Mission: The Pastoral Care Team is to provide a ministry of support, hope and caring so that no one in the congregation feels alone in difficult times in their life.
The Pastoral Care Team is a lay led ministry caring for the Congregation, members and friends alike. The Team works collaboratively with our Minister in order to expand the Congregation’s pastoral care presence. The Minister serves in a mentoring role to the Team.
The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism guide the Pastoral Care Team. Team members are on the lookout for those congregants who might need a helping hand or listening ear. The Pastoral Care Team works cooperatively with staff, Caring Ministry and the Grief Support Group, to identify those who may be in need and to assure a fuller range of caring to our congregants. Team members agree to treat information about congregants as confidential to those outside of the Team and the Minister, unless otherwise requested by a congregant.
The Team recruits its own members, in consultation with the Minister. It strives for membership that represents various demographics and interest groups within the church. Annually, the Team elects a chair, reviews Team members and determines if other members are needed.
On a monthly basis, the Pastoral Care Team:
- Reviews the processes for holding the congregation’s joys and concerns;
- Identifies the congregation’s need for additional support and education;
- Meets Team members’ needs for training and resources;
- Supports Team members and their work on the committee; and
- Reviews Team members’ work with congregational members and reports on this work to the Board.
Our covenant to the congregation is to:
- Hold in confidence what is shared with the Team;
- Support those with difficult life transitions such as miscarriage, childbirth, adoption, divorce, blending families, addiction, dying, grieving, loss of job, acute or chronic physical and mental illness, adjustment to disability; gender identity, pandemic, dementia, surgery, chemo, etc.
- Visit congregants who are home-bound, in a nursing home or hospital, or otherwise unable to participate in church functions;
- Support caregivers;
- Comfort the bereaved.
To contact the Pastoral Care, please email pastoralcareteam@ucdsm.org or speak with Ann Mowery, Chair.