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PASTORAL CARE

THE PASTORAL CARE TEAM

Pastoral Care is CARING.

The Pastoral Care Team shares a vision of caring by supporting and nurturing the ESG community. We work with individuals by phone and in person including home visits when appropriate. Referrals come from our ministers, concerned friends, family and by direct request. In addition, we collaborate with other groups within the ESG community such as The Last Minutes Group, the New Perspectives Group, The ESG Angels and others. With their help we develop and coordinate a diverse range of initiatives by which we care for the well-being of those affiliated with ESG and the wider community. Our Pastoral Care Team is a core group of 12 or so dedicated, caring individuals including our Minister of Pastoral Care, who liberally share their time, skills, empathy and compassion to help others.

Ways We Care

ESG CARES is the umbrella term for all activities focused on care and support for the individual. While this includes supporting our seniors in retirement homes or those confined to home, we also reach out to people of any age who are in need. Individuals or families may be experiencing health issues; someone may be in crisis. They may be going through a transition in their lives or be dealing with any number of personal concerns needing a listening ear and support. We follow-up with those referred and continue to stay in touch as long as it is appropriate to do so. We connect with people by phone and when appropriate by home visit.

Card Ministry
Our Card Ministry is an additional vehicle for connecting with individuals. Notes of encouragement, sympathy, or a friendly “Hello”, and cards acknowledging a special birthday, anniversary or event … all of these communicate the message that our church community cares, and that people are remembered and valued.
Funeral and Memorial Services
Our Minister of Pastoral Care and our Funeral Coordinator are members of the PCT.
Please see the dedicated heading on the website for those service details.
Youth Outreach
Our Pastoral Care Minister keeps in touch with ESG’s university and college students. Twice a year around exam time he reaches out with a special gesture of support for them during a stressful time. This is an opportunity for reinforcing that their church is interested in them and cares about their well-being.
Evensong Services
Our Minister of Pastoral Care creates and leads monthly Evensong services (Oct. through May) which provide a quieter, gentler opportunity for worship through the week in the early evening time. Music, prayer, candles and meditation offer a healing and peaceful respite. The PCT provides support.
Christmas in a Minor Key
Christmas can be a poignant and tender time for many. This service offers a quiet and soothing worship alternative to anyone seeking an alternative to the traditional Christmas celebratory worship services. Our minister of Pastoral Care leads us and the PCT supports with their caring presence and home prepared refreshments to extend the gathering time afterwards.
Retirement Home Tours
The Tour Coordinator organizes a tour of the various Retirement Residences within the ESG catchment area twice a year. These events involve a tour of a facility, lunch in their dining room and an opportunity for Q&A with their staff.
Super Seniors Recognition
During the pandemic the Seniors Luncheons were not possible. Instead, the Last Minutes Group, in conjunction with the PCT, organized “goodie bags” to be delivered to all our seniors in retirement residences and to many who live alone. The bags contained home baking, a letter from our Minister of Pastoral Care with an update on ESG news, and sometimes a hand-knitted heart (for Valentine’s) or sheep (Christmas), or a mini pot of flowers (Easter). The gift bags were delivered twice a year and kept us more closely connected to a greater number of people than the luncheons had. They were very well received and proved to be a wonderful outreach project.
Congregational Outreach
Pre-pandemic the PCT engaged in a bi-annual program to reach out to all members of the ESG community, by email or letter, for the purpose of touching base and to learn of any concerns or needs they might have. The coordinator of this initiative worked closely with the Minister of Pastoral Care to follow up appropriately on any responses. During the pandemic, this program was replaced by the “Ambassadors Calling Program” in which every member of the congregation was contacted by telephone to assure them of ESG’s concern for their well-being. It was a great collaboration with the many other support groups at ESG. We anticipate that our original program, or a new variation, will be reinstated post-pandemic.
Community Education
01.
Embracing Aging

Embracing Aging (Suspended during the pandemic. Planning to reinstate.)

In 2016, the PCT began an annual series of lectures entitled Embracing Aging, a series of presentations by outside speakers of expertise on a variety of topics such as estate planning, end of life care, safety issues in the home, downsizing and transitioning from independent living to a care facility.  The series was targeted for seniors and their families and was made available to the broader community and to the other churches in our United Church cluster.

02.
Community Services Fairs

Community Services Fairs (Suspended during the pandemic. Hoping to reinstate.)

Once a year the PCT organized a fair to showcase a wide variety of social and health related community services for the information of our ESG community. Non-profits and for-profit agencies and services presented booths to explain their services.

03.
Grief Group

Grief Group In the past ESG has participated in a Grief Group course, which has been offered annually to churches in the neighbourhood. It has been led by the Rev. Deborah Hart, a former Minister of Pastoral Care at ESG. We expect that this service will continue as it has been within the cluster of North Toronto churches.