Recently someone at the Fellowship approached me after a Sunday service. “Hey, I need some clarification. Can you explain the difference between our Lay Pastoral Care and Caring Connections Ministry?” As I responded I realized others in the Fellowship might benefit from some clarification. Here you go!
Lay Pastoral Care
Lay Pastoral Care (LPC) is a ministry that involves training and commissioning laypeople to provide pastoral care to those who are facing life challenges. Pastoral care can take many forms but most importantly it involves gentleness, patience, and listening.
The Fellowship’s Lay Pastoral Care Associates (LPCA) completed eight modules of focused online training while meeting monthly for over a year to share and learn from one another. The modules were led by UU experts on specific topics. For example: different forms of grieving, how to nurture better listening skills and training on how to ask non-judgmental but probing questions. The LCPA are not professional counselors but have been trained to listen and perhaps help their ‘sharer’ find new levels of understanding.
LPCA provide deep listening, bear witness to great pain, and identify to the Minister congregants who need more care by the Minister or outside professional help. Monthly LPC meetings with Rev. Sasha allow for confidential sharing of care needs.
If you think you would benefit from LPC, reach out to Rev. Sasha.
LCPA Members:
- Rev. Sasha (Coordinator)
- Janet Horst
- Judie Romano
- Laurie MacGeorge
- Carolyn Schwartz
- Diane Marks
- Paul Snellgrove
Caring Connections
The Fellowship’s Caring Connections Ministry is a team of Care Givers available to offer you in times of special need meals, transportation, calls, and visits. Most recently the team coordinated activities to support new mothers, Brooke and Candice Donaldson. Congregants signed up to help with meals, light cleaning and lawn care. Nuggets of love saying “We care about you!”
If you are interesting joining this ministry or need the help of Caring Connections, contact Diane Marks.