Life is not easy – it’s often difficult and sometimes even unbearable. Some churches gather a large following by teaching that if you become a Christian, your life will get easier – a very attractive thought.
But you will not find that message in the Bible. In fact, when we read accounts of Jesus’ life, we see Him warning His disciples to expect hardship precisely because they followed Him. We also have His advice to them on facing their difficulties by placing their trust in God’s strength.
The Pastoral Team offers support to people from the church facing difficult times. When life is hard, we cannot take away each other’s burdens but sometimes we can help to carry them.
A friendly chat can make a big difference to someone recently bereaved who is struggling with grief and loneliness. A short visit could mean a lot to someone isolated at home due to poor health and daunted by the prospect of a long recovery. Just being there to listen to someone talk about the pain of going through a divorce might offer a real source of comfort and peace.
When a pastoral need is brought to our attention, we do our best to meet it from the resources we have within the church. Visiting makes up a large part of what the Pastoral Team do. They also aim to pray with and for the person in need. Most crucially, as a church we want to encourage people to put their trust in Jesus and rely on His strength and power to sustain them through the hardest times.
To bring a pastoral need to the attention of the Pastoral Team, please get in touch with Karen Walker.