2010 UPDATE:
At Greenwoods , a monthly mid-week Eucharist is led by our Rector, Richard S, and a monthly Sunday service is led by lay people. Attendance has been approximately eight residents. Both services are followed by a social time with coffee.
At Lady Minto Hospital, Extended Care Unit , a team of lay people lead a simple service of Holy Communion once a month and take the sacrament to the bedside of those unable to attend. The five main churches on the Island offer a form of Sunday worship, so every five weeks, we have a hymn-sing which is very well received. We are grateful to our three pianists – Joyce, Betty and Joan – for their participation in these services and to those who come to assist with the services and the hymn-sing.
Teams of dedicated volunteers have taken services, under the supervision of the Rector, in Lady Minto Extended Care and in Greenwoods Intermediate Care facilities. At Lady Minto there has been one offering of the Holy Eucharist and one Hymn Sing each month, while at Greenwoods there have been two offerings of the Holy Eucharist each month.
Andrew S. has also coordinated specially trained teams of lay administrants who have, on a Sunday-by-Sunday basis, taken the reserved sacrament to chronically ill and shut-in members of our parish. The Rector offered a training session for people interested in this ministry this autumn, and as a result five more people have been added to the number of those licensed to offer this ministry in our parish.
GRIEF RECOVERY PROGRAM
Our parish continues to coordinate, in partnership with the United Church here on Salt Spring Island, a Grief Recovery Program.
In 2010, we have just completed our 13th year of assisting people in their journey through grief due to the loss of a loved one. Our program helps them to understand the process they are going through as they share their stories and experiences leading from despair through to hope and new beginnings.
Each year two six-week sessions—Spring and Fall are held—and an event at the end of November with ideas and suggestions of “How to Get Through Christmas”.
We are currently planning a new program in conjunction with Bessie Dane Hospice to assist people in the early stages of grief. We hope this will meet a need in our community and lead into our regular program for people six months or so into their grieving process.
We welcome two new facilitators who are currently training with us.
PRAYER CHAIN
The Prayer Chain consists of the of 15 individuals or couples. It is organized into three lists of names and each list can operate by itself if necessary. The master list is maintained by Caroline H. as she is almost always available when disaster strikes.
Now since many people have email, there is also an E-Prayer Chain which disseminates the news of the need for prayer even faster and much more efficiently. If available, photos and messages from the people that are asking for prayers are forwarded to the members of the Prayer Chain.
We all pray in our own individual ways and at many different times of the day so it is felt that someone on our prayer list has our almost constant support.
We continue our ministry of prayer and are always ready to receive your requests. When disaster strikes you or someone you love: contact Kathryn via the church office 250-537-2171