Pastoral care needs such as short or long-term hospitalization, terminal illness or death of family members and other unexpected pastoral needs do not always occur during normal church business hours. Some of these needs require immediate clergy notification. Most others require that the church be informed of the situation and have a qualified lay person contact the person or family for whatever assistance is needed. This is exactly why the new CARE-NET/24 Pastoral Care Voice Mail was created. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for you to call and leave a voice mail message describing the need. If emergency clergy assistance is needed you are given their home and/or cell phone number to contact directly. Other calls are responded to within 12 hours. Just call: 314-821-1806 Ext. 24.
Grace Church has eight Pastoral Care Committees or Teams dedicated to fulfilling specialized pastoral care needs. These are explained on the CARE-NET/24 message, but you do not need to listen to the entire message, you can just dial 24 and leave your message. The Pastoral Care teams are:
- Stephen Ministry - provides confidential one-on-one short or long-term care consultation from trained laypersons.
- Eucharistic Visitors - provide Communion to members who are in the hospital or homebound.
- Funeral Arrangements - provides assistance for funeral arrangements at the church, such as receptions, music and other special requests. The clergy is available for family consultation and funeral service plans.
- St. Paul Guild - send notes, letters or cards to members in need, in long-term care or college students.
- Prayer Chain - provides personal (non-public) prayers for members as needed or requested.
- Return Thanks - provides hot meals to members in need on a temporary basis, such as return from hospital for surgery or a new birth.
- Visitation - provides periodic home or hospital visitation with altar flowers or other items.
- Grace Care Line - is an outgoing message system to provide current information on persons in the hospital, persons who wish to be on the published prayer list including the Sunday Bulletin, and death and funeral notices.
- Clergy - The two clergy are available in times of emergency or other needs at any time.
When you call in, please leave your name, your phone number and the name of the person you are calling about and your specific need or needs. Someone will get in touch with you within 12 hours for more information if needed. We hope you don't have to use this new CARE-NET/24 Pastoral Care Voice Mail, but if you do, you know it is there for you 24/7.
