Pastoral group
Our pastoral group offers
visits where people are housebound
support during times of painful change
support at times of bereavement
We are the Rev. Elizabeth Greenwood,
Maggie Hammond
Kay Stapleton
Audrey Collier
Pauline Prout
Iain Archibald
Jenny Adolphus
Caroline Button
Sheelagh Watson
For those who would welcome a visit from one of our group, to talk, share or offload.
please phone: 01932 243296
to arrange this
This is the annual report on the pastoral group for our APCM.
The Pastoral group at St.Nicholas has been visiting people in our community for over two years. We are a group of nine: Elizabeth Greenwood, Iain Archibald, Jenny Adolphus, Caroline Button, Audrey Collier, Maggie Hammond, Pauline Prout, Kay Stapleton and Sheelagh Watson, who has recently joined us.
We have been very active this year, mainly visiting those who are housebound, or who are aging and in need of support. People are suggested to us by Chris or Elizabeth, or sometimes by members of the congregation. Maggie then phones them to ascertain if they would welcome a visit, and then as a group we arrange who might carry that out. People have been visited in their homes, and also in hospital.Two people have been visited weekly, others monthly, and some less regularly. Over 200 visits have been made this year. Sadly, also, there have been some deaths, and some of us have been able to attend the funeral.
Most visits take the form of talking, supporting, perhaps giving information about the facilities available to those with difficulties, but we have also ventured into fun, playing Rummicub with an enthusiastic member of the congregation! We have a pack of local information, which we can give people and also our own visiting card, with a name and phone number, which we can leave if people are not in when we visit.
Although we are separate from the Eucharist Ministers group we overlap as Pauline, Maggie and of course, Elizabeth are members of both, and many of those we visit also receive home communion. Therefore we are able to keep people in mind and in our prayers in both practical and spiritual ways. We have developed a pattern of prayer in our regular meetings, where we are able to share before God our thoughts and concerns for those we visit, or might visit, which is enriching and highly supportive for us all.
We have met as a group 8 times this year, and in these meetings, we reflect, support and plan. We have also had a joint meeting with the pastoral group of St. Mary Magdalene, when we had a speaker from Carers Support, Spelthorne’
We have provided tea and cakes after the Wednesday 10.30 service on three occasions, always very well received. At present, this can only take place in the school holidays because the parish centre is in use during the term. We have also organized transport to church for some members of this congregation.
This space for reflection has proved very creative. The idea for training on Second Half Living, exploring opportunities and challenges for this stage of life first emerged in the pastoral group. Elizabeth has a great interest in the spiritual care of older people, and has attended training sessions with PSALM and also in the deanery and kept us involved in her thinking. From this interest came the idea for a training for those of us who are younger, but beginning the adjustment to the ‘ Third Age’ which would be open to the whole deanery. The taster morning for ‘Second Half Living’ will take place in the Parish centre on May 19th. We are also planning a service for the Autumn, ‘A celebration of Caring at St. Nicholas.
We are currently in the process of being CRB checked, which is now a general requirement for all those working with vulnerable people.
I must emphasize that the work of the pastoral group is two-way. We get as much out of our visits often as do the people we visit, and it is in the relationship and mutuality of our experience that God’s work of healing can take place. If you feel this ministry might be for you, don’t hesitate to speak to any of us. You will be very welcome.
Maggie Hammond