Thursday 16th July 2020, 11 AM to 1 PM

Background:

The COVID 19 pandemic is growing to indescribable proportions. People on the ground, be it clergy, church goers or health care workers, are confronted daily with life realities related to health, social, economic and pastoral issues that need an immediate response.. The pandemic as we know affects the poor, the marginalised and those with co-morbid conditions disproportionately.

The solutions that have been offered to both the public and religious communities are to ‘go online’ and ‘lockdown’, practise hygiene and physical distancing. However, as we have become increasingly aware, these are solutions for those in the upper echelons of society. The poor need to earn a daily wage and cannot afford to be locked down. Children from poor families cannot be educated ‘online’ which is only going to spoil their future and that of the nation. Many communities in India don’t have water to wash their hands and use mud and ash even today. They live in single room homes and social distancing is not at all a practical solution for them.

Projections for the next few months are unpredictable. It is as if the worst is yet to come, and the bubble is about to burst. If in the days to come people, even those being tested positive for corona, are to be treated at home. Those who have been affected or infected by the virus are also facing intense stigmatisation which will further lead to people not accessing care.

As a church, who can we support ‘online’ and how can we address issues that need face to face interaction. The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) in collaboration with The Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI) seeks to help Churches and Christian/ Ecumenical organisations be those Christ communities that are equipped with knowledge and skills in dealing with any eventuality both in families and as communities in neighbourhoods.

Objectives of the Webinar:

NCCI and CMAI seeks

  • To showcase or espouse ways in which church can be a healing ‘community’ during the pandemic
  • To share processes which families and communities need to know about managing people at home supported by the neighbourhood communities.
  • To equip pastors, frontline workers and members of the church with information and practical guidance on addressing the spiritual and physical needs of the families in crisis and those bereaved – both on account of the disease and while the pandemic holds sway.
  • To encourage the church to be strong and courageous to respond and support the families and communities.

Webinar Format:

Questions are invited NOW from prospective participants to the webinar on any questions, doubts and apprehensions that they may have on Pastoral care and counselling during COVID times. You can write this in the registration form. You can also write to cmaincciwebinar@cmai.org A panel of experts in the field of Law, Pastoral care and counselling will be providing information based on the questions raised.

Panel of experts

  • Justice (Rtd.) Kurien Joseph
  • Rt. Rev. Sameer Khimla
  • Dr. Santosh Mathew
  • Dr. Suviraj John
  • Ms. Bharati Jaravta
  • Rev. Dr. Israel David
  • Ms. Jessica Richard
  • Rev. Vinod Victor (Facilitator)

Proposed Date & Time

Thursday 16th July 2020, 11.00 am – 01.00 pm

Registration

Bishops, Pastors and Mission workers, Members of youth fellowships in churches, Christian health care workers who are willing to accompany such communities in their preparedness for the pandemic will attend. To attend the webinar, please register here

 Most important:

If you have a question or doubt that you would like the panel of experts to discuss,

please write in registration form or mail to cmaincciwebinar@cmai.org

 

Rev. Asir Ebenezer                                                                                                                             Dr. Priya John

General Secretary NCCI                                                                                                                General Secretary CMAI

 

                                     

Rebooting as Ekklesia Series:
Youth and Mental Health in the Context of COVID-19
13th June 2020 (Saturday) 05:00 pm (IST)

In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Subsequently in March 2020, the WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. Ever since, the outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the world has caused public panic and mental health stress, with an increasing number of cases being diagnosed and public concerns about infection. The ripples of this pandemic have spread out affecting the public and individuals resulting with interconnected effects on the socio-economic, mental, and physical well being. The society, particularly the young people into experience psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and even death due to loss of jobs, failure of business, disturbance of education (even to the loss of academic year), loss of family members, social lockdown and the restrictions that affect their way of ‘normal’ day to day life.

In India, 65% of the population is less than the age of 35 years and 50% below 25 years of age. These young people are the backbone of the country and at this moment in time of pandemic many of them are undergoing mental breakdown. The social and economic fissures exposed by the pandemic have already caused in unemployment, depleted social safety nets, starvation, among other things among the young people. This post-COVID landscape becomes a fertile breeding ground for an increase in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol dependence, and self-harm in which the young people have fallen victim.

The Church, Church-based organizations and the faith community as a whole have a great role in rebuilding the holistic well being of the society and individual particularly the young people in both clinical/scientific approach and pastoral care. We will reconnoitre the means and ways from the resource persons during the webinar.

Resource Persons:
Dr. Kimneihat Vaiphei
Asst. Professor,
Department of Psychiatric Social Work
NIMHANS, Bangalore
Rev. Dr. Israel David
Asst. Professor,
Department of Christian Ministry
Union Biblical Seminary, Pune

Click here for registration.

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