Parish Health
HEALTH & WELLNESS MINISTRY UPDATE
The Health and Wellness Ministry Team welcomes new members. We meet on the 2nd Monday of each month at 2 pm and are committed to supporting parishioners and community members live a healthy and happy physical, emotional, and spiritual life.
We hope new members will join us. Contact the office and one of the H&W members will call you. We welcome your ideas, support and enthusiasm.
BARNABAS BEAR joins St. Peter’s
Barnabas means ENCOURAGER and COMFORTER. Over the past 15 years, over 750 bears have been given to young and old as a way of offering support and encouragement. St. Peter’s is delighted to participate and thanks Bea Rowe for introducing us to Barnabas.
If you know someone, young or more mature who needs comforting or encouragement, please take a bear from the basket in the hallway outside the Great Hall. You can help this ministry by praying for those who are given bears.
Your donations of gently used bears are welcomed. Please leave your donations at the office so the bears can be blessed and then placed in the basket. For more information, please talk with Bea Rowe before or after Sunday service.
PRAYER AT ST. PETER’S
St. Peter’s keeps a PRAYER LIST and a team of parishioners prays regularly for those in need. If you or someone you know would benefit from our prayers, phone the church office, (905) 372-3442 or send an email to info@stpeterscobourg.org with your request. A volunteer will contact you to find out the name of the person, the reason for the request, how long the name should be on the list and if the person would like to receive telephone prayer support.
Start 2021, a small prayer group gathers twice a month via Zoom to offer prayers for the needs of our parish, the needs of the world and all who have requested prayers.
DO YOU or SOME YOU KNOW NEED SUPPORT ?
Support … meals, transportation, wellness programs, in-home support is just a phone call away.
Call COMMUNITY CARE NORTHUMBERLAND 1-866-514-5774
Check out their website www.commcare.ca
Their office is located at 1301 Ontario St. Cobourg, On, K9A 0N3
This service, in the Chapel at 10 am on Thursday mornings, follows the Book of Common Prayer. Following the service there is a time of fellowship in the Hutton Room. Coffee, tea and treats are available. Friendly conversation is helping to refresh our spirits and to build connections.
Please join us. All are welcome.
The next meeting of the H&W team will be on Monday October 17th at 2 pm in the Hutton Room. If you are interested in joining this active team, contact Nancy Marshall at nmarshall@rogers.com or call (905) 375-3195.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry mission is to knit/crochet lovingly-crafted shawls which are then blessed and presented to the sick, elderly, bereaved and newly baptized.
Would you like to have your very own prayer shawl? Do you know someone who would benefit from receiving one? Feeling the love and healing presence of God in your daily life can bring peace and comfort. Recently, a thank you note was received from a thankful recipient of a prayer shawl.
“Dear Ladies of St. Peter’s,
Thank you for the lovely prayer shawl and your caring thoughts. Currently I am in remission and very grateful. May God be with you.
Sincerely…”
Over the past 10 years, hundreds of prayer shawls, baby blankets, lap rugs, hats, and mittens have been distributed around the community.
Our knitters and crocheters continue to craft exquisite offerings and we have a plentiful supply of blessed prayer shawls available to share. Prayer shawls are freely available to all. You can pick one up to take on to a family member or a friend. The Prayer Shawl surrounds you with God’s love and is meant to bring comfort and peace.
If you would like a prayer shawl for yourself, a family member or friend, contact the church office or Janet Lang, janetlang0620@gmail.com. You can also ask anyone on the Health and Wellness team to assist you in getting a prayer shawl.
If you love to knit or crochet and you need a project to keep your hands and your mind busy, please join the small group of faithful who knit and crochet at home. They have been busy making prayer shawls, lap rugs, and baby blankets for the H&W Team and parishioners to distribute. All contributions are gratefully received and then blessed during a Eucharist service on Thursday morning.
If you are interested in participating, leave your name at the office and Fran Richardson will contact you. Fran has a large supply of wool and funds to purchase more. We need your talent, skill and willingness to get involved in sharing the love and comfort that receiving a prayer shawl offers.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care ministry is considered one of the most vital ministries at St. Peter’s. Since Cobourg has long been a favourite retirement community, many members of the church are either confined to their own homes or reside in nursing homes or one of the retirement residences. The Pastoral Ministry team has over twenty members who make regular visits to parishioners.
The group holds regular meetings, with the parish nurse and the clergy as resource people, to share information, provide mutual support and to participate in educational programs to strengthen their skills for this ministry. Many members of the team report that their involvement in this ministry has been extremely rewarding and many of those visited report how much they appreciate the visits.
Reminder
Parishioners are reminded to let the clergy know, by phoning the church office 905-372-3442, when family members are ill in hospital. Occasionally parishioners who are admitted don’t give their denomination and are not on the “Anglican list”, so clergy have no way of knowing they are in hospital.
THE HEALTH AND HEALING TEAMS
The Health and Healing teams provide support and assistance to our Parish Nurse, and offer education programs to to our parishioners and the wider-community. These programs foster the relationship between faith and health, and promote caring for the whole person: body, mind and spirit.
Your involvement and support are both encouraged and appreciated!
If you have an hour or two once a month, please consider getting involved with the Health and Healing Ministry.
For more information about any of the programs outlined, please contact the church office (905-372-3442) or speak with any of the Health and Healing Ministry Team.
Prayer Shawls are created by gifted crafters and blessed before being presented to the sick, elderly, bereaved and newly baptized. Mittens are given to our preschoolers each year. If you know someone who would appreciate a shawl or mittens, please speak with a member of the Health and Healing teams, or contact the church office.
Anyone who would like to participate in this ministry should contact the coordinators, Janet Baillie and Janet Lang
Transportation, for those unable to get to church services, is offered by faithful volunteers.
If you have time and are available to assist, please call the church office and leave a message for Pauline Cyr. Both Pauline and our parishioners will welcome your support.
Thursday Fellowship, this gathering enjoys a cup of coffee or tea and a variety of delicious treats following the 10 a.m. Eucharist. On the third Thursday of the month, we celebrate the month’s birthdays with a cake, cards and rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday”. All are welcome.
Friendly Visitors to Northumberland Hills Hospital Sandra O’Neill-Brown spends time with our parishioners and others who
Foot Care is offered once a month to our Soupertime Guests by our former Parish Nurse, Diane Froncz.
Dental Care is offered to Soupertime guests by Fran Richardson. Dental supplies and advice are provided.
Alongsiders pray daily for those in need of specific prayers as well as the parish and the world. A prayer chain is created by several Alongsiders, for emergency situations. Donna Brotherhood prepares the monthly guide — even while she’s living a snowbird’s Florida life.
Volunteer Care Teams are coordinated by our Parish Nurse. These teams are created to meet the needs of parishioners or their family members by providing a range of assistance, e.g. from helping with eye drops to driving someone to an appointment, or keeping a sick person company while providing respite for a caregiver. The parishioner’s privacy is essential and the operations of the Care Teams are confidential.
Volunteer Pastoral Care visitors spend time with seniors in neighbouring retirement and nursing homes. Our seniors welcome the companionship. St Peter’s offers monthly worship services in local care facilities in Cobourg and Port Hope. We would welcome your involvement and support. Please call the church office (905-372-3442).
Free Health and Wellness Education programs are offered throughout the year to parishioners and members of the larger community.
Lunch and Learn sessions are offered following the 10:30 am Sunday services.
Interactive Workshops with refreshments are offered during the week. Past topics have ranged from Elder Abuse and Parkinson’s to Arthritis and First Aid.
Visit our calendar to see our exciting plans for the upcoming year. Participants are asked to register with the church office to assist with planning and organizing refreshments.
Blessing and Healing Prayers bring comfort to anyone experiencing physical or emotional issues. Talk to us about specific concerns that you want included in prayer. These prayers are offered up in the chapel following worship services.
A Caregivers’ Support Group is facilitated by our Parish Nurse. The group provides assistance for those caring for a loved one with chronic health issues. You are invited to join the conversation on Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Understanding and acceptance of all situations is offered. Sessions end with prayer. Contact the church office.