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Mental Health First Aid – Youth Edition
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.
Eureka Christian Church will host an in-person training on Tuesday January 31, 2023 beginning at 8:30 am. The class will be facilitated by Social Worker Joanie Montoya from Carle Eureka Hospital. The cost is $12/person and lunch is provided. To register, click here or call the church office, 309-467-2369.
New handrail at ECC
Eureka Christian Church’s building received an accessibility upgrade this week, in the form of a new handrail outside our sanctuary doors. This will be a help to people with mobility challenges, as well as a great addition in the snow and ice months.
Christian Visitor August 10, 2022
Our Turquoise Table has arrived!
After months and months of waiting (thanks, global supply chain!), we finally have our turquoise table set up at the front of the church, on our new patio. We will be having a blessing for its use in August after Rev Jennie is back from her sabbatical. In the meantime, please feel free to stop by and utilize it at any time. The team that has been working on the east lawn of the building really wants this space to be a place of gathering for the whole community, so the more it’s filled with people, the better.
COVID Update, July 2022
Dear friends,
You can’t escape it, there’s constant talk on the news about the new Covid variants, BA4 and BA5, which are now taking over the country and driving up infection rates. At least four families in our congregation have gotten it in the last month (that I know of), and I can assure you from personal experience that it’s no fun. But we’ve been through this many times over the last 2.5 years, and it gets difficult to figure out what’s real news that we need to worry about and what is alarmist handwringing by media folks who just want the ad revenue. Thankfully, there are several epidemiologists, virologists and testing experts who have been very generous with their research, and I am going to try to distill some of this information into action steps that can help to keep our congregation safe this summer.
First, the bad news:
Reinfections are on the rise. If you had covid more than a few months ago, you’re not very protected from getting Covid a second time, and there’s no guarantee that a repeat bout with Covid will be less severe than the first.
But there are steps we can take to help keep us protected:
- If you are eligible for a booster shot, go get one. Vaccines continue to do a very good job of keeping most people out of the hospital with covid. If you are over 50 or immunocompromised, you may be able to get another booster. You can get vaccines free of charge at our local CVS as well as most other pharmacies. Also, our Woodford County Health Department offers vaccines on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
- Consider wearing a mask in crowded places. If you’re in a room of people for more than a few minutes (such as a sanctuary), increased mask wearing can decrease the chances that you’ll spread or catch germs. At this point ECC does not have any plans of requiring masks again, but we will continue to monitor risk levels and keep you posted.
- Keep a stock of rapid Covid tests in your home. You can order free tests from https://www.covid.gov/tests, or stop by your preferred pharmacy and ask about tests there. You are entitled to 8 tests/month covered by your insurance.
- Use those tests regularly. If you’re feeling poorly, a rapid test will help you know whether you’re suffering from allergies, a little cold, or have caught Covid. This will help you keep others safe, as well as allow you to get Paxlovid, which needs to be started soon after symptoms start for best results. It’s also a good idea to test yourself before visiting elderly or sick friends, just in case you’re infected but have no symptoms.
If you have questions or concerns about Covid in our community, please reach out to talk about it. If you have medical questions, call your doctor or the Health Department. If you are struggling with emotional or spiritual problems coming from the fact that we’ve been in pandemic mode for almost 2.5 years? Call me. I am happy to sit down with you and chat. This absolute disruption to life as we know it has left many of us feeling disconnected, dysregulated, and has left some of us without a lot of hope. Please do not suffer alone. Humans are meant to be in community, and I want to help.
Grace and peace to you all,
Rev Robin
New Pollinator Garden Coming Soon!
On June 1, 2022 Steve Colburn, Steve Hodel, Jennifer Bass and Rev Robin Robinson met with Dr Katy Everett from Eureka College to begin planning for Eureka Christian’s new pollinator garden. It will be a partnership between the college and the church, with the prep, planting and maintenance a combination of efforts of EC students and the ECC congregation. The preparation of the plot will begin right away, and the planting will be done this fall after EC students are back on campus.
Once established this garden will be approximately 600 square feet of native plants that will help to feed bees and butterflies, as well as being a little patch of beauty on the southwest lawn of ECC, in front of the education building.
Our hope is that this will be an endeavor that can bring together our school and church communities while helping our environment too. If you’re interested in being part of this effort, please click here and provide your name and contact info. Thanks in advance for your support of this project.
Notes from Rev Jennie
May 5, 2022
While Rev Jennie is getting ready to start walking the Camino De Santiago, she took a moment to share a little update with us. First, she wanted to lift up prayers of gratitude for her daughter Rachel and friend Stephany. Jennie’s wallet was stolen while they were in Paris, which meant that she was left with no cash or credit cards. Stephany has been covering her expenses while she waits for replacements to arrive, while Rachel has been making the zillion phone calls stateside to try to get all of this straightened out.
Also, Jennie sends along this meditation on the statue of Notre Dame in Le Puy, France, where her Camino journey begins (the photo is looking out from behind her crown):
“This lovely lady was made from the metal of 213 Russian cannons captured by the French in the Crimean War in the 19th century. At a time when war is again being waged, this is a beautiful reminder that the Bible calls us to beat our swords into plowshares.”
Holy Week at ECC
Holy Week continues at ECC, as we remember the trials, death and resurrection of Jesus, our savior and guide.
Good Friday, Noon. Eureka Community service at Eureka Presbyterian church. This service will not be livestreamed.
Holy Saturday, 7pm. Easter Vigil at Eureka Christian Church. This is one of the oldest known Christian worship services, first created in the 200s AD. During this powerful reminder of the whole story from Creation to Resurrection, we will celebrate the baptisms of three young people ready to dedicate their lives to Christ. This service will be held primarily outdoors, and does include some walking. The majority of the experience will not be livestreamed, however we will record the baptisms.
Easter Sunday, 8:15 and 10:30 AM. Come celebrate our risen Lord in song, scripture and word. There will also be an egg hunt on the church’s front lawn at 9:30 am. This is also Rev Jennie’s last Sunday with us before her sabbatical leave. Come wish her well on her journey.
March 7, 2022 – 90th Anniversary of ECC Fire
Today, March 7, marks the 90th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the Eureka Christian Church building. The congregation was nearing its 100th anniversary celebration at the time. Below are some photos that show the sanctuary before the fire, as well as pictures of the ruins. Eureka Christian has faced many challenges in its 190 years as a congregation, and with God’s help we will continue to whether whatever storms come our way as a community.
