The ministry of caring for each other in our island community is at the heart of our church's life especially as our parishioners increasingly represent the ageing demographic on Salt Spring Island. This ministry includes hospital visitation, counseling, prayer, and ministries of shared presence, listening, and support.

Pastoral care can refer to the ministries of hospital visitation, counselling and psychological therapy, social workers, and other professionals who serve in the name of our church. It also includes parish ministries of both the clergy and laity who respond to the various human needs of our parish and our wider island community.

Our pastoral care team is led by Noreen Davies and Bridget Metzger and includes the following activities:

  • The priest’s pastoral care role ongoing, including dispersal of discretionary funds to those in need,
  • Home Communion teams: taking communion and personal fellowship to parishioners unable to physically attend worship,
  • Phone tree: enabling parishioners to reach out to connect with those in our congregation feeling isolated. No-one should be left behind,
  • Drivers: for those unable to drive to church, we endeavour to find transportation to attend worship and other events - let us know, please,
  • Prayer: a "prayer chain" where prayer requests are shared regularly and confidentially by email.  Prayer requests may be sent by email in confidence to:  prayers@saltspringanglican.ca.  Your request will be shared with a confidential group of parishioners and clergy who pray regularly, 
  • Presenting reserve sacrament eucharist services at the Greenwoods residence and Lady Minto hospital – for those unable to attend in person services,
  • We are exploring the possibility of regular services at the Meadowbrook seniors’ residence, and other senior’s care facilities with critical mass of interested parishioners, and
  • Updating and maintaining the parish telephone directory and online photograph directory.

Our overall objective is that we experience a strong sense of Christian community as a whole; and individually an awakened and strengthened experience of God’s love.

If you would like to engage more directly in our pastoral care programs, or which a visit from a priest, please contact Noreen Davies or Bridget Metzger directly.