Extended Care

Last Sunday we gave thanks for our sister Pam Pilote and her thirty-year ministry among us. Those three decades of vocation are made even sweeter by her meaningful presence here that began before she entered our employ and will continue afterwards. I join with Pam in thanking you all for your presence, joyful spirit, kind words, and generous gift.

As we move into a new era of ministry at FBC two words have come to mind: extended care. Caring is what many would say Pam did best, and did so in many venues, capacities, and ways. Through many transitions our church system adjusted around her gifts and presence. In this transition we will all share in adjusting to a new reality and with new ways of extending care to, for, and by our people.

A new email account, care@fbcmboro.org, has been created to help with this. It creates a straightforward way for any and everyone to make the pastoral staff aware of specific ministry needs. This email account will be monitored daily, making sure no person and no need falls through the cracks. Please let us know of any illness, upcoming procedure, transition, loss, or concern you may have so that we may respond. People can also reach out on behalf of others, again, making sure we know. It will also be helpful if groups that keep prayer lists could add care@fbcmboro.org to their distribution list. The bottom line is, we want to know when our people need care.

There are other components to our “Extended Care” strategy. Heather and I are both working to make ourselves more present to other groups in the 9:30 hour. We will be talking to Bible Study and ministry groups about having designated care group leaders (which some already have) which will add another layer of personal touch. Our deacons, led by Leah Boyd are imagining and redesigning the structure of deacon ministry to strategically facilitate higher engagement in several areas, with personal care being key among them.

We will have more to say in the weeks ahead. As we go forth, know this: your pastor and pastoral staff care deeply about ministering to the needs of this community. While that is not new, the practical nature of what that personal affection feels, looks, and works like is. Working together, we can better “bear one another’s burdens in love” and strengthen the ties that binds.