Everyone is Welcome at God's Table
Pastoral Ministries
About Pastoral Care at Christ Church
Pastoral care is a vitally important ministry at Christ Church and one that is shared by all the people of the parish. Whether it is through prayer, intentional companionship, or even through the gift of a warm shawl knit by our Knitting Ministry, we believe that caring for one another, and those beyond our walls, should always be a natural extension of all that we say and do on Sunday morning. We invite you to learn more about these ministries of our parish and, if you feel so moved, to join us in helping to heal wounds and open hearts in Christ’s name.
Lay Pastoral Care Team
Our Lay Pastoral Care Team is a group of parishioners who are trained to go and regularly visit the homebound, the sick, or those who are in need of comfort. Some of these Care Team members choose to be trained to bring Communion to those who, for whatever reason, cannot be at Christ Church on a Sunday morning, but all provide the gift of spiritual companionship through this important ministry of presence. The Care Team meets periodically throughout the program year for prayer and mutual support. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry, please contact the Rev. Jim Dodson.
Knitting Ministry
In February of 2001 a small group of women met for the first time to establish a knitting group to knit Prayer Shawls based on the book, Knitting into the Mystery by Susan S. Jorgensen and Susan S. Izard. Parishioners knit at home on their own, as the group stopped meeting in person at church when the pandemic began. Prayer Shawls are knit with love and prayers. Over 700 shawls have been knit since the beginning of the ministry. Shawls are given to many of the elderly, sick and homebound parishioners and to friends and family of the parishioners. In addition to the many shawls given to the Christ Church community, shawls are donated to Communities Together to distribute to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen. Lessons are available for this easy-to-knit pattern.
For more information about this ministry, please contact Iris Roskell.
Prayer for Healing
May this gift knit for you with love
Be a mantle and sign of God’s healing presence.
May it warm you when weary.
May it surround you with ease in your suffering.
May it encircle you with caring when you are in pain.
May it comfort you when you feel alone.
May it remind you of God’s abiding love. Amen
Intercessory Prayer Team
What is intercessory prayer and healing at Christ Church?
This ministry is composed entirely of lay people who offer individual prayer to anyone during a service. This team is trained in a "laying on of hands" form of intercessory prayer. Our prayer team is positioned in the Moses Chapel during and after Eucharist for those who seek a more individualized form of prayer. Currently we are offering this ministry on the first Sunday of the month.
What is intercessory prayer?
It's not prayer that one gives for oneself for personal needs. It's not even simply praying for someone else's needs. It's one person praying for another with the belief that God will intercede with Power and Love to give us the wholeness we desire. It's praying with the knowledge that God answers all prayers but sometimes in a fashion that we don't expect or even like. It's trusting in God's power, presence and love for us. We don't know why an omniscient God asks us to pray. God doesn't need our prayers but we need them. Perhaps, by the act of prayer we are acknowledging that God has ultimate control over our lives. When we pray we tell God, and ourselves, that we know that we belong to God, that God loves us and desires our wholeness and wellbeing.
What's my part in the process?
All you have to do is tell the prayer giver what you want to pray for. The prayer giver does the rest. It can be for yourself or for others- anything you wish to lift up to God. All prayer requests remain strictly confidential! The prayer team will never discuss anything mentioned in prayer to anyone else, not even to other members of the prayer team or clergy.
What's worthy to lift up to God?
There is nothing too trivial to pray for! God is present in all aspects of our lives, and God's providence is required even in the smallest details of our lives. We all have need for prayer and to "put on the whole armor of God" for our joys and concerns. Either come up just after you have received Eucharist or come by after the service is over. The prayer team stays at their station until most people have left. If you prefer, feel free to ask a prayer giver to meet with you at another time outside of a service.
Look for us in the Moses Chapel during and after Eucharist. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry, please contact Michael Marcinelli.