Congregational care is always on my mind: who is in the hospital? Who is looking after an ill family member? Who’s concerned about employment or finances? Who is struggling with family issues? Who is anxious, hurting, suffering? And who has a joy to celebrate, a blessing to share?
Congregational care is not just my concern, of course – it is something that concerns us all, every one of us, something we all do together. Congregational care has been very much on the minds of our leaders the past few months as we look for new and better ways to look after one another.
You’ve heard about the step our Deacons took in January: with approval from the Session, the Deacons expanded from 15 to 18 to provide for more involved care and concern for the more than 500 men, women, and children who are part of our church family. We did not stop there, though: each of our Elders is now paired with a Deacon to help provide additional support and care.
This past winter’s snowstorms reminded us that we have many folks who live alone, so we have created a “Home Alone” list to help us be more attentive in looking after them and checking on them, not only during bad weather, but year round.
We have also created a better system to remind us of who is sick, facing surgery, or in the hospital, or who might be looking after a loved one who is sick or in the hospital. Hospital stays are so short these days that it seems that I often don’t hear about a hospitalization until after the person has come home. If you know of someone who has been hospitalized, please make sure you tell me – I would rather hear it four times from four different people than not at all.
Congregational care is not just the pastor’s job, or the Deacons’ job; it is OUR job, all of us working together to look after one another. A simple telephone call to someone you haven’t seen in a while; an offer of a ride to worship, or some other activity, to a member who no longer is able to drive; a note, a visit – there are so many different ways we look after each other.
When Jesus gathered with his disciples for their last meal together, he said to them, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34) These words should guide each of us each day as we go about our service as disciples of Jesus Christ, caring for one another within our own church family, and looking after all those in every corner of the world who need our Risen Lord’s love.
Glory to God, for Christ is Risen!
Pastor Skip
