Pastoral Care & Prayer Requests

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”

1 Peter 4:10

The vision and mission for Pastoral Care is to celebrate life’s joys and bear one another’s burdens and sorrows in fulfillment of God’s command to love one another as God loves us. We seek to connect and provide a network of care in times of need. Parishioners are invited to share in the experiences by participating in one or more of these ministries:

Request a Prayer

Please click the button below to send a prayer request. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the clergy or coordinators.

REQUEST PRAYER

St. David’s Prayer Companions

Contact

Rev. Elizabeth Colton
Prayer Companions is a prayer ministry in which fellow parishioners pray, whole-heartedly, for our St. David’s family members who are seeking God’s grace, help, and blessings in all of life’s circumstances. St. David’s Prayer Companions are all inspired by God’s Living Word and by our mission statement, to know God in Jesus Christ and to make God known to others.

Requests will be forwarded immediately to the prayer companions who are committed to pray daily for these needs for the duration of the request. All requests are held in strict confidence. If you request a prayer for one other than yourself, please be certain that he or she desires the request be made and agrees to have it posted and shared. If you prefer to make any request known only to a coordinator, please call at the listed number.

Request a Prayer

Please click the button below to send a prayer request. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the clergy or coordinators.

REQUEST PRAYER

Caring Ministries

Through all the Pastoral Care ministries we strive to support one another in difficult times and recognize and celebrate the joyful times. To get involved with a Pastoral Care ministry, or to receive more information, please fill out the form below.

Care Cards, Birthday Cards & Baptismal Gifts

Sandy Brown
Wendy Higgins
Dale Power

Cards are sent to parishioners needing encouragement or marking a celebration. A Baptism Book is sent to our parish newborns and their parents.

Career Transition Ministry

Dale Power
Mike Mayer

This ministry gives advice on matters of finance and resume building from a Christian perspective.

Care to Caregivers

Nan Lansinger

This group of volunteers reaches out to support those who regularly care for a loved one in need, such as an ailing spouse or parent.

Caring Meals

Kate Fahey
Liza Whelan

Meals are delivered to parishioners identified by our clergy as needing support and encouragement.

Driving Angels

Kim Bennett

Volunteers drive parishioners to church services or programs, to doctor or other medical appointments. New volunteers always welcome! Please contact Kim.

Eucharistic Visitors

Sandy Arnold

Volunteers visit with and share the sacrament of Holy Eucharist with parishioners who cannot be present with us at Sunday worship.

Finding Peace: Bereavement Group

Domenica Rafferty
Saturdays
} 10 a.m.

This bereavement group meets via Zoom every Saturday from 10–11:30 a.m. The group is an excellent source of support for people who are suffering the heartbreak of losing someone they love. We do not use a specific book or curriculum; rather we share our hearts and simply trust what emerges. Attendees are never asked to commit to any particular time frame. We have widows and widowers, parents, and siblings… the one thing we all have in common is a heart that has been broken by the death of someone who was dearly loved. The group is composed of empathetic people who all are aware of each other’s fragile emotions. Confidentiality is valued and respected.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Domenica Rafferty at 484-459-4998.

Flower Ministry

Jan Blynn
Kim Glynn

Volunteers arrange and/or deliver Sunday and holiday flowers to home-bound parishioners or those needing encouragement or celebrating.

#JourneyingForward

Domenica Rafferty
2nd & 4th Tuesday
} 7:00pm

#JourneyingForward is a support group for young adults (18-40 years old) who are grieving the death of a loved one.
JOIN ON ZOOM

Needleworks Guild

Theresa Baldwin

This Ministry provides hand knit caps for newborn babies and oncology patients, prayer shawls, prayer squares, and heart pairs for COVID-19 patients and their families.

Prayer Companions

The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton

This is a ministry in which fellow parishioners pray for our St. David’s family and friends who are seeking God’s grace, help, and blessings in all of life’s circumstances. All prayer requests are held in confidence.

Seasons of Love: Online Bereavement Group

Domenica Rafferty
Thursdays
} 7:00pm

This weekly Zoom meeting provides a safe space for you to share sorrows, fears and hope in your journey through grief.

JOIN ON ZOOM

Seeking Hope

John Lander

We are a group of parents whose children share the experience of drug and alcohol addiction. We cannot erase the struggle, but we can improve ourselves to live a better tomorrow. We gather together to provide support, encouragement, education, comfort, advice, and faith. We seek hope in every situation.

Sermon Ministry

Heather Sill

Sermons are available to read or listen to on the website. Contact the office to have a sermon mailed to you.

SERMONS

St. David’s Friends

Rob White
The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

St. David’s Friends is a ministry of sharing God’s love for us with one of our own. When we share the Peace of the Lord our response is, “Also with you”. Thus, we are sharing God’s loving relationship for us with our worship community of friends.  

As a St. David’s Friend, you will visit a parishioner, who needs encouragement and companionship. You will supply a fresh cup of water of life, a smile, a listener, and nonjudgmental friendship. St. David’s Friends is a ministry of sharing God’s love for us with a fellow parishioner.  

To become a St. David’s Friend, please contact the Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton.

I have been a St. David’s friend for close to decade and those that I have had the pleasure of visiting with have elevated my personal loving relationship with God and deep affection for each parishioner (friend) I have visited. As a member of our St. Daivid’s community, you already have friends. At some point, for whatever reason your friend may need your companionship. Living in our loving community you have a pathway available for you to become a St. David’s Friend. ” – Rob White

Walking the Mourner’s Path

Betsy Aikens

We believe grieving is not lack of faith, but a natural part of living. Walking the Mourner’s Path is a Christ-centered, non-denominational grief support program. Our purpose is to help those who are grieving transform their grief into joyful living. The course consists of 90-minute classes and runs for eight consecutive weeks. Each session has two facilitators plus a member of the clergy present.

Walking the Mourner’s Path is open to the community. We welcome you to join us whether you are a member of St. David’s or not. Please fill out the online interest form by October 2, 2023 by clicking on the link below. You will then be contacted by one of the facilitators who will help you decide if the timing is right for you to join the course and give you more details about time, place, and payment options.

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Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry is a ministry in which trained and supervised lay persons provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges.

For more information about the Stephen Ministry, please contact Clayton Platt by email.

Who is involved?

Stephen Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry. They recruit, select, train, organize and supervise our Stephen Ministers and identify people in need of care and match them with a Stephen Minister.

Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian caregiving, including general topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness and using Christian resources in caregiving. In addition, their training covers specialized topics such as ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved and aging.

Care receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are people from our church or outside of our parish who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of job, loneliness, hospitalization, terminal illness, or any of an endless number of other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers usually meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour for as long as the care receiver will benefit from the relationship.

Are Stephen Ministers counselors?

Stephen Ministers are not counselors. They are trained lay caregivers. Their role is to listen and care, not to give advice or counsel. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognize when a care receiver’s needs exceed what they can provide. When that happens they work with care receivers to help them receive the level of care they really need.

Is my relationship with a Stephen Minister confidential?

Trust is essential to a caring relationship, and Stephen Ministers are people you can trust. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry, and what a care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in the strictest confidence.

“For the past year and a half, I have met with my Stephen Ministry Caregiver every week. She has been a lifeline during a period of my life when I have needed it the most. She is also available to me by phone, text and email if I am feeling vulnerable. She has met me when times were almost unbearable, when I thought I just could not do what needed to be done. She listens when I need someone to listen to me; I do not seek advice, I just need someone to listen even if I am being irrational. She accepts that I feel the way I feel and she comforts me, and in the most caring way, shows me there is hope.”
Stephen Ministry Care Receiver

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