The Pastoral Care Team at Christ Church Stannington

At Christ Church this year we have trained and developed a pastoral care team which aims to come alongside people in the community where this may be of help. We have a variety of skills and experience between us and will respect confidentiality.

What is pastoral care?

The word “pastor” comes from the Latin word for “shepherd”. This is appropriate as there are plenty of sheep who live within our parish boundary! Jesus described himself as the “good shepherd” who cares for his sheep. As a church we try to follow Jesus’ teaching to love and care for others. Pastoral care is a response to his command to his disciples at the last supper when, after washing their feet, he said “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” Our faith assures us of God’s love and gives us hope. However life is tough and we all struggle to make sense of what is happening in our lives and in the world around us. This helps to put our efforts in pastoral care into perspective. We can’t always offer solutions; things can go wrong; we can’t rely on our own strength. We have to rely on God’s strength.

We aim to provide a listening ear

I have learned that being listened to and being heard, whether for five or fifty minutes, can feel like the greatest gift, particularly when I’ve been going through a difficult time. If someone gives us their full attention as we tell our story, we feel valued. We matter to them. We matter to God. We may experience some degree of healing. The offering of a safe space to be heard is described by Henri Nouwen as “the highest form of hospitality.” If I have taken the time to listen to somebody, I too have been blessed.

What we do

We are willing to visit anyone in the parish who may be going through a difficult time, maybe experiencing loss, anxiety, loneliness or illness. We offer emotional and spiritual support, befriending and a link to the Church and its activities such as “Natter.” We can signpost to other wider resources within the area. We are happy to visit anyone who is new to the area who may wish to know about Stannington church or who would like to talk about the Christian faith.

How to contact us

You can leave a message via our Get in Touch page.

You can e-mail us at [email protected]

You can phone Rev. Alison Cook (0114 2343463) or the church wardens on 07768293406