Although the holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, for a lot of us they’re anything but that, and the post-Christmas blues can persist for a long time, exacerbated by the grey wintry weather that doesn’t do anyone’s mental health any favours.
St John’s Church in Hartley Wintney offers a wide range of pastoral care to its local community, and CommunityAd spoke with Pastoral Care Co-Ordinator, Sylvia Evans-Pritchard, to find out more.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? How did you become a Pastoral Care Co-ordinator?
I live in Hook and am married with two children. We have been attending St John’s Church for about nine years. In 2020, the role of Pastoral Care Coordinator came up and with my background in counselling and a desire to help people, it was a good fit for me.
What kind of support does St John’s offer the community of Hartley Wintney?
As a church community we have a wide range of support on offer to Hartley Wintney and the local area. As well as our Sunday services and helping people to mark significant life events, such as births, marriage, and death, we have many regular groups meeting throughout the week, offering everything from support to parents and toddlers to providing a meeting place for older ladies living on their own. Last autumn, we started hosting a monthly Community Lunch, which provides an excellent opportunity for people to meet with others and enjoy a delicious meal.
We also run regular courses throughout the year such as The Alpha Course, which allows people to explore questions of faith; Kintsugi Hope, which is a mental and emotional wellbeing course; and Taste Life, which offers support and help to people suffering from eating disorders and their carers.
We have Pastoral Care Teams who, alongside our clergy and staff, are always willing to offer care through the challenges of life. Our Pastoral Teams can offer a friendly chat, prayer support, hospital visits, bereavement care, and occasional practical help, such as lifts, shopping, gardening, and meals for people who may be going through a difficult time.
We recognise the importance of caring in a way that is safe for everyone. All our Pastoral Care Team members have been DBS checked and keep up to date with safeguarding advice. All pastoral matters will be handled confidentially and with respect.
How should someone get in touch if they need support or want to join one of the church groups?
If someone would like support, or information about any of our regular groups or courses, they can visit our website www.stjohnshw.org.uk. To get in touch please email [email protected] or phone 01252 842215.
Do you need to be a member of the church to join? Who are these groups for?
We offer support to anyone in need and welcome anyone who would like to attend any of our groups. If you are interested in offering support to others as part of one of our Pastoral Care Teams there is no need to be a member of the church, but we do ask that any volunteers are willing to work within our vision and values, which you can read more about in the ‘welcome’ section of our website.