THings to do and Ways to Help

Covid-19 and the steps taken by our government, alongside local business and organizations, to slow the spread of this disease has had an impact on us all but is especially harsh on the most vulnerable in our community. Here are some ways you can support our church and our community:


CHURCH:

  • Pray for your fellow church members, pastors and staff. Email Pastor Geoff (geoff@audubonparkumc.org) to join the prayer chain. Share your prayer requests with us by emailing Laura, our administrative assistant (laura@audubonparkumc.org).
  • Try a new spiritual discipline. Check out Pray-As-You-Go, a daily time of guided prayer. Give Lectio Divina a try. The Examen is an ancient style of prayer that many people incorporate into their prayer journaling.
  • Sign up for Pastor Geoff's weekly email. This will be one of the main ways that we communicate, along with the website and phone calls.

  • Send in your offerings and pledges. This may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme right now, but trust me. It matters that you continue to get your offering in, as long as you are fiscally able. This is a great time to check out the online giving options, or set up online bill pay through your bank. Even the healthiest congregations can find themselves in the hole, and quick, after just a few Sundays of missed offerings. If you can’t give online, mail in a check, send a carrier pigeon, do what you have to do. Even if the building is empty, bills and salaries need to be paid; what’s more, you’re helping our church maintain mission commitments to the community in a time when that commitment is more important than ever. 

  • Join us for worship online on Sundays at 10:30 AM. If you're on YouTube you can also subscribe to our channel to get notified of new videos and livestreams. 
  • Connect with us on Facebook. We'll be posting a little more often including some videos. Facebook can be a great way to connect with your church family digitally. 
  • Call a friend from church just to check in. Visit for awhile over the phone and talk about what you've each been up to.

NEIGHBORS & FRIENDS

  • Send your neighbors and/or friends a card to let them know you're thinking of them.
  • Check in with neighbors and friends. Give them a call to see if they need anything, especially if they're a part of a vulnerable group.
  • Find your neighborhood on Facebook or Nextdoor to connect with neighbors and lend a hand if anyone needs help with something.

COMMUNITY

  • Give to support our church's Audubon Food Bank. Click here to give online (chose "other" and write in "food bank") or send a check to the church at (3908 N. Driscoll Blvd., Spokane, WA 99205). While our Tuesday Breakfast will be closed in March and April, our Food Bank will remain open, though we will change how we administer food.
  • Support local businesses and restaurants. Many businesses  and restaurants are closing or operating on a limited basis. Buy gift cards to use later from restaurants and businesses you frequent. Order take-out or delivery.
  • Check out Big Table, an organization in Spokane that works to care for food service employees and hospitality workers. These folks will assuredly lose work during the shutdown. You can give to support their work on the website.

Resources for Children & Families

Below are a few things we've found that might help families whose children are home during the Coronavirus school closures. We're hoping to add to this list, so check back later. If you know of any great resources we should add to this list please email them to Pastor Geoff.


Faith Formation

Education

  • Scholastic is offering free online courses for children during the school closures. The Scholastic Learn At Home program offers three hours of learning per day with up to four weeks of instruction. Users are asked to choose a grade level, separated into pre-K and kindergarten, first and second grade, third through fifth grade, and sixth grade and above.The courses span the subjects of English language arts; STEM; science; social studies; and social-emotional learning.
  • The Spokane Public Library has put together a list of resources that you can access online from your home! There are some fun things for adults to check out here too!
  • The National Geographic for Kids website has fun videos and games design to teach kids about the natural world.
  • The Cincinnati Zoo is bringing the zoo to you with their Home Safari's on Facebook Live. 

Fun & Games

  • Check out GoNoodle for fun videos and silly songs that will get kids moving and dancing. You can also find GoNoodle as a phone/table app and on many smart TV's, on Roku and Amazon Fire Stick.

  • Here is 50 Fun Activities for Kids Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours from goodhousekeeping.com

  • Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems - Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together. New episodes will be posted each weekday at 10:00 a.m. PT and then remain online to be streamed afterwards.