THE NATURE OF HOSPITAL MINISTRY
Hospital Ministry is essentially a crisis ministry. People who are experiencing illness or injury are in crisis. Their lives have been interrupted and changed. They are being confronted with pain and uncertainty about the future. They are in a strange environment and are probably having to be totally dependent on medical professionals for their continued welfare. They have little privacy, and even less control over their schedule. All of this places a person under stress and evokes in them emotional and behavioral responses that may be quite different from their normal style.
Ministry to people in crisis is a specialized ministry in many ways. It is conducted in the atmosphere of heightened emotions and reactions at best, and in the atmosphere of great tragedy and trauma at worst. In either case, the ministry team at CASM enters this ministry situation with a great sensitivity to the needs of the person(s) involved, and responds to those needs with great sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Truly listening to the heart of an individual is one of the greatest gifts one can give to a person. Our Ministry Team listens and helps the hospitalized person put things into perspective. It helps him gain a sense of being understood and cared about. Having truly listened the team is able to respond to the person with a great depth of understanding and empathy.
The Team is especially attentive to the patient's family members and the staff of the hospital, as they are sharing in this crisis with the patient. They will have their own reactions and feelings. In fact, it is not uncommon for family members to react to this crisis more intensely than the patient. By ministering to them, we also minister to the patient.
The Hospital Visitation Team is administered by Pastor Wells and directed by Don Stager. The Deacon Board is responsible for the nuture and care of the Church Members while Don Stager, and a select team, will minister to relatives and friends of the the members. Visitation requests can be made by phone: 602-232-2300 or 480-821-5738.