Health Ministry

COVID-19 VACCINATION INFORMATION FOR CHILDREN:
 
 
The Montgomery County Office of Public Health is now scheduling vaccine appointments for children ages 6 months through 4 years. Our clinics are offering both vaccines: Moderna and Pfizer. Parents are able to choose which vaccine they would like for their child when they are making their appointment. A pharmacist and nurses will be available at the vaccination clinics to help answer any questions or concerns parents may have.
 
 

 

 

For complete information on free COVID-19 testing for all ages in Montgomery County, including the current locations, click the link below to go to the Montgomery County official website: https://www.montcopa.org/3744/COVID-19-Testing

 

General Information About St. John’s Health Ministry Team

 

Our St. John’s Health Ministry Team meets regularly to provide health and wellness services to our congregation.  It is comprised of members of St. John’s who are trained for and/or work in the health care field.  They are also “on standby” should any medical situation or emergency arise during worship services or any events at St. John’s.

 

Our St. John’s Health Ministry Team offers regular blood pressure screenings after worship on a monthly basis at the church as well as other special services – check the Enlightener & Herald for schedules.  These have not been scheduled during the COVID pandemic but hopefully will return in the future.

 

The Health Ministry team invites anyone that may be interested in joining the team to reach out to one of the team members! They are always happy to add health professional members to the team.

 

Local Health Resources – Recovery Support

 

Health Care Justice from our Conference: The PSEC:

Jesus Christ’s ministry gave particular attention to people experiencing sickness. As Christians, we must continue to make progress toward a U.S. health care system that is inclusive, equitable, affordable, accountable, and accessible for all. For more than thirty-five years the General Synod of the United Church of Christ has advocated for health care as a right and a priority for all people. PSEC Justice & Witness ministries advocates for the following:

  1. Preserve the coverage gains made by the ACA and further decrease the number of Americans without health insurance.
  2. Preserve the funding for Medicaid expansion and expand the program in all states.
  3. Ensure that reasonable revenue is in the federal budget to pay for health care for all.
  4. Uphold the purpose of Medicaid by refraining from structural changes to how the program is funded. Changing the funding structure to a block grant or per capita cap would impose rigid limits on the amount of federal money available to states for Medicaid, endangering the health and well-being of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and their families.
  5. Ensure that insurance premiums and cost sharing are truly affordable to all. Policies to improve affordability must prioritize those with the greatest need, not those with the means to put money in a health savings account or wait for tax deductions.
  6. Maintain health services and benefits currently provided by the ACA including access to essential medicines, mental health services, preventive services, pre-natal services, and other key services necessary to maintain health.
  7. Maintain guaranteed issue for those with pre-existing conditions. Do not quarantine the millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions in unaffordable high risk insurance pools.
  8. Prevent insurance companies from discriminating against women, the elderly, and people in poverty.
  9. Create effective mechanisms of accountability for insurance companies and not allow them to have annual or lifetime caps on expenditures.
  10. Continue to allow children under the age of 26 to be covered by their parents’ insurance.

To learn more, visit: http://www.ucc.org/justice_health

 

INFORMATION & RESOURCES ABOUT COVID-19 

While we returned in the summer of 2021 to in-church worship and some normal activities, COVID-19 still poses a health risk for many in the world, and we will continue to provide resources for information here.  If you have not gotten vaccinated yet, we and the United Church of Christ urge you to do so.  Those who are not vaccinated yet have been urged to continue to wear masks.

 

What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Coronavirus (CoVid-19) is a respiratory illness that causes flu-like symptoms.  Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to pneumonia, causing breathing difficulties, including shortness of breath. Most people who get it will contract a mild to moderate illness, a bit like flu. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer or chronic lung disease.

 

Montgomery County, Pa. has the latest information about Coronavirus and our county on their website: Click this link to go to the Montco website for Coronavirus information

 

Bucks County, Pa. has the latest information about Coronavirus and our county on their website:  Click on this link for information about Coronavirus from Bucks County, Pa.

 

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the latest information on their Department of Health website: Click on this link for information about Coronavirus from the Pennsylvania Department of Health

 

The United Church of Christ has an informative page on their website for all topics related to the Coronavirus.  Click this link to go to the UCC website Coronavirus information page

 

Latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Click here for the latest information from the CDC

 

Latest information from the World Health Organization (WHO): Click here for the latest information from WHO

 

John Hopkins University and Medicine in Baltimore has a very informational and factual website for information concerning the Coronavirus: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/