A Message from Revs. Chris, Erin, and Jonalu
The holidays may bring joy and peace, family and cheer….
And they may not.
For many people, this time of the year includes stress and sadness. The season may remind us of loved ones who have died. Gatherings may bring too much drinking or new or renewed family tensions. Or since the season is supposed to be filled with joy, the normal human challenges — illness or job loss or financial stress or relationship issues — that can come at any time of year feel extra hard.
Your church wants to be there for you. That includes us as your ministers, and it includes First UU Cares, your lay pastoral care providers. During the pandemic, our lay pastoral care volunteers did their best to maintain connection and outreach. However, people couldn’t visit hospitals or provide much of the human connection that means so much during a crisis. That means we lost volunteers and organization. We’re working to rebuild our First UU Cares Team and rolling out services as quickly, caringly, and appropriately as we can.
If you have attended any recent memorial services – and there have been quite a few — you know that church members and friends have come through with plenty to feed to those who are grieving and celebrating a life. That’s organized through First UU Cares, as are cards that are sent out to people in a variety of circumstances where they could use comfort.
We are starting again to provide meals to those who are sick or juggling a new baby. And to make visits to those who are sick or recuperating.
For the team – and the ministers! – to provide the needed pastoral care, we need two things. First, we need volunteers who are willing to make (or buy) meals and deliver them, and people willing to make home or hospital visits. Providing care to those in our church community offers a chance to deepen ties, to reach out with love. If you are interested in being part of the First UU Cares Team, please send an email to caring@austinuu.org. Or express your interest through the volunteer survey.
The second thing we need is to know when someone needs care. Many UU’s are reluctant to ask for help so fail to notify their church when they go into the hospital, experience a loss, or have other concerns. During the pandemic, many of us even forgot that receiving caring from our church was an option. We need to remember that others care, and to do that, everyone needs to name when they have needs. It is a gift to those who have love to give to let us know what you need. And, let us know if it’s OK to share your needs with others in the congregation who may want to help.
And maybe you’re fine, but you know someone else who could use care. You, too, can let us know what’s going on. To let us know of needs – yours or someone else’s – contact one of the ministers or caring@austinuu.org.
Whatever the season, we at your church want to be part of caring for you. It’s part of what a church community does.
