First Universalist Church of Minneapolis

Despite its name, Pastoral Care is not about tending sheep in a meadow. It's about caring for each other and building a supportive community within the church where we can all find comfort in times of need and share our joy when our cups are full.
    
If you, or someone you care about, is in need of pastoral care, please call the church office at 612/825-1701 to arrange confidential support.

The Rev. Kate Tucker plays the lead ministerial role in providing pastoral care, although the other ministers are actively engaged as well. The Pastoral Care Council,  Rev. Tucker, and a number of motivated lay people who organize and lead this church-wide effort.

Pastoral Care activities vary widely (see list below). As a result, we tend to engage different groups within the congregation at different times and frequently post requests for help on the Cyber Coffeehour as needs arise. With larger needs, we often ask people to offer their help at the Caring Corner desk in the church social hall after services. We also keep lists of people who are willing to be called for particular purposes.

Because of the generous spirit of the people of First Universalist Church, we are consistently able to meet the pastoral care needs of our congregation. Together we weave the fabric of a strong community.

The work of the Pastoral Care Council is divided into 5 broad categories

1. Meeting short term individual needs.

• Arranging meals and/or rides and/or running errands or doing simple household tasks for individuals and families who need help
• Arranging for the services of the parish nurse, who can provide one-on-one visitation to listen, understand, and provide support and resources to those in need. (Note this program does not involve administering medication, changing dressings, or other invasive medical care.)
• Providing the advice and counsel of others in the congregation who've experienced similar difficulties, through our "Caring Network" of volunteers.

2. Maintaining Connection

• Visiting individuals in their homes, long-term care facilities, and hospitals, to insure that they don't feel forgotten by their church. With our new Adopt-a-Hospital program, we have volunteers who regularly visit patients at "their" hospitals.
• Delivering flowers on special occasions to those whom we know are experiencing difficulties. At Christmas, Valentine's Day, and May Day, in particular, we deliver flowers to those members whom we know to be sick, who have recently lost a loved one, or who in any way we feel might benefit from such a remembrance. In addition, Sunday service flowers are sometimes available for such distribution.
• Sending audio tapes and Orders of Service to those who are unable to attend Sunday services. Our wonderful office staff is responsible for much of this good work!
• Visiting/Phoning/Emailing those who are unable to attend church regularly. The simplest and the most important of all our services to one another.

3. Memorial Services

• Hosting memorial services and receptions to honor the lives of our members and their loved ones. We provide volunteers to greet and usher at the service, prepare food for the reception, serve it, and clean up afterwards, in deepest respect for the deceased person and his/her family.    

4. Communal Pastoral Care

• Providing the Caring Corner, a very special place in the Social Hall that's stocked with greeting cards and pens and the names and addresses of those in the congregation who are experiencing life's transitions. Cards written at the Caring Corner are then mailed by our wonderful office staff.
• Facilitating communication within the congregation about the life transitions and needs of others. Our usual routes are the CyberCoffeehour and the Cycle of Life announcements during Sunday morning services. (Note Announcements are only made with the expressed consent of those concerned!)
• Sponsoring an annual flu shot clinic, intended to benefit not only our congregation but also the many high-flu-risk members of our neighborhood.
• Sponsoring an annual blood drive, in conjunction with the Memorial Blood Centers of Minnesota, intended to benefit every living person in our area.
• Initiating and hosting educational classes, in conjunction with the Welcome Home Wednesdays program of the Adult Religious Education Council. We call our series "Life Matters, " and recent offerings have included such classes as "Creating Your Ethical Will," "Lifesavers for Seniors," "Health Care Directives Making Important Choices," and "Listening The Heart of Service."
• Fostering support groups. Our most recently started groups have focused on Caregivers, Job-seekers, and those with family members dealing with cancer.
• Bringing worthwhile educational films and television productions to the congregation. By purchasing videos, we can offer everyone the opportunity to view such remarkable productions as Bill Moyers' program, "On Our Own Terms," a series of public television programs on the topic of death and dying.
• Purchasing for the church library books on issues of pastoral care

Life Crisis Information. Members are encouraged to file a confidential Life Crisis Form with the church office, so that it may be available to our ministers in event of a crisis. You may submit this form electronically, though suggest that you first review it and collect the pertinent information before submitting the form. Click here to access this form.