Ottawa’s pastoral care training program strengthens the Body to respond to needs
Janet Mabie
Special to Spur Ottawa
Throughout the pandemic, pastoral care needs increased in many congregations. At the same time, pastors juggled the adaptation to Zoom, constantly-changing rules, and a new dynamic with their congregants. That’s where the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program (OPCTP) comes in. The interdenominational program trains lay people in the basics of pastoral care, so the weight of that work can be spread across the body of believers.
“It is inspiring to see the level of commitment to pastoral care continuing through a world wide pandemic, during times when it felt like our society shut down,” says Terri Skuce, OPCTP’s administrator.
The group hosted their basic course in late September, running two-hour classes for nine weeks. The course teaches participants how to provide care for hospital visits, with the dying, for those experiencing loss, and caring for the caregivers. The team also offered an advanced course in the fall, for those who had completed the basic course.
“Though some restrictions have lifted, there are still many who feel vulnerable and at risk.”
“The program has been operating for over 40 years and trained thousands of lay people in how to make visits to shut-ins, to people in hospital, and others in their homes,” states Robert MacKenzie, chair of OPCTP. “The basic model we support is that a church has a pastoral care team with a lay leader or coordinator, with the minister or priest of the church being consulted on any difficult situation.”
During the lockdowns, teams had to refrain from visiting those in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Most of the ministry shifted to connecting over the phone or online.
“In better weather, people started meeting outside, in backyards, on porches, or in garages,” adds Skuce. “Though some restrictions have lifted, there are still many who feel vulnerable and at risk.”
Heather Dixon became involved in pastoral care ministry in 2014.
“My story about pastoral care involvement started earlier, when I was caring for my parents in their nursing home,” she shares. “I was there everyday to meet my parents’ needs, and I found myself helping other residents as well, cleaning their glasses, reading to them, chatting with them. I began to think at that time that when I retired I could help out with these seniors. They seemed to like me and I for sure liked them.”
“The most rewarding part is learning about the real trust my senior congregants had, trusting God to help them with their challenges.”
After retiring, Dixon started taking pastoral care courses in Toronto, driving from Ottawa to spend a weekend every two months. Eventually she connected with the pastoral care team in her home church, in Ottawa.
“The most rewarding part is learning about the real trust my senior congregants had, trusting God to help them with their challenges,” says Dixon. “Every week when I took one dear lady shopping, she would say, ‘The Lord is helping me a lot with everything I need to do.’ That kind of faith bolstered me and I often still say those words to myself.”
Dixon encourages everyone who has a listening ear and a heart to help seniors, to join a pastoral care team.
“Our starting point is one of listening and trying to respond in a way that helps to restore dignity to the individual,” says Christopher Adam, the group’s treasurer. “What’s remarkable about pastoral care is that it’s all but impossible to offer it to someone else, and not experience a form of conversion yourself.”
Similar Articles
Alpha team overwhelmed by season’s success
Fall 2017 welcomed an enormous ecumenical Alpha campaign in Ottawa, where the turnout was so successful that Alpha leaders can only wonder how to build on the momentum. “In my mind we’re […]
Moving for God’s glory
After six years of renting space at West Ottawa Community Church, offering classes 6 days a week, Arise School of Dance has moved to a new location, in Stittsville. Their new studio opened the last week in August. Directors Naomi Gilman and Jennifer Turco say since the move, they have noticed a 20 percent increase […]
Outreach group accidentally plants house church
At first, Dundonald Park was quiet. The late-September skies were overcast and threatening rain as a small group arrived with members of CityChurch Hawthorne and e3 Canada. By the time they left, the park was no longer quiet and they were planting a new church […]
ADAM calls out Ottawa’s young men
With sheets of rain falling all around, 50 young men huddled under a tarp. Rather than complaining, they were focused on hearty steaks and sharing stories of how they had experienced God that day. Despite being uncomfortable for most of their three-day retreat, the […]
2021 sees greater response to City on our Knees
Each year, Pray Ottawa challenges the Church to kicks off the year with a week of prayer and unity that they call “City on our Knees”. While some may expect lockdown restrictions to lower the turnout, organizers are seeing the opposite […]
Stoking the Christmas fire
The Christmas season has officially arrived. With the pressure to create the perfect holiday, the joy and wonder of this sacred celebration can sometimes be lost. Osgoode’s Trinity Bible Church is helping people renew that wonder and get in the Christmas spirit by […]