| Pastoral Care |
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Caring for each other in times of illness, crisis, or isolation is not solely the province of professional clergy. Pastoral care is something each one of us can participate in, offering love and support in a multitude of ways. A small group of Christ Church parishioners met in early spring to discuss current our pastoral-care programs, consider ways to make them more effective, and explore new ways we can minister to each other. Prayer is a powerful and spiritually rich way to support those in need while deepening our own connection to God. Christ Church has had a prayer chain for a long time, with participants sending prayer requests through a telephone tree. That method has become a challenge as work and personal lives make passing telephone messages difficult for many. We would like, instead, to institute a prayer community, offering many ways we can ask for and offer prayers. If you have a prayer request, please contact David Hall (223-3631). We will include those requests in the Prayers of the People, expanding the opportunity to pray for the specific needs of our parish. If you would like to receive a phone call in order to incorporate specific petitions into your own personal prayers, contact the church office to be put on the phone list. We will now have one person making phone calls with new requests. There is also a list in the chapel where you can ask for or offer prayers at a daily Eventide service. David will ensure that your needs are responded to with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality and will help to find the best way our prayer community can respond. Tucked away in nursing homes, hospitals, and apartments are some wonderful people who love to share their stories! We offer pastoral care to many of them through both Lay Eucharist visitors, who bring communion and a liturgical service, and social visitors, who may bring flowers, conversation, and good cheer. Visits are a tremendous gift to both recipient and visitor, and there is a great need for people to participate in this aspect of pastoral care. We will offer a program in the near future to share more information on this important ministry. After our meeting, other ideas were offered as we begin to think about how we can care for one another. Here are a few of them:
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