And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38)
One thing is clear in the scriptures and our Christian tradition. Jesus demonstrated that we were to follow in his footsteps to provide healing and compassion to those among us who were in need. These verses from Matthew’s gospel point out that without someone to shepherd (which could easily be understood as offering caring ministry), people would feel “harassed and helpless." Jesus goes on to say that the harvest of those who might benefit from caring ministry is plentiful and we should not hesitate to be sent out as laborers to offer caring support and ministry to all who are in need.
At Parish of the Epiphany, this call to provide caring ministry to the harvest of needs among us has been heeded over the last decades with a wealth of opportunities to serve or to be someone who can benefit from the compassion of other parishioners. While in many parishes the ordained clergy provide the bulk of caring ministry, at Epiphany there is a strong partnership between the Rector and Assisting Clergy and teams of trained lay members who fill various caring ministries according to their calling.
It seems somewhat trite to say, “No one who has any kind of need for caring ministry should suffer alone." But the truth is that no one should! You may be someone who could benefit from a friendly visit, or home communion, or laying on of hands for healing, or attend a prayer service at Gables, or enter into a longer-term Stephen Ministry relationship. Parish of the Epiphany has responded to the call of Jesus to go forth into the harvest with over 50 trained volunteers eager to care for anyone who may desire short term or longer-term support through a challenging time in their life.
Over the next six weeks, the 3 Crowns Newsletter will be describing these seven Caring Ministries:
It is the purpose of these descriptions, personal testimonials, and request for referrals that every single parishioner at Epiphany will be well informed about caring ministries so that if a time arose when they might need one of these ministries, they would know where to turn.
