Congregational Care Ministry

First UMC Congregational Care Ministry is modeled after the ministry of Jesus, who offered compassion, understanding, healing, and wholeness as a way of offering God’s redemptive gift of grace.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” ~Jesus (John 13:34-35)

We seek to respond to the needs of our members and their families and offer support for all aspects of life. We endeavor to walk with persons through life’s many changes due to relationships, parenthood, illness, aging, grief, and loss.

Caring for each other helps us to have wholeness and shalom with God.  It then strengthens and empowers us to reach out and care for others in our community and in our world.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Get to know the Congregational Care Ministry

Congregational Care is the “beyond the four walls” ministry of First United Methodist Church Hershey. It extends our connection into the lives of members of the congregation when circumstances in their lives interfere with, or prevent, an in-person worship and fellowship experience. It is an assurance that they are not forgotten.  They are still CARED about.
In John 13:34, 35, Jesus tells his disciples: “I give you a new commandment that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.“  Jesus' ministry, His acts of love, is the model for our Congregational Care Ministry. We love not only those in the pews, but those who would like to be in the pews. The essence of our response to the needs of our members and their families is to follow this commandment through caring, compassion, Communion, understanding, and healing. It encompasses a variety of programs all with the goal of addressing the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of older adults.  
In the Weekly News over the next several weeks, we will outline our efforts to stay connected with our church family by describing the programs that are a part of this ministry. We hope this will give you an idea of the scope of our outreach. Perhaps you will be encouraged to consider volunteering a few hours of your time to help fulfill Jesus’ commandment to love. I think it can be said without hesitation, that your time will be rewarded with loving gratitude. 
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  Matthew 18:20 (NIV)
The best-known program of the Congregational Care ministry is that of the “Visitation and Communion Team." Currently that team is made up of ten individuals from the congregation plus the pastors. They are responsible for personal contact with one or more designated members of the congregation who are either unable to attend worship services in-person, or are limited by their care and mobility circumstances. These members might be residents in assisted care facilities, nursing homes, or home-bound. The Team members are also responsible for administering the Sacrament of Holy Communion to them. 
This is a personal outreach that maintains a spiritual and caring relationship with members who find they can no longer be actively involved because of health, age, or mobility. Rather than be completely shut out from the church family there is still a connection. They will be visited by someone who “brings the church to them.”  They will able to share their memories, cares, and ideas along with prayer, bible readings and Communion as an integral part of the “beyond-the walls First United Methodist Church of Hershey.”
Congregational Care at first United Methodist Church is more than a visitation team. As noted in the previous Weekly News, more people are involved in other aspects of our outreach.
The Weekly News that you are reading right now is sent out each week to several members who are homebound or in care facilities. It keeps them updated on what is happening each week and planned in the future.
We have a very active Card Ministry which is overseen by Vickie Kretz. Again it is volunteer passed with 15 members who keep in contact with 50 members over the age of 75.  The volunteers send them greeting cards on occasions such as birthdays, special days, and holidays.

Each week Kathy Smith prepares greeting cards acknowledging a birthday, words of encouragement or expressions of care about an illness or surgery. The cards are on the table across from the Welcome Center in the Narthex. Members of the congregation can sign them before or after the Sunday morning services.  You may also write a short note to that member, should you choose. They are mailed at the beginning of each week.  

Members of the congregation who have received them often acknowledge these and the others cards that they receive. They are grateful to know they are not forgotten and they have commented on how it lifts their spirits. 

Even the youth are participating in our congregational care ministry. The Discovery Club, for children from kindergarten through 4th Grade, make cards each time they meet.  They place all the cards in an envelope and send it out to a member of the congregation whose name is on a list for “encouragement” that week. The very act of receiving that envelope with all those hand made cards has been acknowledged, by the recipients, as a wonderful, encouraging experience.
As we look at ways to enhance the outreach of our Congregational Care, there are some additional sources to acknowledge.
The Circle of Hope, which meets on the First Wednesday of each month, has been making vegetable soup each Fall for several years. The soup is then frozen and made available for members of the Visitation Team to distribute to the people they visit if they are residing in a place where they can make meals. This can also include members of the congregation who are recovering from an illness or surgery.  
This Advent season the Circle will make gift bags like the ones they made this past Lenten season. They will be distributed by the Visitation Team members to the people they visit. The bags contain a variety of items including a personally addressed greeting card, some snacks, and goodies, as well as a booklet of prayers and reflections and other items. It serves as an act of kindness for the holiday to let our members know we are thinking about them.  
Prayer shawls, knitted by members of the congregation, are available for congregants as a reminder of God's love and care for them when they are sick, bereaved, or having difficult times.  Contact Pastor Jenn. 

If you have an interest in joining our Visitation Team or would like more information on this vital ministry, please contact Phil Jurus, Congregational Care Coordinator, by email at phil.jurus@firstumchershey.org or call (717)533-9668 ext. 118.

Prayer Ministry

Prayer is at the heart of who we are and all that we do. We invite you to email a prayer request to prayer@firstumchershey.org. Please select one of the following when you submit your request:

  • Pastoral Care Team – First UMC’s Pastor and Congregational Care Minister will keep the utmost confidentiality for prayers when requested to do so; these sensitive prayer requests will not be shared with the Covenant Prayer Group or others.
  • Covenant Prayer Group – this intercessory prayer group of volunteers commits to dutifully praying for all submitted prayer requests and maintaining confidentiality; prayer request information will be shared with this group at the level designated by the person requesting prayer (first name only, full name, any specific information).

Visitation Ministry

  • Hospital Visitation – visitation by the Pastor and Congregational Care visitation team
  • Care Facility Visitation – regular visitation of members in nursing homes or assisted living facilities by the visitation team
  • Homebound Visitation – regular visitation of homebound members by the visitation team
  • Home Communion Ministry – volunteers serve Holy Communion to members unable to attend our worship services

Support Ministry

  • Meals Ministry – volunteers provide temporary assistance with meals following illness, injury, death of a loved one, or birth of a child, or other life circumstances
  • Transportation Ministry – volunteers provide temporary assistance with transportation to appointments for those unable to drive
  • Card Ministry – volunteers send cards to our members who are homebound or in care facilities; cards also available to the congregation each week for occasions such as sympathy, get well, or birthdays of members age 75 or greater
If you or someone you know could use care and support, or if you would like to volunteer to serve in one of the areas above, please contact the church office at 717-533-9668.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.  Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” (James 5:13)