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A Stephen Ministry Congregation
We Love Because God First Loved Us
Caring Ministries at John Wesley UMC involve ordinary people who have made caring about others a priority. Following the example of Christ, Care Team members devote themselves to providing caring hearts in order to serve persons with diverse needs in the church and community at large. This ministry of loving service is just one of the ways we express our devotion to God. We are not counselors, but caregivers who trust in Jesus as the curegiver.
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Areas of care and compassionate support include celebrating the birth of a baby as well as response to persons facing health concerns or times of loss. For more information involving any of the areas of ministry listed below, please call the church office or email Rev. Pam Jackson, pjackson@jwumc.org pastor to Caring Ministries.
At John Wesley we also recognize that professional counseling can bring about the healing love of God. Therefore, as a part of our ministry to our congregation and community, we provide a local office for The Krist Samaritan Center for Counseling and Education. Bob Huie staffs the office and is available on Thursdays at John Wesley by appointment. Counseling for children, families, and adults is available. To arrange an appointment with Bob, call the Samaritan Center at 281-480-7554, ext. 20. For more information and/or to inquire about the sliding financial scale, visit www.samaritanctr.org. |
GRIEF CARE
JWUMC partners with Houston Hospice to offer Wings, a seven-week bereavement support program for children and teens ages 5-18. Wings provides emotional support and education to anyone in the community who has experienced a loss through the death of someone significant in their lives. Groups offer peer support with adult facilitation. A concurrent group for parents/guardians is also available. Although there is no charge to participants of Wings, registration is required.
Contact the church office to learn about the dates for the next session .
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JOB SEARCH SUPPORT
Based on the proven methods found in “Job Search – The Total System,” you will learn the success philosophy, marketing techniques, and practical applications that have helped others get the right job for them. Using this system and the resources available through the Job Search Support team will help you be prepared, help you stand out from the competition, and help you be successful.
Within the context of a Christian environment, the program equips persons, through a seven-session program, to further develop specific skills, with emphasis given to the following topics: support, resume, references, networking, marketing you, interviews, and negotiating the offer. Here are some comments from former participants:
“The program provides comprehensive training in job search.”
“relevant material and proven techniques.”
“excellent feedback and encouragement.”
“adapts very well to individuals’ needs.”
“ministers to other job loss issues such as self esteem,
spousal reassurance, spiritual growth, and seeking God’s will.”
“My interviewer said he had never seen anyone so well prepared.”
Job Search Support resumes September 2, 2008 and meets Tuesday mornings, from 9 a.m. until noon in Room A103. There is no charge. Click here for more information. |
MEMORY LOSS CARE
The Memory Loss Care Team offers a ministry of hope, healing, warm friendship, and respite care to people suffering memory loss and to their caregivers. Team members provide emotional, spiritual, and practical support to persons afflicted with memory loss whether due to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or other causes.
The Memory Loss Care Team wants to interrupt the cycle of stress and fatigue of caregivers by assuming the supervision of the impaired loved one for brief and regular periods. These respite breaks offer an opportunity to rest, attend to personal needs, enjoy the company of friends, attend worship, have quality time alone, or engage in other activities free for the constant demands of caregiving. The sustaining presence an emotional support of team members help caregivers to fell less alone and hopeful that they can lovingly bear the responsibility of care.
In order to carry out this ministry, John Wesley United Methodist Church partners with Interfaith CarePartners, an ecumenical Houston-based, non-profit organization, helping congregations with caring ministries since 1985. Click here for the Interfaith CarePartners website. |
CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP
Very often, caregivers of loved ones with memory loss feel isolated and burdened. This support group meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 10:45 to 11:45 p.m. The group is a safe place for caregivers to receive care, friendship, support, and encouragement.
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ASSISTED LIVING/ NURSING HOME CARE
LIMITED MOBILITY/ HOMEBOUND CARE
Team members offer a caring presence while ministering to the needs of church members or their immediate family. Visitation, celebration, the sacrament of Communion, cards,
supportive friendship, and other expressions of care are extended.
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SACRED WORTH
A MINISTRY OF CARE & SUPPORT
The purpose of this support group is to provide a safe place within the faith community where people can tell their stories, receive non-judgmental support, and begin to learn that they are not alone in their efforts to cope with the sexual orientation of a friend or family member. Presentations are intended to provide information and education in an atmosphere that is non-threatening, welcoming, and encouraging. During these sessions, we will address issues of pain, guilt, anger, fear, and doubt. It is our sincere hope and prayer that, in these times together, you will discover a level of support and understanding that will inform and strengthen you to face the future with confidence and without fear.
The next meeting dates are September 8, 2008, January 12, 2009, and May 11, 2009.
Topics to be presented include:
Grief and Loss
All losses in the human experience must be grieved, including living losses, and no two people will do so in exactly the same way. We will discuss our living losses as family members and friends, and will explore how a healthy grief process looks and feels.
Family Dynamics
Many families experience great stress and even disintegration in the face of one member’s sharing the fact of their homosexuality. A professional counselor will guide our discussion of this during one session. In another session, persons will share personal stories that address the issues around their own reactions, both as individuals and as families, as they came to grips with this new reality in their lives.
Spiritual and Religious Issues
Many persons have a need for information on religious and spiritual issues related to the subject of homosexuality. A minister will spend one session with us discussing these concerns.
Presentations are informal, flexible, and tailored to the needs of the group. Time for personal sharing and discussion will always be included, though persons may always “pass” rather than share.
Each series of sessions will be concluded with a fellowship meal at a time and place to be determined by the group.
For additional information, contact Adele Bennett at 281-893-9034(ahb@sbcglobal.net).
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- from the United Methodist Church Social Principles (paragraph 161G)
"Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth.""All persons need the ministry and guidance of the church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self."
"We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn their lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons."
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STEPHEN MINISTRY
Christ Caring for People through People
Our congregation's Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing crisis or difficulty, such as–death of a loved one, divorce or separation, job crisis, chronic or terminal illness, recovery following an accident or disaster, and many more.
Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry: the identify of those receiving care and what takes place in each caring relationship remains private.
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