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| Joined at the HeartI am exceptionally thankful for the "flower delivery" ministry carried on by Kathy O., Fran R., Kathy W., and Rowan S. Monday morning finds them in the church kitchen dividing up the Sunday altar flowers into small bouquets for delivery to members and friends of the church who are confined to their homes or going through hard times. The flowers serve as a beautiful expression of the love and care of the church, and the brief personal visits are heartening and uplifting to the recipients.I am also grateful for Missy H's willingness to get us started once more on cookie deliveries to newcomers. She has collected some volunteers and is putting her system in place. Our goal is to extend the warmest possible welcome to newcomers. Friendliness and the sense of belonging to a caring family are aspects of PB UMC that all of us value. To that end, the Member Care Committee has obtained a resource called "The Pastoral Partners Program." The introductory statement includes this observation: "As churches grow, it is increasingly difficult for one or two people to maintain awareness of and contact with the whole congregation. To maintain the contact that will keep people feeling connected and to develop depths of relationship with everyone is well beyond the capacity of any individual." To that observation, I say, "Amen!" The responsibilities of a 'pastoral partner' are simple: he or she:
Again, each partner is responsible for only three to five households. Partners receive initial and on-going training for their ministry. I am excited about the potential this program has to deepen the caring nature of our church. I am eager to share the joys of caring ministry with others. The first step in the process is to identify a coordinator. The second step is to identify those with the gifts and willingness to serve as pastoral partners. Please pray for this new endeavor, that God will call and guide leaders and participants. God's grace and peace to you all, Pastor April |
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