Wow! What a year it has been! Kind of like the cicadas, we are all emerging from our isolation. Not quite 17 years but it sure felt endless at times. And funny how some things are almost back to normal, like the traffic. I was coming home from North Carolina on I-95 the other day and it was like Saturday morning beach traffic, but going in the wrong direction. Yikes!! Hopefully it’s just everyone anxious to see those family and friends they haven’t seen in 15 months and get that long overdue hug.
But that’s not what I’ve come to talk about. I really want to thank our Pastoral Care and Caring Teams who have done truly amazing work during this past 15 months. They have wanted all of you to know that there is a safety net of love, worry, compassion, joy and laughter that supports the work of our ministers who hold you all in these difficult times – in times of loss and illness and isolation, with love. The Pastoral Care and Caring Teams support the work of our ministers by reaching out to let you know that you have a community of caring around you. They offer a phone call to let you know that we know you have surgery coming up and is there anything you need; a card to let you know we know that you’ve lost your dad, your mother, your aunt, your cousin, your niece and that you’re important to us; the Caring Team to coordinate rides and meals; Zoom groups for support; or a contact for resources. This has been especially important when you weren’t able to be with your usual supports of family and friends because of the pandemic.
UUCF would like to thank those members of the team who are transitioning off. Nancy Landis has been a wonderfully compassionate and attentive member who could always be counted on to reach out with great sensitivity and reliability and to coordinate well with the ministers. Loretta Rowe is a long-standing team member. She has been so reliable and always willing to step up when asked and could be counted on to reach out with the right balance of support. Linda Clark, also a long-standing member of the Pastoral Care Team, will be stepping into the lay minister role in August to replace me. Ann King, a co-leader of the team, will stay on as will our newest members, Edna Trimm and Mary Butler. We will be welcoming a number of new members soon. Amy Nordeng and Jennifer Damashek will also continue as Caring Team co-leaders.
Early in the pandemic, when Rev. Alice King created and coordinated the 84 Circles of Care support zones, many of us stepped up to get to know and support our neighborhood UUCFers. At the extraordinary time we experienced over the last 15 months, many wanted the connection and wanted to help. We have a mountain of healing ahead and healing comes from that very connection.
The Pastoral Care Team would like to invite each of us to consider our roles as caring members of this great community. There will be opportunities for heart-centered engagement and interactive training spaces. In this new congregational year, we are envisioning Pastoral Care participation at many different levels including outreach and check-ins, memorial service support, coordinators of special care-centered events addressing current community needs (including the annual Healing Service), co-leading support groups, building resource libraries and cultural awareness around mental health and recovery support, safely visiting members who aren’t able to get out, card makers and senders, and the list could go on.
If you would like to become part of the Caring Team that provides rides and meals, would like to share your gifts of presence and support or would like to share a testimonial of how the Pastoral Care of UUCF has impacted your life, please contact Rev. David Miller. He looks forward to hearing from you and possibly connecting you with other like-hearted friends on the journey!
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