GPPC eNews Announcements
October 15, 2020
From Presbyterian Women
The Thank Offering has long been a tradition of Presbyterian Women. It has provided and continues to provide much-needed financial assistance to numerous worthwhile programs not included in ongoing General Assembly mission support.
The generosity of Presbyterian women and their families and congregation helps chosen recipients find real solutions for projects related to health, education, economic development, and needs of women and children.
To contribute to this year's Thank Offering, please make your check payable to GPPC and earmark it Thank Offering.
Contributions will be collected through the end of November.
Mary Bruce
Special Givings
Presbyterian Women
The Thank Offering has long been a tradition of Presbyterian Women. It has provided and continues to provide much-needed financial assistance to numerous worthwhile programs not included in ongoing General Assembly mission support.
The generosity of Presbyterian women and their families and congregation helps chosen recipients find real solutions for projects related to health, education, economic development, and needs of women and children.
To contribute to this year's Thank Offering, please make your check payable to GPPC and earmark it Thank Offering.
Contributions will be collected through the end of November.
Mary Bruce
Special Givings
Presbyterian Women
Monday Sunday School
Dear GPPC Friends in Christ, join us virtually on Zoom in a new study series called Monday Sunday School. 7 p.m. on Monday each week to study the messages and scriptural references found in our Glory to God Hymnal (or other favorite hymnals you have at home). This week's hymns are It Is Well With My Soul; I Sing A Song of the Saints of God; Great Is Thy Faithfulness; How Great Thou Art; I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord; In Christ There Is No East or West; In the Cross of Christ I Glory; Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee; I'm Gonna Live So God Can Use Me. George Setzer is the class coordinator.
See the weekly eNews email or contact the church office for the Zoom link.
Dear GPPC Friends in Christ, join us virtually on Zoom in a new study series called Monday Sunday School. 7 p.m. on Monday each week to study the messages and scriptural references found in our Glory to God Hymnal (or other favorite hymnals you have at home). This week's hymns are It Is Well With My Soul; I Sing A Song of the Saints of God; Great Is Thy Faithfulness; How Great Thou Art; I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord; In Christ There Is No East or West; In the Cross of Christ I Glory; Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee; I'm Gonna Live So God Can Use Me. George Setzer is the class coordinator.
See the weekly eNews email or contact the church office for the Zoom link.
The 2021 Flower Calendar is now available. If you would like to place the flowers on the Lord's Table in honor or memory of a loved one, please email Jane Sharpe at churchadmin at guilfordpark dot org. Remember that the first Sunday of each month is communion and there are no flowers on the Lord's Table. I will accept reservations for dates on a first-come, first-served basis. Be sure to include the name of your loved one, who they are from, and whether you are placing the flowers in honor or in memory. Until we return to in-person worship all flowers will be donated unless they are reused for more than one service. Thank you for adorning our sanctuary for our worship services.
October Fellowship in the Park - If you have not already attended an October Fellowship in the Park event, you have two more opportunities this month:
Remember to specify how many family members you are bringing. If you are hesitant to sign up online, please contact Jan Heywood (jan.david.heywood at gmail dot com), who will reserve a spot for you. MASKS are required.
- Saturday, October 17 at 4 p.m.
- Sunday, October 18 at 1 p.m.
Remember to specify how many family members you are bringing. If you are hesitant to sign up online, please contact Jan Heywood (jan.david.heywood at gmail dot com), who will reserve a spot for you. MASKS are required.
Children and Youth Ministry Committee
Guilford Park Presbyterian Church will be presenting story Bibles to our children in Kindergarten and Common English Bibles to our third grade students during the worship service of Children’s Sunday on October 18. Thank you for sharing your child/children with us. They are truly a gift and a blessing!
Candy needed for Trunks O' Treats!
Individually wrapped candy donations can be dropped off at the church door during weekdays. Our Trunks O' Treat is October 25 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. All ages (even adults) welcome.
Trunks needed for Trunks O' Treats!
Just pull your car into the parking lot and we will decorate your trunk for you! You are also welcome to decorate yourself and your trunk doesn't even have to be empty. Vans and hatchbacks welcome. Contact Kim Row and let her know you are coming. krow at guilfordpark dot org
Guilford Park Presbyterian Church will be presenting story Bibles to our children in Kindergarten and Common English Bibles to our third grade students during the worship service of Children’s Sunday on October 18. Thank you for sharing your child/children with us. They are truly a gift and a blessing!
Candy needed for Trunks O' Treats!
Individually wrapped candy donations can be dropped off at the church door during weekdays. Our Trunks O' Treat is October 25 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. All ages (even adults) welcome.
Trunks needed for Trunks O' Treats!
Just pull your car into the parking lot and we will decorate your trunk for you! You are also welcome to decorate yourself and your trunk doesn't even have to be empty. Vans and hatchbacks welcome. Contact Kim Row and let her know you are coming. krow at guilfordpark dot org
This is the 40th year GPPC has been involved with Church World Service’s Greensboro CROP WALK. 25% goes to Greensboro Urban Ministry. Please make checks out to CWS/CROP Walk, not GPPC. Contributions will be accepted until the end of October. Contact Lynn Carey at lynn at careysound dot com for more information.
Thank you to all of our YouTube subscribers. Please invite your friends and family to our channel and ask them to subscribe.
Worship Help
If you would like to help with worship by creating a video from home please contact Kim Row, krow at guilfordpark dot org, for instruction and guidance.
If you would like to help with worship by creating a video from home please contact Kim Row, krow at guilfordpark dot org, for instruction and guidance.
Hi GPPC,
Now that cooler temperatures are here, that means flu season is right around the corner. We will continue the GPPC Flu Shot Challenge and I will continue to remind and encourage you to get the flu vaccine. We love hearing from those of you who have taken this important step to protect yourself and your loved loves from the flu.
Just to give a perspective and help you realize how dangerous the flu can be, last flu season 186 people in Guilford County died because of the flu. As of October 12, 191 people have died of COVID-19 in Guilford County. You can see the number of deaths is similar, and while I realize that COVID-19 is still infecting and causing deaths in our community, flu season is upon us, and unfortunately, more residents of Guilford County will be infected and possibly die of the flu this season. I point this out only because many people do not take the flu seriously. It is serious and it does cost some people their lives, and it causes many to be hospitalized and miss work and school. So please get your flu shot soon and keep sending in your photos and challenging others to get the vaccine. Check out the Flu Shot Challenge on the GPPC Facebook page.
This week I want to clear up some misconceptions about some facts related to COVID-19 and the topic of contact tracing. Several people have had questions about the statement in my last post that said: “remember, masks are meant to protect other people in case you are infected, and not to protect you from becoming infected.” To clarify, this is not my opinion but is a fact from the CDC. The type of masks that most people are using out in public is not the same type of masks that healthcare workers wear to protect themselves while working with people infected with COVID-19 or other infectious diseases such as TB. The masks they use are N-95 masks which are more protective (and in conjunction with other PPE and strict safety measures) are meant to protect the person wearing the mask. The premise behind the general public wearing a mask/face covering while out in public is to reduce the risk of the individual wearing the mask (who is infected with COVID-19) from spreading the virus to others. Wearing a mask in conjunction with social distancing and hand washing are measures that will hopefully slow the spread of the virus, but it is not a guarantee, and you should not have a false sense of security when wearing a mask. If you have other health issues that make you more at risk, you should carefully consider the risks before going into crowded public places, even wearing a mask. I hope this explanation helps.
There is still so much confusion about mask use because we did not know anything about COVID-19 when it began to spread across our country. The CDC, and even Dr. Fauci, did not recommend public mask usage initially, but as we learn more and more about this new and harmful virus, recommendations have and will evolve and even change. It is prudent to follow the most current recommendations and be prepared to switch gears as more research gives us a better handle on this virus. For example, we learned just this week that: “Recovered COVID-19 patients can still test positive and not be infectious. As we are seeing patients who have recovered from COVID-19 re-enter the medical system, it is important to be clear that a patient who has recovered from COVID-19 may still test positive but is not infectious.”
The GPPC Plan Ahead team continues to plan and implement procedures for the future safe return to our campus. In the past two weeks’ eNews, I introduced the concept of contact tracing. If you have not seen the past articles I posted on this topic, please look back at them. I want to make sure you understand that it is not the role of Guilford Park in contract tracing. Our responsibility to the visitors and members of this church is to notify those who may have been in contact with someone who has called the church to report that they have COVID-19 and were on our campus in the 48 hours prior to having symptoms. We pledge to do our best to notify you, but please understand that we can only do this if we are notified if you become ill. Contact tracing is the role of the Guilford Country Health Department and they attempt to follow up with every person in Guilford County who has a positive COVID-19 test and then contact those who are considered close contacts (for clarification, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19. And yes, it is still considered a close contact even if you were wearing a mask while you were around someone with COVID-19. Remember, masks are meant to protect other people in case you are infected, and not to protect you from becoming infected. If you have been notified that you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should contact your primary physician and seek their advice. You can also contact the Guilford County Health Department at 336-641-5598 for advice and testing locations.
If you have any questions or concerns about this information or other health care issues, please feel free to contact me. My contact information is in the church directory.
Get vaccinated and stay safe!
Susan Smith, RN, GPPC Congregational Nurse
Now that cooler temperatures are here, that means flu season is right around the corner. We will continue the GPPC Flu Shot Challenge and I will continue to remind and encourage you to get the flu vaccine. We love hearing from those of you who have taken this important step to protect yourself and your loved loves from the flu.
Just to give a perspective and help you realize how dangerous the flu can be, last flu season 186 people in Guilford County died because of the flu. As of October 12, 191 people have died of COVID-19 in Guilford County. You can see the number of deaths is similar, and while I realize that COVID-19 is still infecting and causing deaths in our community, flu season is upon us, and unfortunately, more residents of Guilford County will be infected and possibly die of the flu this season. I point this out only because many people do not take the flu seriously. It is serious and it does cost some people their lives, and it causes many to be hospitalized and miss work and school. So please get your flu shot soon and keep sending in your photos and challenging others to get the vaccine. Check out the Flu Shot Challenge on the GPPC Facebook page.
This week I want to clear up some misconceptions about some facts related to COVID-19 and the topic of contact tracing. Several people have had questions about the statement in my last post that said: “remember, masks are meant to protect other people in case you are infected, and not to protect you from becoming infected.” To clarify, this is not my opinion but is a fact from the CDC. The type of masks that most people are using out in public is not the same type of masks that healthcare workers wear to protect themselves while working with people infected with COVID-19 or other infectious diseases such as TB. The masks they use are N-95 masks which are more protective (and in conjunction with other PPE and strict safety measures) are meant to protect the person wearing the mask. The premise behind the general public wearing a mask/face covering while out in public is to reduce the risk of the individual wearing the mask (who is infected with COVID-19) from spreading the virus to others. Wearing a mask in conjunction with social distancing and hand washing are measures that will hopefully slow the spread of the virus, but it is not a guarantee, and you should not have a false sense of security when wearing a mask. If you have other health issues that make you more at risk, you should carefully consider the risks before going into crowded public places, even wearing a mask. I hope this explanation helps.
There is still so much confusion about mask use because we did not know anything about COVID-19 when it began to spread across our country. The CDC, and even Dr. Fauci, did not recommend public mask usage initially, but as we learn more and more about this new and harmful virus, recommendations have and will evolve and even change. It is prudent to follow the most current recommendations and be prepared to switch gears as more research gives us a better handle on this virus. For example, we learned just this week that: “Recovered COVID-19 patients can still test positive and not be infectious. As we are seeing patients who have recovered from COVID-19 re-enter the medical system, it is important to be clear that a patient who has recovered from COVID-19 may still test positive but is not infectious.”
The GPPC Plan Ahead team continues to plan and implement procedures for the future safe return to our campus. In the past two weeks’ eNews, I introduced the concept of contact tracing. If you have not seen the past articles I posted on this topic, please look back at them. I want to make sure you understand that it is not the role of Guilford Park in contract tracing. Our responsibility to the visitors and members of this church is to notify those who may have been in contact with someone who has called the church to report that they have COVID-19 and were on our campus in the 48 hours prior to having symptoms. We pledge to do our best to notify you, but please understand that we can only do this if we are notified if you become ill. Contact tracing is the role of the Guilford Country Health Department and they attempt to follow up with every person in Guilford County who has a positive COVID-19 test and then contact those who are considered close contacts (for clarification, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19. And yes, it is still considered a close contact even if you were wearing a mask while you were around someone with COVID-19. Remember, masks are meant to protect other people in case you are infected, and not to protect you from becoming infected. If you have been notified that you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should contact your primary physician and seek their advice. You can also contact the Guilford County Health Department at 336-641-5598 for advice and testing locations.
If you have any questions or concerns about this information or other health care issues, please feel free to contact me. My contact information is in the church directory.
Get vaccinated and stay safe!
Susan Smith, RN, GPPC Congregational Nurse