Ministries

Ministries are specific outreach efforts that serve the spiritual needs of the congregation and the community. Click on any of the Ministry areas in the menu (left navigation) or below to learn more.

Stephen Ministry is trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers who provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties. First Lutheran currently has 15 trained Stephen Ministers and 3 Stephen Leaders. If you need a Stephen Minister, contact Pr. Grant. For more information on Stephen Ministry at First Lutheran, or for general information, go to www.stephenministries.org.

Health Ministry was formed a year ago by health professionals who wanted to promote health in body, mind and spirit within the congregation. Led by Parish Nurse Sally Seen, this ministry introduced the “Walk to Bethlehem” event in which 70 individuals and families participated last year by doing aerobic exercises for 10 weeks to accumulate 5,920 miles collectively to “reach” Bethlehem by Christmas. Members of the team offer blood pressure screenings every First Sunday of the month after the 8:00 and 9:30 services. It also sponsors the Flu Vaccine Clinic and offers health education to various groups in the congregation. More.

Care Ministry nurtures those who are sick or recuperating from surgery. Every week or as needed, a team of compassionate women take turns cooking and bringing a hot meal to a person or family needing care. Shirley Kirchhoff is the new coordinator, replacing Hazel Rectanus who headed this ministry for many years.

Hospitality Ministry welcomes visitors who come to our worship services by visiting them in their homes with a plate of goodies and a packet of information about First Lutheran. Currently, we have eight members of the Hospitality Team but we are looking for more people to join the team. Beth Shepherd is the coordinator. Jean Snouffer reinforces this hospitality by sending a welcome letter to visitors who sign the Guest Book.

Prayer Ministry is offered to those who are interested in deepening their relationship with God by exploring different ways to pray. Prayer groups meet every second Thursday at 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Prayer Room. More

Lay Eucharistic Ministry began in 2001 by FLC member Jim McDonald to reach out to those who are not able to come to church for worship. Every first Sunday, our 22 Lay Eucharistic Ministers, assigned in pairs, take communion to our homebound members. Karen and Tony McLaughlin are the coordinators.

Women’s Ministry comes under the umbrella of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (WELCA). There are three women’s circles at First: Dorcas’ Circle, Martha’s Circle and Rebecca’s Circle. For more information, go to Women of the ELCA. More