From The Pastoral Care Committee

This committee is dedicated to supporting our rector’s pastoral care for all St. Luke’s by giving compassionate and caring support to the members and friends of St. Luke’s parish. We do so in several ways, and we want you to be aware:

Do You Know? St. Luke’s has a small but devoted cluster of lay persons who comprise a “prayer chain” to pray daily for the needs of members of the congregation and for St. Luke’s. While they pray regularly for each and every member of the congregation in rotation, they also pray particularly for any special needs: if you have just delivered or adopted a baby, if you are sick, or injured or hospitalized, dying or bereaved they will be praying for you. Or if you have any other particular need, they will be praying. These are persons who strongly believe in the power of prayer, and who feel that God has called them to this ministry. We need to keep them informed of the prayer needs of members. Notify the office at 740-587-0167 (or in emergency the rector at 516-729-8786) to offer additions or to remove someone from their list.And if you want to check out whether you might be called to participate in this ministry, call the office and a member of the prayer chain will get back to you with more information.

Do You Know?  We keep an active list of all in the parish who are sick and in need of prayer. Prayers are made for those on the sick list especially at the Saturday evening Healing Service. Keeping this list accurate is very difficult. We’ll appreciate your help by calling the office when someone needs to be put on the list (only with their permission) or taken off.

Do You Know? St. Luke’s has several “friendly visitors” who visit regularly with the shut-ins, the long-term ill, and anyone else in the congregation whose spiritual or emotional life would be aided by a regular visit from a fellow member. Please notify the office if you or someone you know would like such a visit.

These visits are not “heavy”. This is a “light” and undemanding form of ministry.  If you enjoy visiting and think you might be called to this ministry, please contact the church office.  

Do you know? Our sick, disabled and shut-ins receive Holy Communion regularly. A small team of Eucharistic Visitors takes communion to them from the altar at a time convenient to them, enabling them to partake of the congregation’s Eucharistic meal even though they are not able to be physically present. They are still among us. This team is a small but dedicated set of lay ministers. If you would like to test a call to this ministry, please contact the church office and a Eucharistic Visitor will get back to you.

Do You Know? We have a “card ministry”?  Whenever a member is sick, has a baby (or an adoption), is married, suffers the death of a family member, or just needs a cheery greeting, a card is sent on behalf of the whole congregation, reminding them that they are an important and loved one of us.

You can help by alerting the church office whenever there is such a need.

And You Should Know that when you have occasion to be added to the prayer list, or know of a special event where a card would be appreciated, or want to request a friendly visitor or Eucharist visitor you need only call the church office and let us know.

We are trying (we need your help) to keep connected with all the members of our church family, especially the home-bound, the elderly, the infirm and those who are physically or emotionally challenged. Reach us through the church office. office@stlukesgranville.org  740-587-0167

Nancy Taggart-Bowers, Pastoral Care Committee
Wayne Piper, Pastoral Care, Chair