NAUCC Caring Ministry

New Ark United Church of Christ

An "Open and Affirming" and "JustPeace" Congregation

Caring Ministry

The Care Committee's ministry is to enhance and support the care-giving life of both the congregation and the pastor in 5 basic areas: emotional support, practical help, information sharing, spiritual/personal growth, and support systems. Specifically, it will:

a. focus intentionally and comprehensively on the care needs of the congregation;
b. serve as a receiving center for care need referrals from the congregation and the pastor;
c. with the pastor, initiate/enable/coordinate appropriate care outreach of/to the congregation;
d. serve as the voice of the congregation when correspondence is appropriate, e.g. sympathy cards, wedding congratulatory cards, birthday cards, thank you cards, etc.;
e. contribute to the spiritual/personal growth of both the Care Committee and the congregation; and
f. pray, with particular focus on those with special needs; encourage and enable the congregation to join in those prayers.

Some of the programs created and administered by the Care Committee are described below.

Friendly Freezer
Prepared meals (soups, casseroles) are kept in our Friendly Freezer so that when members and friends are experiencing some sort of difficulty during which a meal would be helpful, Care Committee provides the meal. The committee also keeps a list of volunteers to drive meals to those in need.

Prayer Chain
To have a prayer request sent out to the prayer chain, contact someone on the CARE Committee, or email the request to prayers@naucc.org

Parents' Morning Out
Parents' Morning Out is a weekly opportunity offered to stay-at-home parents to have some time to themselves while their children are babysat by hired helpers in the church infant & toddler rooms. For the Spring, PMO takes place on Tuesdays, 9:30am til Noon. The day tends to change every season because the babysitters tend to be college students (with childcare experience) so their availability depends on their class schedules.

Parents' Night Out
Starting June 2001, on the second Friday night of each month, babysitters are provided from 6-9pm for a cost of $5 per child so that parents can enjoy an evening out together without the children.

BYOK - "Bring Your Own Kids" Group
BYOK is a group open to any and all parents who wish to participate. Most activities in the year are designed for play and fellowship for both children and parents. Examples of past activities include a trip to the Brandywine Zoo, a fall visit to Milburn Orchards, & Bumper Bowling. At least once per year the group does an activity with parents-only (like a meal out) and babysitting is provided for a fee at the church. BYOK events are always posted in the newsletter, Sunday bulletins, and on the online monthly calendar.

First Friday Groups
Care Committee coordinates several groups which are designed to enrich the lives of our congregation. One such group, for example, is the Progressive Dinner group. Those who participate travel from one participants' home to the next to experience a different course of the meal at each place. It is a lot of fun and a great way to get to know others in the church. (This is a no children event.)

Copyright 2002 - 2007

	New Ark United Church of Christ An "Open and Affirming" and "JustPeace" Congregation
	Caring Ministry
	The Care Committee's ministry is to enhance and support the care-giving life of both the congregation and the pastor in 5 basic areas: emotional support, practical help, information sharing, spiritual/personal growth, and support systems. Specifically, it will: a. focus intentionally and comprehensively on the care needs of the congregation; b. serve as a receiving center for care need referrals from the congregation and the pastor; c. with the pastor, initiate/enable/coordinate appropriate care outreach of/to the congregation; d. serve as the voice of the congregation when correspondence is appropriate, e.g. sympathy cards, wedding congratulatory cards, birthday cards, thank you cards, etc.; e. contribute to the spiritual/personal growth of both the Care Committee and the congregation; and f. pray, with particular focus on those with special needs; encourage and enable the congregation to join in those prayers. Some of the programs created and administered by the Care Committee are described below. Friendly Freezer Prepared meals (soups, casseroles) are kept in our Friendly Freezer so that when members and friends are experiencing some sort of difficulty during which a meal would be helpful, Care Committee provides the meal. The committee also keeps a list of volunteers to drive meals to those in need. Prayer Chain To have a prayer request sent out to the prayer chain, contact someone on the CARE Committee, or email the request to prayers@naucc.org Parents' Morning Out Parents' Morning Out is a weekly opportunity offered to stay-at-home parents to have some time to themselves while their children are babysat by hired helpers in the church infant & toddler rooms. For the Spring, PMO takes place on Tuesdays, 9:30am til Noon. The day tends to change every season because the babysitters tend to be college students (with childcare experience) so their availability depends on their class schedules. Parents' Night Out Starting June 2001, on the second Friday night of each month, babysitters are provided from 6-9pm for a cost of $5 per child so that parents can enjoy an evening out together without the children. BYOK - "Bring Your Own Kids" Group BYOK is a group open to any and all parents who wish to participate. Most activities in the year are designed for play and fellowship for both children and parents. Examples of past activities include a trip to the Brandywine Zoo, a fall visit to Milburn Orchards, & Bumper Bowling. At least once per year the group does an activity with parents-only (like a meal out) and babysitting is provided for a fee at the church. BYOK events are always posted in the newsletter, Sunday bulletins, and on the online monthly calendar. First Friday Groups Care Committee coordinates several groups which are designed to enrich the lives of our congregation. One such group, for example, is the Progressive Dinner group. Those who participate travel from one participants' home to the next to experience a different course of the meal at each place. It is a lot of fun and a great way to get to know others in the church. (This is a no children event.)
Copyright 2002 - 2007