Creating a culture of care and compassion...that is the desire of our hearts as we begin to develop a new caregiving ministry at ECC. As many of you know, last fall we ended Stephen Ministry. While we have great respect and appreciation for all that it taught us and how beautifully the ministry served our congregation for almost 10 years, the model was challenging. For nearly a year now, our Pastors and a few of the Stephen Ministry leaders have been meeting regularly to discern the best way to move forward in caring for our church.
We recently invited our congregation to join us for a focused conversation about what care might look like in the near future at ECC. We were encouraged to have over 30 people attend and share ideas and thoughts. Thank you to all who joined us! We have many people right here amongst us who are gifted in compassion, mercy and understanding. We have learned that people who are suffering need someone to listen. People who are grieving need someone to be present and to pray for them. Listening, presence and prayer...these are the foundational concepts that will guide the development of our new caregiving ministry.
Over the coming months, we will continue meeting to develop and plan the new framework. Our goal is to create a Christian caregiving team that seeks to build relationships between a trained caregiver and a person who is hurting for the purpose of providing support and encouragement during their time of need. We know that matching people one on one in a trusting relationship built on confidentiality, listening, and prayer, allows God to work through us as caregivers. It is a beautiful thing to be a witness to the powerful work of God as He comforts, brings peace, and heals His people.
We greatly appreciate your prayers during this process. If you would like to be a part of this new ministry, please reach out to one of the Pastors or myself. As we seek to live out the Kingdom of God at ECC by practicing presence through collaborative care, we would love to talk with you!
Kelli Holland