Pastoral Care

The church community shares in the joys and griefs of the wider community and prays for people regularly in church. In addition, the church offers those going through a difficult time the opportunity for a listening ear and personal prayer. Prayer for healing of body, mind and spirit is also available, with laying on of hands and / or anointing. Those who are housebound or in hospital may be visited and brought communion as appropriate.

Laying on of hands with prayer for healing is offered once a quarter during the main Sunday Eucharist. This is offered by the Vicar, assisted by another authorised minister.

Each Sunday a ‘prayer basket’ is brought to the altar. This is to facilitate private requests for prayer, which the Vicar then prays about during Morning and Evening Prayer in the following week.

Pastoral Network Scheme

The Pastoral Network Scheme was launched in June 2010 and membership is open to anyone who lives in the parish. The pastoral groups are arranged geographically, with neighbouring roads grouped together.

Each group has a Link Person and a Co-Link, who keep ‘a friendly eye out’ for the members of the group. If someone has not been seen for four weeks, the Link Person makes contact to check if all is okay – by e-mail, phone or visit, whatever seems appropriate for that person. If there are concerns, the Link Person contacts one of the Pastoral Assistants.

The end of life and after

The Vicar is very open to meeting with a family where a member is terminally ill, to provide support and assist in planning the funeral.

The Vicar is available to conduct the funeral of anyone in the parish, whatever their religious affiliation. The Vicar or lay pastoral assistants are happy to keep in contact with the bereaved family afterwards, if that is requested.

The names of those who have died in the previous year, along with names of others ‘whom we love but see no longer’, are read aloud during the All Souls' Requiem which falls on or around November 2 each year.