If you are interested
in volunteering in any of these areas, please contact Cindy Booker
at 214-220-2727, ext. 212 or cbooker@fumcdallas.org.
Caring for our members
is a way of life at First Church. Caring takes many forms and is
the outward expression of that love that Jesus taught us – agape
love. Care and Concern ministries offer many opportunities for
volunteers to show their love to others. Please take a moment to
review the following volunteer opportunities and prayerfully consider
how you might use your gifts to show you care.
HOMEBOUND COMMUNION
Homebound Communion is served to homebound members on Communion
Sundays. Volunteers are provided with bags containing bread
and juice that has been blessed, as well as an abbreviated
reading of the liturgy for Holy Communion. Each volunteer then
visits one homebound member who has requested communion. Most
visits are conducted on the first Sunday of the month after
the 11:00 worship service. Volunteers for Homebound Communion
must undergo a background check and must be a member of a church
for at least 6 months.
Chair of Homebound Communion: Joann Meek
HOMEBOUND VISITATION
The homebound of First Church Dallas consists of sixty members
who, due to age or infirmity, are unable to attend worship
in person. With the support of dedicated volunteers, these
homebound members receive a monthly visit, written notes, telephone
calls, and if desired, videos of the church service. Most volunteers
visit their homebound friends once a month, and must undergo
a criminal background check and be a member of a church for
6 months or longer.
Chair of Homebound Visitation: Emmet Schayot
LOVE IN ACTION
The Love in Action committee provides birthday and Easter cards
to our homebound members as well as providing a special gift
at Christmas. Gifts are usually handcrafted with loving care
by church members. The committee also provides heirloom baptismal
bonnets to the family each time we celebrate the Sacrament of
Christian Baptism for an infant. These bonnets are created using
handkerchief linen, imported French lace, and constructed using
heirloom sewing techniques. By clipping a few stitches, the bonnet
can become a handkerchief which can be used later as the “something
old” at his or her wedding.
Love In Action Coordinator: JoAnn Meek
NOTE WRITERS
Note writers at First Church write a variety of notes of congratulations,
bereavement, encouragement, and remembrances. Each week note
writers receive a list of names and assignments conveyed by
telephone or email. Notes of sympathy are sent to members who
have lost loved ones. Notes of encouragement are mailed to
members who have been discharged from the hospital. Congratulations
are sent to parents of newly born babies and to parents who
have an addition to the family through adoption. Notes are
also written to the parents when their children are baptized
at the church services, and all couples who are married in
the church, whether or not they are members. Even notes of
congratulations are sent to high school and college students
following their graduation.
Notewriters Chair: Elizabeth Cummings
PRAYER ROOM
Our Prayer Room volunteers spend two hours once a month in the
Meditation Room at the church, praying, making telephone calls
and writing notes to those who are ill or have experienced
particular joys or sorrows. An information sheet is provided
each day with the names and addresses of those to be contacted.
Prayer Room Chair: Mary Ingram
PRAYER BREAKFAST
Members of the prayer breakfast group get together every Tuesday
morning at 6:00 a.m. for a light breakfast at the church and
pray for those in the hospital and on the prayer list. The
early morning meeting is formed in the tradition of John Wesley,
and anyone is welcome to join the group on the Patio in devotional
and prayer. All coming to the event are invited to bring your
own breakfast.
WORSHIP FOLLOW-UP CALLS
Volunteers in this ministry contact persons who have missed three
consecutive Sundays in worship attendance. The volunteer can
either make a phone call or send a note letting the member know
that they have been missed. The lists are provided by the church’s
membership office and any follow-up information is returned to
the office. Volunteers normally make approximately 10 calls once
per month. The ministry is very important in the life of the
church so that our members realize that we do notice when they
are not in worship. It is also an excellent way for the church
to be notified when a member is experiencing a time in their
life when they need extra care.
Worship Follow Up calls Chair: Margaret Gregory
ALTAR FLOWERS COMMITTEE
One of the ongoing Congregational Care activities is the sharing
of our beautiful altar flowers with members who were unable
to attend our Sunday services in person. Every Sunday after
the services, a dedicated volunteer gathers the flowers from
the altar and narthex and personally delivers them. Therefore,
our members who are homebound or in a nursing home are able
to experience the beauty of these donated flowers during the
week. We have a number of volunteers who are blessed by this
activity.
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