St. Andrew's United Methodist Church
  • Home
  • About Us
    • St. Andrew's Banners
    • Sunday Worship Program
    • I'm New >
      • What to Expect
      • Children's Programs >
        • Children's Min Archives
      • Cross-Cultural Ministry
      • Youth Discipleship - Grades 6 - 12
      • Adult Discipleship
      • Mission & Service Opportunities
      • Music and Liturgical Arts >
        • Music Archives
    • Staff
    • How to join
    • Campus Map
    • Church Forms
    • Map
  • LENT 2023
  • HOLY WEEK / EASTER 2023
  • Giving
  • Calendar
  • SAUMC Preschool
  • Community Mission
  • News
    • Newsletter Archives
  • Committees
  • UMCOR
  • Church/ Community Events
  • UM News

Introducing the Care Team

11/6/2013

 
Picture
Introducing the Care Team

In the late summer/early fall of this year a group of people stepped forward for a new experiment. These were people feeling a call to provide pastoral care to others, to visit, pray, encourage and support people. After an introductory meeting, and an initial 10 hours of training, we now have an active Care Team.

The Care Team's mission is to provide a ministry of lay Christian caring. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NRSV) The ministry is designed to provide one-on-one supportive care for persons going through a crisis, the homebound, those healing from injury or illness, and to maintain relationships within the congregation.

How does it work?

The Care Team works in cooperation with the pastor. As different pastoral care needs arise, the pastor calls on different members of the Care Team. For instance, the pastor would call on a Care Team member to visit in the hospital when he cannot be there. Or if someone endures a life-changing event, or an intense period of stress, after consulting with that person, the pastor would send a member of the Care Team to meet regularly with that person and to walk with them through the crisis.

What can I expect from a Care Team member?

A Care Team member will

·      meet with you at a mutually convenient time and place
·      hold all conversations in confidence
·      pray with and for you
·      listen carefully
·      help you reflect
·      walk with you in difficult times
·      talk with you one-on-one

A Care Team member will NOT:

·      have all the answers
·      betray your confidence
·      diagnose you
·      provide therapy
·      talk you into anything
·      work on your personal chores or tasks
·      meet with couples or families

I think I might like to meet with a Care Team member. What do I do?

If you're interested in visiting with a member of the Care Team for any reason, get in touch with the pastor. He can answer any questions about the program, listen to your needs, then pair you with the best match from the Care Team.

The Care Team members are: Allison Bickett, Margeri Brown, Nancy Crosby, Norma Dowless, Martha Ann Harris, Jean Hunter, Susan Johnson, Ruth Mauldin, Shawn Penny, and Pat Smathers.

Please keep the Care Team in your prayers. Welcome them if they visit you in the hospital. And if you think someone else might benefit from the Care Team, have them call the pastor.




Comments are closed.

    About this blog

    Read the latest thoughts on the ministries of St. Andrew's UMC as well as devotionals and generally interesting tales. 

    Archives

    January 2017
    November 2016
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Bible Study
    Books
    Caring
    Christmas
    Dan
    Football
    Giving
    Joel
    Leadership
    Learning
    Music
    Neighborhood
    Outreach
    Spiritual Gifts
    Spirituality
    Vbs
    Video
    Welcome
    Worship

    RSS Feed