Quick Notes Update for November 18, 2020
In Memory of our dear friend, Rev. EJ Emerson
We lost our dear friend in August. After discussion with the family, we will be hosting a memorial service by zoom on Sunday, November 22 at 3pm. Please request the link by replying to this email.
A NEW FOOD MINISTRY UNDERWAY!
PRAYERS AND SUPPORT SOUGHT
Reformed Church Home Earns U.S. News & World Report Best Nursing Home Rating

[Old Bridge, NJ, November 3, 2020] – Kate Shepard, Executive Director at Reformed Church Home, has announced that the skilled nursing center has been named one of the Best Nursing Homes for 2020-2021 by U.S. News & World Report, a nationally recognized publication that annually evaluates and rates health care providers across the country. The Home was awarded the highest rating of “High-Performing” in both the Long-Term Care and the Short-Term Rehabilitation categories. According to the publication, only 21% of the nation’s nursing homes earned at least one recognition.
 
U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those facilities that satisfy the publication’s assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures. “We are extremely proud of the work our entire team has accomplished to achieve this recognition, especially this year in light of the added challenges brought on by the pandemic,” said Shepard. “We strive to give our residents the quality of life and level of dignity they deserve while keeping them safe, which the U.S. News award acknowledges.”
Now in its 11th year, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes coverage offers comprehensive information about care, safety, health inspections, staffing and more for nearly all of the nation’s 15,000-plus nursing homes. The ratings reflect exclusive analysis of publicly available data using a methodology defined by U.S. News, which evaluates factors that it has determined most greatly impact patient and resident care, safety, and outcomes. This year, nursing home profile pages were updated to include a patient safety summary reflecting COVID-19 data alongside other measurements of safety and related advice on how to choose a facility during the current pandemic.
“U.S. News strives to provide access to information that allows consumers to make educated decisions on all types of care,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News. The Long-Term Care Rating aims to provide families and prospective nursing home residents with information regarding the quality of daily care provided by nursing homes. This includes analysis of staffing ratios, success in preventing emergency room visits, and pneumonia vaccination rates, among other metrics. The Short-Term rating incorporates measures of quality such as consistency of registered nursing staff, use of antipsychotic drugs, and success in preventing falls.
Reformed Church Home is a highly respected, not-for-profit healthcare community offering assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and respite care to seniors of all faiths and beliefs. For additional information, please contact Andrea Walls, Director of Marketing, at 732-607-9230, or visit our website.

New books to note
Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson
One of our callings is to encourage one another in our faith journey. It's in that spirit that I want to humbly offer a resource--a book I've written that will be published shortly: "Without Oars: Casting Off Into a Life of Pilgrimage." I've come to discover that being a disciple of Jesus Christ launches one into a pilgrimage, often disruptive and unpredictable, where we learn what to leave behind to journey ahead with God. I learned this on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, from going to Lourdes, France, with churches in Nigeria, and elsewhere. So I've tried to share what it means for all of us to understand faith as a pilgrimage, rather than life in a sheltered cocoon of rational beliefs, which is too often the temptation of those in our tradition.

Once the election is over, all of us will need to catch our breath, and God's breath, to replenish our inward journey for the days ahead. I hope my book could be a resource to do so, both for you and those in your congregations. I've also written a Reflection Guide, with quotes, a burning question, and an exercise for each of the ten chapters. The chapters are structured around what we need to leave behind in order to walk ahead in faith.

I've put together a website, and you can find more there, including summaries, endorsements, and early reviews. Chuck DeGroat, a member of our classis, was kind enough to commend the book "to anyone who is open to discover the treasure found in the detours and disruptions of an authentic faith journey." Shane Clairborne simply says, "This book will help you declutter your soul." Here's the website:


And here's the publisher's site. Publication date is November 17, but copies are already being shipped. It's also on Kindle from Amazon.

"Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage" Order here:

Please be in touch with any questions.
Rev. Dr. Bob Gram
"Not only is this book a welcome resource for calm during this period of our history, but it is also an important hallmark of how the world is reacting and communicating while in quarantine." Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 50 Reviewer, 5 Stars
Churches in our Regional Synod are participating in Churches Learning Change. Read some testimonials from Wyckoff Reformed about the impact on their church life.
CHURCH BASED MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTERS ARCHIVE
We've created an online gathering of all of the newsletters the program has sent out during COVID. Very helpful insights to pass along to your congregations!
The information and materials that appear in the email newsletter, facebook page or on the Website of the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics of the Reformed Church in America ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE OPINION OF THE REGIONAL SYNOD OF THE MID-ATLANTICS OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA, NOR ARE SUCH NECESSARILY ENDORSED BY THE REGIONAL SYNOD. THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROVIDER OR AUTHOR.