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Helping others is overriding motive for participation in lay ministry trainingMarch 23, 2006
Some are cancer survivors. Others are already caregivers for someone embarked on a cancer journey. Still others know someone battling the disease. All of them want to understand cancer better and how it affects a person and a family so they can provide effective help. 
Over 100 people representing 44 churches and organizations in three states took part in lay ministry training through Our Journey of HopeŽ in late February and early March in two separate trainings. One was at Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The other at High Street Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. Participants ranged in age from their 20s to their 70s, and in their ministry backgrounds from pastoral staff member to parish nurse, Stephen?s minister to cancer support group member, medical staff to care ministry. ?This training has been empowering,? said Terry Wiegand, from Grace Chapel in Springfield, MO. ?It teaches life skills, not just for ministering to cancer patients, but for everyone. The materials are excellent and will be a good resource in days to come.? 
?We didn?t want to come, didn?t want to deal with cancer,? Debbie Bridges said of her and her husband Lionel, also from Grace Chapel. ?We thought as long as we buried our heads in the sand, we could ignore cancer. But as we prayed about it, and with the encouragement of our pastor, we thought it would be good to come. Knowing what to say and what a cancer patient needs have been wonderful to learn. Often you don?t know what their reaction may be to something you say, but now I feel more empowered to speak. I?ve had a friend who?s a cancer survivor, but I just haven?t understood all that?s been involved.? Jan Hunt, Stephen?s minister at Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, explained, ?I feel what this training is doing is demystifying the subject of cancer care. Not much has put me off in care ministries, but I?ve never dealt with cancer care. This has given me confidence that I know how to begin and not be swept off my feet by the magnitude of the idea.? 
Anabella Gonzalez, whose mother is currently battling cancer, remarked, ?The Our Journey of Hope training has brought me to a deeper understanding and awareness of the physical, mental and spiritual needs of a cancer patient and their loved ones. It has prepared me to better serve and minister to those battling cancer.? Our Journey of HopeŽ offers eight hours of lay ministry training, free of charge, to any church in the country to equip congregants for more effective ministry to cancer patients and their families, whether they are in the church or in the community. The training covers such topics as: For more information on how to schedule lay ministry training at your church, call 1-888-399-8126. |
