Pastoral Care Ministries

Good Shepherd has a number of volunteer pastoral care programs that provide an opportunity for caring Christians to provide one-on-one ministry to parishioners in need of friendly encouragement and support. These volunteer programs supplement the pastoral care of our clergy, who cannot minister to all parishioners on a continuing basis. The volunteers give meaning to the ideal of fostering caring relationships within our own Good Shepherd community.

Any one interested in participating in any of these ministries may contact Donna Setzer or Joe Baber, your Pastoral Care Vestry members.

Stephen Ministers: The Stephen Ministry Program was founded at Good Shepherd in 1988 by Fr. Richard Cook. Fr. Cook realized that the Parish would not have enough clergy to minister individually to all those parishioners requiring pastoral care. The Stephen Ministry is a system of training and organizing laypersons for one-on-one caring.

The name Stephen comes from St. Stephen, who according to Acts, Chapter 6, was the first lay person commissioned by the apostles to provide care to those in need.

The Stephen Ministers at Good Shepherd are trained and certified care givers, who provide long-term Christian care to individuals referred by the Clergy, generally in the aftermath of a crisis, such as death of a loved one, serious illness, divorce, depression, etc. Our Stephen Ministers have received 50 hours of instruction to be certified and receive supervision regarding their care-receivers. The identity of the care-receivers is kept strictly confidential.

At the direction of the clergy, Stephen Ministers, who have been trained by the clergy as Lay Eucharist Visitors, also provide the Eucharist to those parishioners who are home-bound or otherwise unable to attend services.

The Samaritans-- These volunteers provide multiple services for our parishioners in need. The Samaritan ministries include Visitation, Emergency Assistance, and Transportation.

Pastoral Care Meeting

Pastoral Care Visitation Ministry: These volunteers visit the ill, the hospitalized, the aged and the homebound. The Samaritans provide a ministry of connection by providing a listening ear and comforting voice to those in need. This ministry is open to all who have a love of people and a desire to share time, to listen, and engage in conversation.

Pastoral Care Emergency Assistance Teams: These volunteers provide meals to those parishioners with short-term needs, who desire such assistance. The circumstances can vary, but include parishioners who are in mourning, who are ill, who have a seriously ill family member, who have a new baby etc. Along with the food deliveries, the volunteers provide spiritual and emotional support.

Good Shepherd Transportation Teams: Volunteers provide transportation for those parishioners who are unable to transport themselves to doctor appointments, church services, the pharmacy, grocery shopping, etc.

Good Shepherd Food Pantry Ministry: When the need arises, volunteers, who enjoy cooking, gather in our parish kitchen to prepare wholesome casseroles and other baked goods to be frozen and distributed to parishioners and others as the need arises. This ministry not only provides practical assistance to those in need, but provides an opportunity for fellowship that strengthens a deeper relationships among parishioners.

Holiday Gift Baskets: Volunteers prepare gift baskets of baked goods, cards, trinkets, candies, stuffed animals, etc. and distribute the baskets at Christmas and Easter to special parishioners.

Easter Basket Assembly

Easter Basket Communion

Greeting Card Ministry: Monthly volunteers send cards on behalf of the church to parishioners in a variety of circumstances, such as those who are ill, homebound, in mourning, hospitalized, just married, in the armed forces or those who have new baby, a new baptismal or deserve congratulations for a good deed in the parish or community.

Prayer Shawl Ministry: This ministry consists of devoted parishioners who come together in community and prayerfully knit lovely shawls that are given to those in special need. The shawls are blessed by the clergy before being given to the recipient. Knitters meet the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the library. If you are interested in this ministry, you may call any of the Pastoral Care Vestry members listed above or Jeanne Jackson.