Pastoral Care at West Shore
Pastoral Associates
West Shore’s Pastoral Associates Team doesn’t have a motto, but
if it did, it might be semper paratus, always ready. The team has
a commitment to be prepared to meet the pastoral care needs of our
members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What can the Pastoral Associates Team
do for you? They make hospital visits, inform the minister of pastoral
crises, provide grief support, and serve as a resource to connect you with
resources in the larger community. They are an extension of the Ministry
Team of the church. Members to the team are interviewed, then selected
by the lead minister to serve as Pastoral Associates
Contacting a Pastoral Associate.
If
you are scheduled to have surgery, or are in the hospital, we’d like to visit you, so please let
us know. Hospitals are not permitted to contact ministers or churches
unless the patient specifically requests that information be shared. For non-emergencies
or to request pastoral counseling, call the church office and ask for the name/number
of a pastoral associate or a minister. In the event of an emergency (serious
illness, diagnosis, hospitalization, death) contact a member of the ministry
team by calling the church office (440-333-2255) or the minister’s home
number.
How to best use the Pastoral Associates.
Call when you
need us, make referrals, let people know what services are available, and
most important, be willing to extend your own caring hand to a church member
who is sitting alone, or who looks lost in the crowd on Sunday morning, or
who needs to be welcomed to a new church home. We are, each of us, part of
the larger care team of this church; giving and receiving, helping one another.
Confidentiality.
The details of your personal situation
will not be shared outside the Pastoral Associates and Ministry Team. However,
both teams are required to communicate needs, requests, responses and concerns
to one another.
How to become a Pastoral Associate.
Pastoral Associates
are the arms, eyes and ears of the ministry team, and therefore, play an
important role in the pastoral care at West Shore. To become a Pastoral Associate,
you must first have an interview with a minister and be accepted into the program. Applications
are available at the church office or by contact Rev. Kathleen Rolenz at
440-333-2255 ext. 115.
The Caring Team
The Caring Team (formerly called the
Paraministers) make visits to elderly members who are unable to come
to church, shut-ins and those who wish to stay connected to West Shore through
the Caring Team. They host a party for
our 90+ club (members/friends who are 90 and above) and deliver pointsettas
at Christmas and African Violets at Easter. This important committee
always welcomes new members who wish to visit with some of our most
lively and interesting long-time members. Contact the church office
for information about how you can become a member of the Caring Team.