Pastoral Care

Our mission is to create a community in which the joys and sorrows of life are honored and consecrated, so that no one walks alone at Christ Church. The Pastoral Care ministries, with more than 200 volunteers, reach out with God’s love to fellow parishioners experiencing trials, troubles and even just ordinary life to promote and facilitate a community in which the joys and sorrows of life are honored and consecrated. To learn more about our Pastoral Care offerings and how you can get involved or receive care, contact Margaret Quigley via mquigley@ccral.org.

Use this link to view Christ Church’s Finishing Well booklet – a resource for end-of-life planning for you and your loved ones, prepared by members of Christ Church’s Pastoral Care team.

Volunteer with Pastor’s Aide

Looking for a way to help serve Christ Church, but don’t have a lot of time to commit? Pastor’s Aide is perfect for you! One month each year, you’ll receive a list of people from the church who could really use a good comfort meal. You’ll come pick up homemade casseroles from the church’s freezer, and you can keep them in your freezer until you’re ready to deliver throughout the month. Recipients are always SO grateful, and you make their day with a quick 20-minute delivery. If you’d like more information about this ministry or to sign up, please e-mail Margaret Quigley via mquigley@ccral.org.

Pregnancy Loss and Infertility Discussion – Date TBD
 
Pregnancy loss and infertility are difficult trials that many people experience, but it can be difficult to find spaces in which to talk about those experiences and to grieve those losses. Two skilled facilitators will be with us to share resources for navigating this kind of loss and grief and to foster a discussion about it. The Rev. Phillip Bass is an Episcopal Priest and an experienced Mental Health Counselor. His colleague Kristin Mastro is an experienced Mental Health Counselor, as well. If you or your partner has experienced pregnancy loss or infertility, we invite you to join us for this discussion. Clergy are also available for any individual pastoral needs or concerns. Please stay tuned for more information.

How Do Our Prayer Lists Work?

At Christ Church, it is part of our call and privilege to pray for people who request prayer support. We keep two lists.

*The Sunday Prayer List: We pray for the people on this list at our 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. Sunday services (10 a.m. & 5 p.m. in the summer), and also on our recorded service. Church members may request that they or their immediate family members with acute concerns be on this list.

*The Daily Prayer List: The Morning Prayer leaders and the Daughters of the King pray for the people on this list on a daily basis. This is a more private list. Only the clergy and the two daily prayer teams use and see it. When the list is read at public Morning Prayer services on Thursday mornings, only first names are used. Members may request that they or anyone they know be added to this list. Unless otherwise requested, we pray for these people for a period of one month.

To make a request for either prayer list, please contact Margaret Quigley via mquigley@ccral.org.

Musings

Parishioners who write and/or mail weekly reflections and the weekly bulletin to our members who cannot access online materials.

Telecare

Parishioners contact those experiencing joys and sorrows and pass along the love and support of Christ Church.

Stephen Ministry

Trained parishioners provide weekly one-on-one spiritual companionship for those experiencing a crisis, loss, or life transition. Learn more and see Christ Church’s Stephen Ministers here (link).

Prayer Shawls

Parishioners knit and crochet shawls which represent the love of God and the Church, and they are blessed by the clergy and delivered to those in need of comfort.

Pastors Aide

Parishioners deliver casseroles as needed and deliver a book to all new babies.

Hospital Visitors

Parishioners are visited in healthcare facilities by fellow parishioners who bring compassion and concern.

Grief Support

A series of classes to help parishioners following a loss as a reminder we are never alone in grief.

Funeral Guild

ECW provides light food for receptions in the Commons or Courtyard following funeral services held at Christ Church.

Friendly Visitors

Trained parishioners visit at least once per month and develop one-on-one relationships with those who are homebound or who express a desire for a new friendship.

Flower Guild

Each Sunday, flowers are delivered to parishioners in need or in honor of special occasions.

Eucharistic Visitors

Parishioners take communion to the homebound or hospitalized “because we who are many are one body in Christ, we share one bread, one cup.”

Daughters of the King

An order for women who pray daily for people whose names come from the clergy, pew cards, e-mails and word of mouth.

The Order of The Daughters of the King

Reaffirming the promises made at Baptism and Confirmation, a “Daughter of the King” makes a pledge to a life-long program of daily prayer, service and evangelism. She receives support in this commitment from a worldwide community of like-minded women. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, our vision as Daughters of the King is to know Jesus Christ, to make him known to others and to become reflections of God’s love throughout the world.

If you would like to know more about the Order at Christ Church or if you may be interested in joining us, please contact Suzanne McLarnon at suzannemclarnon@gmail.com for more information.