Pastoral Care

Mission Statement
The mission of the Pastoral Care Committee is to facilitate a deepening awareness of others and to develop a system that promotes communication and caring among the family of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church.

Pastoral Care: Request to be added to Prayer Lists
We believe in the power of prayer and are grateful to have the St. Bart’s congregation pray for those in need.   At any time, a church member may request that their name, a family member, or a friend’s name be added to either the General Prayer List or the Prayer List for Those Who have Died.   Click here for more information on how to be added to our prayer lists. 

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Pastoral Care: Healing Prayers
The Pastoral Care Committee is available to offer healing prayers upon request via a phone call or video call. If you would like to arrange such a call, please send an e-mail to pastoralcare@stbartsyarmouth.org.  You will be contacted by a Committee member to schedule a convenient time.  

Pastoral Care Booklet: Words of Comfort
The Pastoral Care Committee has compiled a collection of prayers and psalms into a booklet titled, “Words of Comfort, for Times of Worry, Distress and Grief.”  The idea for the compilation arose as a means to support the community during the pandemic.  As the name implies, it is intended to be a resource for comfort beyond just our current situation.  Click here to view.

For ease of printing portions of the booklet, we have created a Table of Contents with page numbers and we have made the Psalms/Canticles a separate pdf.

Pastoral Care E-mail Address
The Pastoral Care Committee has its own email address; pastoralcare@stbartsyarmouth.org. This provides the committee a centralized e-mail for parishioner questions, thoughts, concerns, and requests for prayers.  

St Bart’s Prayer Shawl Ministry
St. Bart’s Prayer Shawl Ministry was begun in 2004 by Carole (Closser) Sweet and other St Bart’s women. They were inspired by the book: Knitting into the Mystery, A Guide to the Shawl Knitting Ministry. Since 2016, the informal group of knitters has knitted over 200 prayer shawls and blankets, which have been given to parishioners and friends.

The Afternoon Handwork Group, which is led by Liza Chandler, is currently meeting  by Zoom on Mondays from 3-4:30pm. The Zoom link is posted in the weekly St. Bart’s email bulletin. If you are interested in learning to make a Prayer Shawl or Blanket, please join a Zoom meeting or email the Pastoral Care Committee, pastoralcare@stbartsyarmouth.org.

To Receive a Prayer Shawl/Blanket:
If you or someone you know would like to receive a prayer shawl, please contact the pastoral care group, pastoralcare@stbartsyarmouth.org or call the church office and leave a message, 207-846-9244.

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Prayer of Blessing
May God’s grace be upon this shawl..
warming, comforting enfolding and embracing.
May this mantle be a safe haven…
a sacred place of security and well being…
sustaining and embracing
in good times as well as difficult ones.

May the one who receives this shawl
be cradled in hope, kept in joy,
graced with peace,
and wrapped with love.
Amen.

Prayer Shawls knitted by St. Bart's parishioners