The group - ten now since Tony and Gaynor left - have continued to meet fortnightly to pick up on, review, and to decide how to meet the pastoral needs of the fellowship.  This is not to say that all the pastoral caring is done by the group - far from it!  A tremendous amount of caring and support goes on quietly throughout the church and we’re very grateful to everyone who has helped in this.

There are many kinds of need ranging through bereavement, health issues, jobs, exams, family difficulties, relationship problems, life-changes, etc.  However as well as ‘weeping with those who weep’ we also ‘rejoice with those who rejoice’ - special birthdays, anniversaries, achievements, new arrivals - to name a few

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Tony’s departure faced us with new challenges: 

• how to make sure people going through a hard time were  picked up and offered appropriate support 
• how to make sure people slipping away from the fellowship were to be followed up 
• how to make sure that newcomers were to be warmly welcomed and enabled to move in closer.

To ensure that everyone is being ‘looked-out for’  we have depended on the Fellowship Groups, who each have a Pastoral Rep to  keep us up to date with who is in the group and anyone experiencing difficulties needing help beyond that group, as well as anyone no longer regularly attending.  We also know that Prayer Triplets keep good care of each other.  For anyone not covered by these we have set up Pastoral Link Lists each headed by a ‘Pastoral Link’; each of these is, in turn, linked to a member of the Pastoral Group.  We thank all who have agreed to take on this responsibility in keeping us in touch.

We would hope that everyone involved in the fellowship is willing to share in the responsibility for being aware of, and caring for anyone in danger of slipping away.  We would also hope that everyone looks out for newcomers to welcome them and make them feel at home.  We have made ‘Welcome Cards’ which are in a box in the porch which you can invite people to fill out and return to us.

We hear many people say that we are ‘a caring church’.  We would like to think that is true and want it to continue.  We cannot do it without the support and cooperation which you so generously give.  So please keep letting us know of needs - not so that we can be ‘Big Brother’ but so that we can all be cared for as part of the Body of Christ and share in this vital ‘Kingdom work’.

My thanks to all members of the Pastoral Group, Pastoral Reps and Pastoral Links for all the work you have done and continue to do.

Thanks too, to you, for all you have done and do in the name of Christ.

                              Elaine Sanders

Deacon with Responsibility for Pastoral Care