We are people called to tell the truth--the truth about what we believe and how that belief shapes our living.  What we believe about God and the ways God has gifted us leads us to some pretty interesting places.  Each month in this space, brothers and sisters share in that truth telling.  As you read our stories, you are invited to share your own.  What are those areas of your life where you express your faith?  Why do you volunteer at the clothing bank? Or work with elementary school kids?  Or play the piano?  Or write poetry?  How does the Truth you know shine through these experiences?  – Rev. Sharon Core

APC and many churches declare that their ministers are all the members and friends. The idea is that, while Sharon Core is our Pastor, we are all “ministers.” We all are to care for each other. Many, many APC members already do this every week: you visit a friend in a nursing home or hospital, you take a friend to the doctor, you sit with someone who has lost a loved one.

However, too often if everyone is responsible for caring, then no one is. Some people fall through the cracks and don’t get care. So your session members agreed to each be responsible for being in touch with and care for a portion of the congregation.

You may be asking “but why? Isn’t pastoral care Sharon’s job? Of course it is an important dimension of her job: she leads the pastoral care in the congregation. Please continue to tell her about your concerns and/or needs. However, it is impossible for her to keep track of the sum of the issues and concerns of all the members. Further, she has other major responsibilities--like preparing a sermon each week! It is critical that we share the care.

Caring for each other is part and parcel of being Christian. It is based in Jesus’ love. “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) I John reminds us that “we love because he first loved us.” (4:19) 

Pastoral Counselor Kenneth Haugk declares that “The distinctiveness of Christian care, then, lies not only in what we do, but in why we do it. As the message of God’s love grips Christians, we are filled by the Holy Spirit, who moves clay-footed Christians to use our God-given gifts for others. He makes cared-for Christians into caring Christians.” (Christian Caregiving – A Way of Life – p 35)

We, your Session members, will be reaching out in care to you. We urge you to draw love, wisdom and guidance from Christ and also share the care. Then we will be the caring family that Jesus yearns for us to be.

One major aspect of the pastoral care ministry is our ministry of presence.  Lay pastoral care giving is a ministry of presence, compassion, caring and healing. It is to be with those who are experiencing grief, a dangerous illness, a lost job, aging and retirement or devastating family news. Those who have felt a calling to this ministry provide essential companionship and in-depth listening to persons who are hurting--sitting with them in their efforts to cope with pain, fear, suffering, anger, stress, confusion, grieving or dying. To do this honors that person’s needs, giving supreme value to “being with” another, truly listening to their feelings and conveying God’s love without necessarily speaking aloud--to care for others as God cares for us.

Recognizing the importance of the care we give to one another, and working from an idea originally conceived by Barbara Katz, the APC pastoral care ministry formed a team of lay care givers in the fall of 2004 – commissioned to provide a “ministry of presence” to members and friends of our congregation during those times when life seems to be its hardest – in times of illness and hospitalization, times of grief and death, times of life changes and transitions. Several of us have heard and responded to the call of Christ in a specific way by becoming a part of this newly formed ministry of presence team.

They have welcomed the responsibility of this exciting opportunity for service at APC, and covenant to the congregation to continue to work with our minister and faith community in proclaiming an intentional care for others through dedicated  Christian “presence, listening and caring.”

It is the goal of the pastoral care ministry this year to organize and complete a follow on  lay training session for new team members by this fall. In addition, we hope to continue monthly training sessions with existing team members as a time to re-emphasize their covenant to one another to provide mutual support, share fellowship and advice, as well as invest time and effort toward spiritual growth and enrichment. We are, indeed, fortunate that Barbara Katz came forth with her vision and a detailed plan for the organization, and implementation of this program. With God’s help and the support and encouragement of our congregation, we look forward to continuing this vital ministry of presence to supplement the work of our pastor during difficult times in the lives of APC members and friends.

In2006, Judy Robb issued a call to members and friends who enjoyed knitting to gather together to make prayer shawls for those in spiritual need. Today about 10-15 APC knitters are involved in making shawls. Judy Robb and Lorraine Gardner have begun a Prayer Shawl Ministry. As we meet together, each working to knit a shawl for a particular person, the prayers of the group are lifted up for that person. When a shawl is finished, it is passed around the circle so that each member can touch the shawl. When the shawls are given to the recipients the prayers of his or her church family envelope them as they wrap themselves in the shawl. 

Because of everyone's hectic lives we thought that once per month would be do-able. However, we have had several people request to meet in the daytime and others of course could come only if we met in the evening. So, if we have enough interest we would propose two meetings per month, one in the daytime and one at night. Anyone who could fit both in would be welcome at both!

If you cannot knit but are interested in this ministry we want you to participate! If we have interested folks who are beginning knitters we will organize a time to get you all together for knitting lessons, so you can practice a bit before beginning a shawl. Knitting really is not difficult--you can do it! I teach knitting to young children--they can do it, and so can you! [this pep talk is aimed at those of you who have told me you can't learn to knit--you know who you are...]

Last month knitters gathered and knitted together in Geneva Lounge. They shared cares, concerns, and prayers for friends, APCers, and family members. At this meeting, they brought or finished four shawls and said a blessing over each before presenting them to their new owners. If you like to knit or crochet, let us know and we’ll include you in future yarn overs!

If you are interested, contact the Church Office and let us know which meeting time you would prefer (evening or daytime), and if a particular day is absolutely out of the question.

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Christian Education Ministry

APC’s Christian Education Ministry Team provides leadership and support for our congregation’s Christian Education program and activities. We are thankful for all who already contribute to this vital ministry, and we welcome new partners who feel called to share their time and talent through Christian Education. The Christian Education team includes a core group of people who, together, discern the focus and direction of this important ministry, and meet every one to two months to make decisions on programs, activities, and stewardship of our resources that reflect APC’s vision to “nurture spiritual growth.”

Church School

APC’s Sunday morning church school program at 9:45 am and includes nursery care for the youngest members of our church family, and classes for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children, elementary school age children, and young people in middle and high school. We also have two adult classes, Crossroads and Searchers, which offer two different approaches to adult Christian Education.

We have many dedicated teachers for these classes, but we always welcome more. Our young people benefit from the opportunity to connect with a variety of adult teachers who are willing to share in their faith journeys, and the teachers benefit from a commitment that balances teaching time with time for activities to recharge their own spiritual batteries. We always welcome new participants to our classes for young people and adults! (Find out more about this ministry on our Learning Together and Church School pages.)

• suggest books or periodicals for us to purchase for the library

• help shelve newly acquired books

• wheel the book cart to the Walter Handy Chapel before worship for coffee hour or wheel it back

• help select seasonal books to stock the book cart

• write book reviews on books you would recommend we buy or that we already have on our shelves for the Bridge newsletter

• help document the archives of the church which are kept in the library

• conduct oral history interviews with our older members.

Special Events

Interested in Christian Education, but not able to make an ongoing commitment at this time? The Christian Education Ministry Team also sponsors special opportunities for learning, mission, and fellowship throughout the year. These activities provide wonderful experiences for APC members and friends. They also require people who are committed to planning and helping to carry them out. Here are some possible activities for 2006 which will need leaders and helpers:

• Youth Sunday Coffee Hour

• Teacher appreciation celebration

• TACTS meal (food and delivery) in July

• Youth Recreation Night with lock-in for middle/high school group

• “Extreme Makeovers” for youth room and nursery

• Drama presentation by our young people

• Vacation Bible School

• Genesis Sunday celebration of new church school year in September

• Advent celebration

If you feel called to participate in any of these areas APC’s ministry of Christian Education, we'd love to have you involved.

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For more than 30 years APC has provided a vital ministry to those in need through the Ronda A. Gilliam Clothing Bank.  We provide clothing, free of charge, to recent immigrants, political refugees, the working poor, the homeless, and shelter or halfway house residents.  Our customers truly appreciate the clothing they receive.  This is one volunteer job where you'll see the results immediately in a smile, a big "Thank you!" or a hug.   This is a great way to earn community service credits if you need them for school.  It's also a wonderful way for us to get to know those who live in the community and it's a great way to get to know other APC members.  You need no skills, just an interest in helping others.  You can work once a month or every other month for either 3 hours on a Saturday morning or 2 hours on a Wednesday afternoon.  Contact the Church Office or Diana W. for more information or to volunteer.

Donate Clothes or Procure Needed Items 

Occasionally the clothing bank runs low on certain types of clothing like little boys clothes or new under garments.  When we do we need someone who has a knack for finding inexpensive clothing.  We haven't got a big budget and otherwise rely on clothing donations.  In the past, we have forged relationships with departments stores, thrift shops & consignment stores.  If you have the gift for finding inexpensive clothing or for finding the soft heart of a store manager, this is the volunteer job for you.  Contact Diana W. or the Church Office or for more information or to volunteer.

Meals on Wheels

Many APC members and friends participate in the Arlington Meals on Wheels Program on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month.  We provide a hot noon meal, a cold supper, and some human warmth to the homebound in Arlington.  Volunteers include anyone who has a free couple of hours midday.  Typically volunteers are paired up: a driver and a runner.  The homebound who receive the meals are so thankful, no wonder our volunteers say it's one of the most rewarding things they can do!  Contact the Church Office or Tom H. for more information or to volunteer.

Prepare or Purchase Food for Doorways for Women and Families 

(formerly TACTS)

On the second Sunday of every month, APC donates food to The Arlington County Temporary Shelter (TACTS).  Each of us either makes a platter of food (to serve at least 8) or buy some food staple they might need, such as fresh fruits or vegetables, milk, or juice.  This takes hardly any time if you pick something up when you do groceries or make something along with a meal you cook for yourself.  Contact the Church Office or Cathy M. for more information or to volunteer.

Donate Food for our Thanksgiving or Christmas Food Drive

During November, you can organize, donate or deliver non-perishable food items to local food distribution centers.  The logistics are few: a big, big empty cardboard box--along with some in-house advertising--that, hopefully, we fill and refill as many times as God allows.  It's a great way to share our bounty with others.  Contact the Church Office or Craig W. for more information or to volunteer.

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Sing in the APC Chancel Choir.  We rehearse Sunday Morning at 9:00 and sing at worship at 10:00 (from  September through June).  For more information contact the Music Director, anyone in the choir, or the Church Office.

Communion is served on the first Sunday of each month.  You can volunteer to prepare it just once or repeatedly.  It takes about 30 minutes before church.  The church is happy to reimburse you for the bread and grape juice you provide.  No prerequisite experience necessary.  Contact the Church Office, Sharon Core, or Diana Lewis-Chun for more information or to volunteer.