Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Update from Pastor Jess on
Red Bank Response to COVID-19

Some of you may have heard by now that the Borough of Red Bank has been placed under a local state of emergency. Relevant to our UMC of Red Bank, that announcement says, in part: "All non-essential places of business with occupancy greater than 25 persons are closed to the public effective March 16, 2020 at 11:59 p.m." You can read the full proclamation by clicking here .

As a result, our church facilities will be closed for all church functions as well as for 12-step and community groups. Staff access to the offices will be limited as well. If you need to be in touch with any of our staff, please use email or cell phones, rather than calling the church. Our staff directory is as follows:
Rev. Jessica B. Naulty, Senior Pastor - jbnaulty@umcredbank.org - 908-400-2343
Evan Courtney, Director of Music Ministries - ecourtney@umcredbank.org  - 307-214-0231
Elaine Dawson, Director of C&Y Ministries - edawson@umcredbank.org - 732-740-8435
Case Akers, Seminary Intern - kakers@drew.edu
Sheila Leavitt, Financial Secretary - sleavitt@umcredbank.org
Nell Ryan, Church Secretary - office@umcredbank.org
Bob Shindel, Sexton - bob_shindel@mac.com

Please be assured that we will be closely monitoring the situation and will re-open the building as soon as we are provided that guidance from the town.

In order to manage the various ministry and operational concerns that may arise while our building is closed we have gathered an Emergency Response Team.  This team is working on things such as communications, online worship planning, building management and the development of church community virtual support groups for all ages. Bobbie Ridgely is the contact person for this effort and can be reached at bjridgely@yahoo.com or 732-687-5397. More information about these efforts will be available over the next few days.

We hope that you would join us for worship from the comfort of your home each Sunday at 10 AM. Worship will be broadcast online through Facebook Live which you can access through our church FB page or our website .

Our church is a place of community, love, and support. In troubled times, connection with God and each other is even more essential. As we remain connected through technology, phone calls, cards, and prayer, may God bind us together in new and creative ways. Stay tuned for more information about day-to-day operations, remote church meetings, and small group opportunities we will be offering online. If you need help for any reason, please don't hesitate to reach out to Pastor Jess (908-400-2343) or Bobbie Ridgely (732-687-5397), and we will do our best to meet your needs.

We look forward to seeing you soon, but until then, may God bless us all in this challenging time.
God bless, Rev. Jessica Naulty

Backpack Crew Service Continues

In the midst of this health crisis and the closure of schools and many workplaces throughout the town, the needs of the most vulnerable in society will only rise. It is a blessing that our Backpack Crew feeding ministry is able to continue serving children and families in need.

Last night the Backpack Crew Pantry served 49 families by offering pre-packed bags of groceries from the back porch of the church. This is a service we hope to continue to offer every 1st and 3rd Monday evening. Please spread the news for those you know who are struggling with food insecurity.

The Backpack Crew has also worked with their partnering schools to devise a delivery plan for those students who will struggle to get to the schools to pick up meals throughout the week. You can help by donating food next time you are driving by the church. There are collection bins on the back porch of the church that you are welcome to fill at anytime. Drop and run!! The items that we are most in need of are granola bars, oatmeal packs, cereal, fruit cups. And let’s think about the kids who may be home alone because parents need to work! Easy to make foods. Mac and cheese cups, BREAD for PBJs, fruit!!!

In cooperation with the church Emergency Response Team, we will be reaching out to our local Office of Emergency Management to see how we can be in partnership in providing community support when and if needed.

Suzanne Dice, Director
The Backpack Crew
Email us at backpackcrewnj@gmail.com with any questions.