The following message is adapted from a letter sent recently to Bay Area branch churches.
We were recently asked if it is true that Fern Lodge is closing. No!
We don’t know how this rumor started, but please do all you can to help our field understand that Fern Lodge stands ready to serve and support the spirit of Christian healing. The spirit of renewal at Fern Lodge is having a tangible effect!
In fact, Fern Lodge is demonstrably successful. We are operating at 85–90% of our full patient capacity (which means we usually have room to accept new guests). We are fully staffed and continue to support the progress of our Christian Science nursing students. We have an investment account that allows us to support the work that cannot be paid for by patients — some patients have no significant means of support, but all receive the full benefit of our care (and this is largely made possible by generous gifts from the wider field).
Our collaboration with Tenacre is yielding fruit — four Fern Lodge students have studied at Tenacre in recent months, and two of Tenacre’s students have chosen Fern Lodge as the site for their off-campus mentoring.
In our last newsletter, we announced our Renewal Program. We are already upgrading equipment and renovating the facility. In fact, the same week our newsletter was mailed — before a single campaign donation came in — staff happened upon a used maintenance truck in excellent condition with low mileage at 40% off book value. Within 24 hours, we bought it. Our maintenance staff are thrilled! We took this as a sign of divine assurance that renewal is the right thing to do and that we walk largely by faith, not sight (II Corinthians 5:7). This small event was significant because it reminds us to be willing to respond promptly to God’s grace, willing to accept the blessing God sets before us.
In September, we repaved and striped the parking lot and repaired asphalt at Valentine House (our staff housing). We have already upgraded our fire alarm system, repaired our garden sprinklers, and renovated the old nurses station, which is now a new office for the primary mentor for Christian Science nurses. We will soon begin remodeling bathrooms in our oldest wing. We are also replacing failing kitchen and laundry appliances.
In terms of community outreach, we just held a benefit concert in Oakland featuring well-known performers Kenneth Kellogg (pictured), Katy Stephan, and Noah Griffin, who highlighted the contribution of black spirituals to American religious music. This concert definitely provided “crumbs of comfort from Christ’s table,” as Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health 234). One attendee wrote to say that the concert was “outstanding” and spotlighted the “wonderful contribution the American spiritual is to the vibrant American culture.”
The spirit of Fern Lodge is growing stronger. We are being rejuvenated and renewed. Our partnership with regional Christian Science churches and the wider field is one key to the ongoing success of Christian Science nursing in the Bay Area. Our patients and staff are feeling the uplift of ongoing renewal. Please do all you can to support our healing ministry. As one local church member wrote: “We truly appreciate all you do to support healing in our community!” And we appreciate all of you! Amen!
In brotherly love for all engaged in this holy work,
Brad Stock
After sharing this message with branch churches, Fern Lodge received an exceptionally large grant. Although the grant was not directly connected to the church letter or the community outreach of our concert, the timing indicates that there is a tangible spiritual impetus underlying our efforts. God has a hand in this work. We welcome and encourage you to join with us financially and prayerfully. These are the remaining Renewal Program projects that will enable us to better serve our brothers and sisters — all of you — for years to come:
- Update our oldest wing:
- Remodel three 1960s bathrooms; add showers = $40,000 each ($120,000 total)
- Bring in the light = add patio doors to six patient rooms + landscaping = $7,000 each ($42,000 total)
- Remodel the old nurses station (dampness remediation) = $20,000
- Update 8 patient rooms = $32,000
- New vehicles:
- A new wheelchair van = $70,000
- A good used car = $25,000
- Upgrade the nurse call system = $30,000
- Replace old exterior doors; add electric openers for patients’ use = $41,000
- Add mini-splits and partial air conditioning = still gathering bids
“…the good done, and the love that foresees more to do, stimulate philanthropy and are an ever-present reward.”
Mary Baker Eddy,
Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896