Pastoral Care

Drivers

People who are unable to drive get a ride to church from a team of drivers who share this ministry. If people want to be in church or attend other events, the inability to drive or lack of a car will not prevent them from attending.

Emergency Meals

Members of this team prepare a simple meal to provide nourishment to a person or family in need of temporary assistance. On a rotating basis, they prepare (or pick up carry-out) and deliver to the home. When things are stressful at home, Hickory Neck makes sure meal prep is not one of them.

Health Team

The Health and Safety/Security Team works collaboratively with the Parish Nurse in utilizing as well as providing information about local resources and educational programs in order to promote the whole person’s health and wellness. In addition, the team raises safety awareness and prevention of illnesses and injuries for our parishioners of all age groups including the management of the Emergency First Responder training.

Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministers are lay congregation members trained to provide one-to-one care to those who are hurting or experiencing a difficult time in life.

Who might receive care from a Stephen Minister? Care receivers may be hospitalized, grieving the death of a loved one, separated or divorcing, homebound, unemployed, adjusting to the birth of a child, or experiencing many other kinds of life difficulties. They may be members of our church, or friends, neighbors, and co-workers without any church home

Think about your life and the lives of the people around you. Are you, or is someone you know, going through a time of crisis or challenge? The care of a Stephen Minister may be exactly what’s needed to help bring Christ’s healing.

Lay Eucharistic Visitors

Lay Eucharistic Visitors are trained by clergy and are sent forth from the Hickory Neck altar where the community has gathered and shared Communion, carrying the Body and Blood of Christ to parishioners whose illness, disability, or injury keep them from being physically present in church on Sundays.

The bread and wine they carry act as a symbol of the unity of Christ's Body, which transcends boundaries of time and space, providing a sense of connection to persons who might otherwise feel isolated. Lay Eucharistic Visitors prove a remarkable extension of a priest's sacerdotal ministry, much in the same way that a parish priest is essentially an extension of the ministry of the Diocesan Bishop.

Special Deliveries

These pastoral caregivers provide simple meals (either homemade or purchased) and support to new moms, dads and families right after the new baby comes home from the hospital. If you are expecting a baby and would like to receive meals, or if you would like to help provide meals to new moms, please contact the Parish Office at 757-566-0276.

Prayer Advocates

This team prays daily for those in need, whether members of Hickory Neck or not. Anyone in the parish may request prayers by calling the Parish Office at 757-566-0276. The confidential prayer requests are disseminated through e-mail.

Prayer Shawls

Over the years, shawls have always given us a sense of shelter, peace, and spiritual sustenance. Our members have endeavored to continue this spiritual tradition by knitting or crocheting in prayer and creating a loving, useful, and healing symbol that Hickory Neck then gives as gifts to individuals in times of stress or in need of comfort, strength, encouragement or for celebration. They can wrap themselves in the love of God and Hickory Neck during difficult times.

The clergy provide the reference for each recipient who, along with the shawl or lap robe, receives a personal note from the maker, which reads, in part, "This gift was crafted with prayers for your healing in body, mind, and spirit. As you use it, may you feel the warm embrace of the ultimate comforter and healer, our heavenly Father." Each gift is also blessed during a Sunday morning service.

The Prayer Shawl Group, was founded and shepherded by Kathy Ramsaur, After a serious illness, Kathy herself received a handmade shawl from a church group. Its warmth and comfort, along with the inspiring note that accompanied it, helped strengthen her during a troubling time. She decided such a gift merited sharing with others going through fearful experiences. Started in 2007, the group had already grown to 25 before Kathy's death in 2009. The Prayer Shawl Group has made, blessed, and given over 300 gifts since they began. The group continues to grow, inspired by Kathy's memory.