PASTORAL CARE
The Pastoral Care Team at Newtownbreda supports the work of the pastors in encouraging and caring for the church family and finding the best ways to deliver care and demonstrate loving support to all members of the family, regardless of their age and stage of life. Gillian Carlisle is our full time Pastoral Care Coordinator and Liz Barclay works part time with those in the 60 plus age bracket.
Jesus makes it clear that, at times, our lives that will be marked by ‘trouble’ (John 16:33). As a team, we want to support you at these times- whether you are experiencing bereavement, illness, financial or family crisis, or some other significant issue. We will spend time with you, pray with you and for you, and with your consent, ask others to pray for your situation. We can offer practical help- whether that’s a meal delivered, a lift to a hospital appointment, or assistance with maintenance. In some circumstances, we recommend that you seek additional help, or may refer you to specialist Christian organisations.
Pastoral Care is about encouraging one another in our relationship with Jesus. We welcome the opportunity to chat and pray about questions you have, or the practicalities of navigating faith in a challenging world. Please contact us if we can serve or encourage you in any way. As far as we can, we operate an ‘open door’ policy during office hours. If you need to speak to us about a serious or complex issue, we recommend that you make an appointment in advance, so that we can prioritise time for you.
As a team, we work hard on equipping ourselves to meet specific and emerging needs. NBC is an accredited ‘Safe Church’ where we provide sanctuary, information and support for any person experiencing abuse. Gillian is an accredited Mental Health first aider. NBC also runs an annual ‘Grief Share’ course supporting those who have been bereaved.
At Newtownbreda, we believe that care is the responsibility of every follower of Jesus, a responsibility born out of the many ‘one another’ commands in the New Testament. We encourage you to get involved in a Life Group so that you can get to know, and encourage and care for others at church, as well as being cared for by them. Our ‘Connect PODs,’ are small
groups organised so that people can meet, share interests, and build community together. We believe that every person has a unique part to play in the body ministry of the church but is only through connecting and getting involved that we become fully effective.
As in all healthy congregations, our volunteers are the backbone and the life blood of ministry. This is especially the case in pastoral care at NBC. Our Prayer Ministry Team serves at all Sunday meetings and cover the intercessory needs of the congregation. This trained, confidential, and compassionate team are also available at other events. Individual prayer appointments can be arranged by contacting Gillian. Our Community POD Leaders work closely with small groups of the elderly, housebound and vulnerable, ensuring that they remain connected with their church family and experiencing their love and support. In addition, we are currently setting up a range of ‘Nurture PODs’ designed to provide encouragement for those facing challenges at various stages, whether that’s for new parents, those with children with additional needs, or those interested in adoption and fostering. We are always open to exploring new ways of connecting, supporting, and encouraging each other on the Christian journey.