Many groups at Hope Church provide care and support for persons in the Hope Church family, but the Congregational Care Ministry seeks to support all persons in a caring and loving community of faith in all events of life. The Ministry members along with the pastors, the church nurse and Consistory members are dedicated to address both the needs and joys of the Hope Church family.
The Ministry assigns all persons who attend Hope Church to one of twelve Care Groups. Each Group is served by a member of the Ministry and by an elder and a deacon from Consistory. If you do not know which group you are in, look behind your name in the Church Directory. Behind the front page of the Directory, the leadership team is identified for each Care Group.
Each Care Group finds its own way to stay in tune with members’ lives and needs. Contact the pastors, group leaders or the church office when you seek ways to connect to the life of Hope Church or find yourself in need of care or support. The Ministry will arrange meals, transportation or other resources in times of need. Care groups also provide Prayer Shawls from the Knitting Ministry during times of extended illness as a way of sharing a sense of God’s peace and healing.
To assist people living in retirement settings, the Ministry provides bus transportation for each Sunday worship service and special events after the service. Recognizing the need for expanded transportation services, the Consistory has approved additional funding for this. Please let your Care Group leader or the church office know if there are events at church which you wish to attend but require transportation. To promote the engagement of persons in the life of the church, the ministry arranges for a time of sharing through coffee events three times a year at Freedom Village, Warm Friend and Resthaven locations.
A special effort is made to maintain relationships with people who are no longer able to participate in church life. Besides personal visits, opportunities are arranged for communion to be given in their homes by the elders. Flowers are distributed at Easter and Christmas as well as Christmas cards, cookies and caroling at Christmas time.
The Health Ministry, which is part of the Congregational Care Ministry but functions separately, provides a specific focus on faith and health through adult education programs, blood pressure clinics, medical equipment and flu shots.
Because the Ministry assigns two persons to each of the twelve groups, the Ministry is a large team and is always welcoming new members. While many people in the congregation have contributed to the function of the Ministry, it is presently served by:
Group 1: Judy Mastenbrook and Jackie Heisler
Group 2: Jan Fike and Nancy Vande Water
Group 3: Bette Williams and Cary Russell
Group 4: Eloise Van Heest and Pat Tysee
Group 5: Fran Becker and Tom Mullens
Group 6: Nancy and Stan Rock and Dave Boelkins
Group 7: Char Laman
Group 8: Carla Beach and Phil Van Eyl
Group 9: Rose Mary Cantor and Steve Griffore
Group 10: Bob Bos
Group 11: Loretta Smith and Barb Bouma
Group 12: Barb Israels and Michelle Johnson
Anyone interested in supporting this Ministry by becoming a member of the team or by assisting with meals or transportation is encouraged to contact any of the above persons.
~Dave Boelkins, Congregational Care Ministry member