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Called to Care
Not all that comes under the heading of “Parish Development” happens within the Church21 programme. Many parishes are engaged in long term planning processes and here, Rev Cliff Jeffers, rector of Athy, describes how he has tapped into some of the resources available through Church21.
In our parish we felt there was a greater need for pastoral care than could be met by just one person and so we explored the possibility of establishing a parish visiting team. Eventually our aim is to have a parish visitor allocated to every household, but initially we are targeting those who are housebound, those on the fringe of the parish and people with newborn children. The idea was one of several that arose as priorities in a parish vision process and it was helpful for us to have the help of an external facilitator. The idea of the visiting team was spoken about on Sunday Mornings and the rationale given through our parish newsletter. Key to its establishment was identifying a parishioner who was passionate about this area of ministry and willing to lead.
Initial training was by Rev. Paul Hoey using a simple ‘Called to Care’ course and now we meet for ongoing support and training about four times a year. The team of ten ordinary parishioners find it a rewarding experience and we’re finding those we visit are appreciative.
Posted by John Ryan on 10 Dec 08
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