St. Paul's Focus Group - Pastoral Care

Regular congregational contact with homebound (2 times a month in person, mail, phone) [mentioned by 2 groups]

More regular clergy contact with homebound

Development/education of a lay pastoral care team

Need a second priest to carry part of this load

Need someone to “be there” for those who aren’t homebound but are hurting/ in need

Hire a parish Pastoral Counselor

Develop a van ministry that is available more than on Sundays [mentioned by 3 groups]

Teach congregation an awareness that Pastoral Care ought to be responsibility of whole congregation

Care actively for the ill and homebound in our parish family

We need to care for those who “disappear” (stop coming to church), not just those who are active

Start a support group/peer group in which older adults can help one another wrestle with issues of day-to-day life (including loneliness, and having no sense of group or place)

Have regular workshops led by people who can offer tax assistance or who can help decipher Medicare information

Regular non-emergency contact from clergy

Love the birthday calls we get!

Our newly reactivated Fellowship Ministry meets some of the needs for contact with one another; so do the Eastside and Northside Dinner Groups

More small group gatherings would help

We have a need for small daytime social gatherings for retired folks (at church and in folks’ homes)

We need additional (smaller) dinner groups with regularly rotating configurations (draw up new groups from names of all interested every 4 months?)

It would help if we had permanent nametags and everyone wore them every Sunday

A more active “Sharing and Caring” program to provide babysitting, rides (to church, doctor, etc), meals, etc. for parish families would be helpful

It would be great to have our older adults serve as foster-grandparents for our youngsters [mentioned by 2 groups]

Weekly Home Communion for all homebound parishioners should be the goal (and should be a goal we can meet)

A program helping families learn the process of “dying well” – and learning how our whole congregation can contribute to that – is needed

An active program of regular (non- Home Communion) visits from members of the parish to homebound parishioners is needed [mentioned by 3 groups]

Transportation to church is crucial for some

Please establish an International Order of St. Luke (healing prayer) ministry

We must find some way to do a better job of caring for our clergy

We need a ‘system’ to take some of the pastoral load off of clergy and expand our lay pastoral care coverage (e.g. lay visits to homes, nursing care facilities, hospitals) [mentioned by 2 groups]

Congregation may not be aware of how much pastoral work clergy do

We need to work on better public expressions of our appreciation of all those who do ministry at St. Paul’s

Funeral receptions are a great gift to grieving families

Update sound system to better record services, and set up a system to insure those recordings actually get to homebound parishioners.

Put recordings of our service on our web-site

Use some of our choirs’ recorded music on the parish website

Make sure that we are recording ALL of our special services (Holy Week, evensongs, etc)

Develop better linkage between our youth and our shut-ins/older adults (e.g. doing the Epiphany Pageant at Riverpointe or other residential care facilities)

Establish a “Good Works” group to assist older adults – teams of adults and youth who will go to person’s home on Sunday morning, worship with them there (Morning Prayer or Home Communion), then work on a project for the person. [mentioned by 4 groups]

Name a youth representative to the Pastoral Care Ministry

Build a Handicap Access to the church [mentioned by 6 groups]

Need a system for communicating pastoral needs to whole congregation so we have a chance to respond (announcements, bulletin, Epistle) [mentioned by 2 groups]

A Bulletin Board in Webb Hall would be helpful for getting information to people (on everything, not just pastoral needs) [mentioned by 5 groups]

Identify people on Prayer List by connection to congregation (unless they object to our doing so)

Avoid and actively discourage the habit of gossip that is still alive at St. Paul’s

Knowing each other as a family is important – so occasions like 5th Sundays matter and help a lot

The regular priestly presence, engagement in fellowship occasions is appreciated – its important

A bulletin board in the narthex would be helpful

Name tags would be helpful for us as well as visitors; we could get to know one another better and more easily [mentioned by 4 groups]

We need a more effective greeters program, with greeters posted at the outside door to the church so that the priest can greet at front of sanctuary where people are headed to Webb Hall

Send care packages to all of our military personnel; post pictures of them in the parish hall (need a bulletin board to do this)

Seasonal targeting for expressions of caring to our own (do this year-round, not just at birthdays)

Potential for development of pastoral care with homebound, young moms, college kids is huge

Gather some data from those who are the potential recipients of Pastoral Care: what needs would they like to have St. Paul’s meet

Set up a ministry structure with people identified to be in charge of specific areas (meals, phone calls, notes, home visits, home communions, etc.)

Suggest a regular leading/inviting announcement in bulletin about what Pastoral Care we offer, whom to contact to receive it or arrange it for someone else

Begin a Stephen Ministry

Provide tear-off slips in bulletin that can be passed in with information about parishioner needs

Make contacts at “Life Events” automatic, with offer of meals, cleaning, transport, etc

Develop a parish nursing program

Tax preparation assistance for older adults

Do a new Gifts and Talents survey

What do we do about the sense that our diocese ignores (doesn’t care about) us and how that effects the congregation?

Where’s all of that Eli Lily money?

Harness the energy of our parishioners to share in evangelism/market work

Set goals for growth (5% each year for 5 years?)

Need to be sensitive about working to make sure folks feel welcome/included (but not desperately needed)

Better work needed in greeting

Do exit interviews with all who leave

Demographic targeting for our ministry (young couples) also building around our strengths

Demographic-centric activities

College/university ministry

Communications training for congregation (centered on our need to be heard/cared about, not to have things fixed for us)

Personal invitations may be the solution to resistance to change

Small groups (shared purpose; social and Christian focus; rotating membership; shared study)

Training in cell group leadership (need a staff member to do this?) [see comments regarding need for more small groups]

Context for caring and accountability

Work/involvement of congregation crucial to success of Pastoral Care

Take up a special collection to get van ministry going w/ a second van

Hire a curate or part-time priest

Make sure everyone has will/burial arrangements/medical stipulations

Notes to homebound weekly

Adult education series on how to meet pastoral care needs (Bible connection)

Epistle: If you need (or know someone who needs)… call… (website, refrigerator magnets)


	Pastoral Care Regular congregational contact with homebound (2 times a month in person, mail, phone) [mentioned by 2 groups] More regular clergy contact with homebound Development/education of a lay pastoral care team Need a second priest to carry part of this load Need someone to “be there” for those who aren’t homebound but are hurting/ in need Hire a parish Pastoral Counselor Develop a van ministry that is available more than on Sundays [mentioned by 3 groups] Teach congregation an awareness that Pastoral Care ought to be responsibility of whole congregation Care actively for the ill and homebound in our parish family We need to care for those who “disappear” (stop coming to church), not just those who are active Start a support group/peer group in which older adults can help one another wrestle with issues of day-to-day life (including loneliness, and having no sense of group or place) Have regular workshops led by people who can offer tax assistance or who can help decipher Medicare information Regular non-emergency contact from clergy Love the birthday calls we get! Our newly reactivated Fellowship Ministry meets some of the needs for contact with one another; so do the Eastside and Northside Dinner Groups More small group gatherings would help We have a need for small daytime social gatherings for retired folks (at church and in folks’ homes) We need additional (smaller) dinner groups with regularly rotating configurations (draw up new groups from names of all interested every 4 months?) It would help if we had permanent nametags and everyone wore them every Sunday A more active “Sharing and Caring” program to provide babysitting, rides (to church, doctor, etc), meals, etc. for parish families would be helpful It would be great to have our older adults serve as foster-grandparents for our youngsters [mentioned by 2 groups] Weekly Home Communion for all homebound parishioners should be the goal (and should be a goal we can meet) A program helping families learn the process of “dying well” – and learning how our whole congregation can contribute to that – is needed An active program of regular (non- Home Communion) visits from members of the parish to homebound parishioners is needed [mentioned by 3 groups] Transportation to church is crucial for some Please establish an International Order of St. Luke (healing prayer) ministry We must find some way to do a better job of caring for our clergy We need a ‘system’ to take some of the pastoral load off of clergy and expand our lay pastoral care coverage (e.g. lay visits to homes, nursing care facilities, hospitals) [mentioned by 2 groups] Congregation may not be aware of how much pastoral work clergy do We need to work on better public expressions of our appreciation of all those who do ministry at St. Paul’s Funeral receptions are a great gift to grieving families Update sound system to better record services, and set up a system to insure those recordings actually get to homebound parishioners. Put recordings of our service on our web-site Use some of our choirs’ recorded music on the parish website Make sure that we are recording ALL of our special services (Holy Week, evensongs, etc) Develop better linkage between our youth and our shut-ins/older adults (e.g. doing the Epiphany Pageant at Riverpointe or other residential care facilities) Establish a “Good Works” group to assist older adults – teams of adults and youth who will go to person’s home on Sunday morning, worship with them there (Morning Prayer or Home Communion), then work on a project for the person. [mentioned by 4 groups] Name a youth representative to the Pastoral Care Ministry Build a Handicap Access to the church [mentioned by 6 groups] Need a system for communicating pastoral needs to whole congregation so we have a chance to respond (announcements, bulletin, Epistle) [mentioned by 2 groups] A Bulletin Board in Webb Hall would be helpful for getting information to people (on everything, not just pastoral needs) [mentioned by 5 groups] Identify people on Prayer List by connection to congregation (unless they object to our doing so) Avoid and actively discourage the habit of gossip that is still alive at St. Paul’s Knowing each other as a family is important – so occasions like 5th Sundays matter and help a lot The regular priestly presence, engagement in fellowship occasions is appreciated – its important A bulletin board in the narthex would be helpful Name tags would be helpful for us as well as visitors; we could get to know one another better and more easily [mentioned by 4 groups] We need a more effective greeters program, with greeters posted at the outside door to the church so that the priest can greet at front of sanctuary where people are headed to Webb Hall Send care packages to all of our military personnel; post pictures of them in the parish hall (need a bulletin board to do this) Seasonal targeting for expressions of caring to our own (do this year-round, not just at birthdays) Potential for development of pastoral care with homebound, young moms, college kids is huge Gather some data from those who are the potential recipients of Pastoral Care: what needs would they like to have St. Paul’s meet Set up a ministry structure with people identified to be in charge of specific areas (meals, phone calls, notes, home visits, home communions, etc.) Suggest a regular leading/inviting announcement in bulletin about what Pastoral Care we offer, whom to contact to receive it or arrange it for someone else Begin a Stephen Ministry Provide tear-off slips in bulletin that can be passed in with information about parishioner needs Make contacts at “Life Events” automatic, with offer of meals, cleaning, transport, etc Develop a parish nursing program Tax preparation assistance for older adults Do a new Gifts and Talents survey What do we do about the sense that our diocese ignores (doesn’t care about) us and how that effects the congregation? Where’s all of that Eli Lily money? Harness the energy of our parishioners to share in evangelism/market work Set goals for growth (5% each year for 5 years?) Need to be sensitive about working to make sure folks feel welcome/included (but not desperately needed) Better work needed in greeting Do exit interviews with all who leave Demographic targeting for our ministry (young couples) also building around our strengths Demographic-centric activities College/university ministry Communications training for congregation (centered on our need to be heard/cared about, not to have things fixed for us) Personal invitations may be the solution to resistance to change Small groups (shared purpose; social and Christian focus; rotating membership; shared study) Training in cell group leadership (need a staff member to do this?) [see comments regarding need for more small groups] Context for caring and accountability Work/involvement of congregation crucial to success of Pastoral Care Take up a special collection to get van ministry going w/ a second van Hire a curate or part-time priest Make sure everyone has will/burial arrangements/medical stipulations Notes to homebound weekly Adult education series on how to meet pastoral care needs (Bible connection) Epistle: If you need (or know someone who needs)… call… (website, refrigerator magnets)