We, as a church, realize that there are times in our lives when we are blessed by receiving God’s love through others – when we are ill, recovering from a surgery, coming home after delivering a child, mourning the loss of a loved one – times that we could use a little extra help in addition to what our families and close friends can provide. InReach strives to fill these needs.
Our InReach ministry is composed of three areas:
- Pastoral Care
- Grief/Bereavement Support
- Visitation.
Pastoral Care Support
Pastoral Care Support is the ministry that serves, cares and encourages our members in times of illness, loss of a loved one, or other family emergency or hardship. This ministry includes seven areas:
Cards and notes
- Caring and thoughtful notes and cards of encouragement are sent to our members on the prayer list
- 3 to 4 times a year, usually close to a holiday, notes are sent to placebound members as well as to those on our prayer list; this is done by different members of our parish that express an interest in helping with this ministry. Usually we gather in someone’s home and have fun doing this in a group while we enjoy each other’s company.
Meals
- Dinners are provided to parishioners in times of need. We also offer to run errands such as going to the grocery store.
Transportation
- Transportation is provided to and from medical appointments, or special events at church.
Toolbox
- Simple home repairs are provided to congregants such as changing lightbulbs that might require getting up on a ladder, replacing air filters, or repairing leaky faucets. They are also a great resource for suggesting who might be able to help if the job is too large or involved for them.
College
- Notes of encouragement are sent to all members attending college, usually 3 times within a school year.
Calls
- Phone calls are made to follow up with members who may need a little extra encouragement, a listening ear or just to say “hello”.
Funeral Meal
- A meal is offered to be prepared and delivered to the immediate family before the service. This can be a dinner the night before the service or a brunch the day of the service.
Stork Ministry
- We can provide various types of assistance when you have a newborn baby.
Grief/Bereavement Ministry
This ministry strives to support those who have lost someone or something by gathering, sharing, praying and then finding a fulfilling life after loss. The ultimate goal is to support each person as they develop the ability to reinvest love in others. They offer monthly gatherings at a member’s home and a series of 8 classes designed to support and lead members towards building a new life after their loss. You can find more information here
Visitation
This ministry has the pleasure of visiting with members that are place-bound and cannot attend services.
Other Ministries that might also offer assistance.
- Prayer Ministry - This ministry offers prayers in small intimate or private groups.
- Prayer List - If you would like to be added to the church wide prayer list send us the information via this page.
- Pastoral Care Concerns - This is where can you let us know of Pastoral Care concerns for yourself or someone else.
To contact Inreach please fill out the form below. Your information will be sent to our Inreach Chair Jenn Dean and to our Parish Administrator Lori Walter.
