Pastoral care ministries
If you'd like to participate in any of these, call or e-mail the church office.
Lay Eucharistic visitors
St.
Davids' lay Eucharistic visitors are
a vital means of connecting our shut-in members to the rest of the
church community. Each Sunday one or two lay Eucharistic visitors take
some of the blessed bread and wine from our service to members at their
private homes, retirement homes, or nursing homes. The visitors are
trained and equipped to conduct Holy Communion services for just a few
people.
Visitors receive their
traveling kit at the end of the Sunday service they attend, with this
commissioning prayer said by the entire congregation:
New visitors are added and trained at the Rector's discretion.
Friendly Visitors
The Friendly Visitors are dedicated people committed to a special ministry. They divide the list of those who are unable to attend church on a regular basis into groups of two to four. Each Friendly Visitor is assigned a group to visit one or two times a month, or more if they like. There are also members who would rather not visit, and so they make telephone calls and/or send birthday, anniversary, holiday, get-well, and other cards. At Christmas the Friendly Visitors deliver poinsettia plants to those who cannot attend church.
Caring Friends
Caring Friends is a group that helps St. David's families and individuals in crisis situations, as a way of fulfilling Jesus' commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself.
The group has two main functions:
- Preparing and hosting receptions after funerals at the church. These can include cookies with beverages, cookies and finger sandwiches with beverages, or a full dinner.
- Bringing food to families when someone comes home from the hospital after surgery or any illness.
Prayer Shawls
A number of needlecrafters at St. David's knit or crochet prayer shawls. The shawls are blessed and given to those who are sick, or sometimes to those who are leaving St. David's family, as a token of our love and good wishes for them. If you'd like to make a prayer shawl, you are very welcome to do so. Some of our needlecrafters meet at the church to work together; others work at home on their own. Either way is fine. Finished shawls can be brought to the church any time, and stored until needed. You can also make one for a specific person if you desire.
You can find prayer shawl instructions online here, here and here (and probably many other places, but that's enough to get you started!)
