-through' sack lunch distribution to people and seniors;
they are helping clean up trash along roadways (often working as couples), they are planting gardens for the use of the community in coming weeks, they are _____________ (fill in the possibilities).

The Gift of Soup

If ministering to families and individuals who may occasionally need help, here is an idea that is easy to prepare ahead, store on shelves, and distribute as needed with directions.  Have a cooking class for creating healthy foods for people on limited incomes and demonstrate how to prepare the 'canned' soups.  Make instructions simple and adaptive to available resources, tastes, etc.

 

Prep :  5 mins 

Cook:  30 mins 

It is really good, especially in the fall and winter. I will list the instructions for using it as a fund raiser at the end of the cooking instructions. Cook time is for prep and simmer time when cooking, not preparing for fund raiser. Yummy and I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

Servings 6   Units US 

·         1 (2 3/4 ounce) package country gravy mix

·         tablespoon chicken bouillon granule

·         teaspoons instant minced onion

·         teaspoons dried celery flakes

·         teaspoon dried parsley flakes

·         1⁄4 cup wild rice, uncooked

·         cup white rice, uncooked

·         tablespoons coarsely chopped dried mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelle or oyster)

·         1 (10 ounce) can chicken, drained slightly (optional)

Directions

·         To cook; put all ingredients in a large saucepan.

·         Add 7 cups of water. Heat to boiling.

·         Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

·         Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

·         Note for Gift Giving or fund raising, you will need 1 pint jar with lid and ring for each recipe, a decorative piece of material cut into an 8 or 10 inch circle and raffia ribbon or twine.  Place each ingredient in the jar in the order listed, except the chicken. Place lid and ring on jar, sealing tightly by hand. Place the can of chicken on top of the jar. 

BEAN GOOD LUCK SOUP

Total Time:   1hr 20mins 

prep :  20 mins 

Cook  1 hr 

Give as a gift, share comfort food or give to someone going on a camping trip!!!! Starting the New Year with Herbs and Grains! This brings much luck and never to go hungry and always wanting to share with those in need or want. I make 12 pint jars and give for Christmas gifts. Oh So So so perrrfect for the cold weather to come......................

Servings 10   Units US 

·         1⁄2 cup dried split yellow peas or 1⁄2 cup dried split green peas

·         1⁄3 cup beef bouillon granules or 1⁄3 cup chicken bouillon granules or 1⁄3 cup vegetable bouillon granules

·         1⁄4 cup pearl barley

·         1⁄2 cup dry lentils

·         1⁄8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·         1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

·         teaspoon basil

·         teaspoon garlic powder

·         1⁄4 cup dried onion flakes

·         pinch saffron (but really good) (optional)

·         1⁄2 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

·         1 -2  tablespoon sun-dried tomato, diced very fine

·         tablespoons dehydrated mixed vegetables

·         1⁄2 cup wild rice, uncooked (I used Lundberg wild rice blend consisting of Long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice bit)

·         bay leaves

·         1⁄2 cup alphabet pasta

Good Luck Soup ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

·         lb ground chicken, beef or 1 lb turkey

·         garlic cloves, minced

·         1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

·         6  ounces tomato paste

·         1⁄2 quarts hot water

Directions

·         In a 1 1/2 pint jar, layer the bouillon, to the Bay leaves. Tap jar so ingredients settles. Wrap the pasta in a baggie, and place in the jar. Seal tightly.

·         Attach a label to the jar with the following instructions:

TO PREPARE SOUP: Remove pasta from top of jar, and set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, brown beef and drain excess fat add garlic to brown slightly. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and soup mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the pasta, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until the pasta, peas, lentils and barley are tender. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Live, Love, & Laugh!

Note:  Center the circle of material on top and tie the ribbon around the material at the level of where the jar neck starts. If selling these for a seasonal fund raising, try to find material appropriate for the season, such as fall or Christmas! These were very popular at our fund raising!