Caring Supports at All Souls
You are not alone. We are a Caring, Loving, and Justice-Seeking Community. At All Souls, we make a commitment to be witnesses to each other’s lives. A fundamental purpose of our faith community is to be there for one another. We care for our community through Pastoral Care and Outreach - aka Soul Support.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care is a ministerial program at All Souls that provides a caring presence to congregants who are undergoing stressful life challenges or who are in a time of spiritual discernment. Trained to create confidential space for spiritual healing and guidance, the Pastoral Care Team can go beyond the regular caregiving that congregation members provide for one another.
The team assists the minister in identifying and meeting the pastoral needs of the congregation, thus offering a variety of pastoral connections in times of joy, sorrow and transition. These connections include listening to congregants’ feelings and problems, and visiting with them in their homes, hospitals, hospice, or at the corner coffee shop. They provide a caring, sacred space for congregants to be heard and understood, and they offer support in pastoral crisis situations.
The Pastoral Care Team is an extension of the Minister’s own pastoral care presence. The Pastoral Care Team is commissioned by the congregation in a ceremony that endorses their role in serving our church community, and they are recruited by and report directly to the Minister and a lay coordinator. Pastoral Care is not therapy; however, referrals to mental health professionals can be offered if needed.
When to Contact the Pastoral Care Team?
- Grief because of the death of a loved one.
- A loss (of a job, relationship, health).
- A difficult life transition (congregational transition).
- An unexpected medical diagnosis.
- Difficulty making a decision.
- Need for some spiritual direction
- Or just the need for a listening ear.
The Pastoral Care Team is here to be a compassionate listening ear and works closely with the Soul Support Team.
To request Pastoral Care, contact: Michele Ewers, Chair of the Pastoral Care Team at pastoral@allsouls.net, pastoral careline: (401) 315-4553, or by cell: (774) 280-1989
Outreach: Soul Support
The Outreach Team offers a range of practical supports to our fellow congregants:
Meals
Caring for one another, body and soul, is a priority at All Souls. When a member or friend is in need of meal support, we have volunteers who can cook meals during illness, after procedures, welcoming newborns, after a recent loss, etc.
Transportation
Volunteers offer rides to congregants to worship or to local appointments
Task Assistance
Volunteers provide assistance to congregants in need of small indoor and outdoor tasks.
Check-ins
A team of volunteers are on hand to check-in with congregants offering support in the following ways:
- Social visits at home, or during a hospitalization or convalescent stay
- Writing “thinking of” cards to congregants
- Making a friendly phone call
To request Soul Support, contact: Ginny Campbell, Chair of the Outreach Team at outreach@allsouls.net, or by cell: (860) 389-4696.
If you would appreciate one of these supports, or if you know of a congregant who
would benefit, please be in touch with us.
