As a child, I remember when my father became very sick and spent some weeks in the hospital. Night after night families from the church showed up with casseroles and I came to understand that showing up for one another through hardship is what church people do. I also came to value having people in our lives who weren't scared and hurting like we were, but who could simply sit with us in our fear and pain.
As a minister, I get to sit with people through some of life's biggest moments like receiving a worrisome diagnosis, losing a loved one, graduating high school, entering parenthood, experiencing trauma, struggling with addiction, transitioning to an "empty nest", losing a job, or breathing a final breath. This work was central to my role as a congregational minister and also as a hospital chaplain and hospice chaplain. It is a large part what I love about ministry.
Another aspect of congregational ministry is leading workshops so that together we can build the skills needed to listen deeply and with compassion, to set aside distractions and emotions in service to the person needing care, and to know how to respond when helplessness sets in.
I teach workshops on: