Caring Community

Part of being a community is caring for one another. 

One of the things many people notice about this church is the ways we care for each other, and for those outside our walls. This caring is central to who we are as a faith community: if you are in need, we will try to help you; and when you are able, we hope you will help others.

Our pastoral care efforts take many forms. The Sunday service often includes a time for people to light candles and name those in need. We hold them in our hearts and prayers, and this information helps us to reach out to one another in specific and tangible ways.

The Pastoral Care Team meet regularly with Rev. Frank Clarkson, and along with Rev. Frank, provides home and hospital visits and pastoral care. Members of the team have experience and training in helping people deal with life crises. They help extend the pastoral ministry here by visiting folks and by being a caring and supportive presence for people in the congregation.

The Caring Support Team is a group of volunteers who provide rides, meals, and other forms of short-term support for people in need due to aging, illness, and other life transitions. We are grateful to members of the congregation who make this support possible by offering these tangible ways of helping one another.

The Grief Support Circle, facilitated by Tom Ellis and Rev. Frank, meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays at 10:30 am, in the upstairs chapel. We all have losses, and things to grieve, and whatever form your grief may take, please know you are welcome in this circle of folks making their way forward through loss.

If you are struggling with a personal or a spiritual crisis, if you know of a church member in the hospital or in trouble, if you need someone to talk to, please reach out to Rev. Frank Clarkson. He would be glad to hear from you. Frank offers a a listening ear and a caring presence, and can help with referrals to more specialized providers if needed. He’s also the person to speak to about rites of passages like weddings, funerals, child blessings and baptisms. In a pastoral emergency, you’ll find Frank’s mobile phone number on his voicemail: 978-372-5173 x2.