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Spreading on Wings of Fire: ChristCare Group Ministry
at St. Patrick's Parish,
Anchorage, Alaska
How can a solo pastor provide meaningful ministry to a congregation of 850 families? Rev. Scott Medlock of St. Patrick's Parish in Anchorage, Alaska, has a strong vision for how to meet that challenge.
"One of the deepest convictions I have as a pastor is to identify and empower the gifts God has given to laypeople," Father Medlock said. "I saw the ChristCare Series ministry system as a tool that would help us do that."
Having trained as a Stephen Leader some 20 years ago, Father Medlock was already familiar with Stephen Ministries. In 2002, that connection led him to explore the ChristCare Series for his new parish in Anchorage--and he found ChristCare to be an excellent fit.
St. Patrick's enrolled, and in 2004 Father Medlock, Jon Hermon, Robert Nelson, and Beverly Wooley attended the Equipper's Training Course in St. Louis.
On Fire for ChristCare
Equippers Team Leader Beverly Wooley saw the potential for ChristCare at St. Patrick's. "I immediately recognized that the ChristCare Series is a toolbox, an infrastructure--just what we needed to get and keep our members involved," she said. "I knew that SEA Groups were just what we needed to help group leaders lead more effectively. The organization, thought, and thoroughness of the materials are obvious. I do a lot of training with my job, and this is an excellent system.
"After the ETC, we came back on fire for ChristCare. Six months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. But I was determined that Satan wasn't going to win because this ministry is too important for our parish. We trained and commissioned 32 ChristCare Group Leaders the first year. And we just commissioned six more."
With ten Equippers now serving, St. Patrick's is using ChristCare to define what healthy small groups need to be. Father Medlock, the Pastoral Council, and other parish leaders see ChristCare as an integral part of parish life. "The more individuals we train as ChristCare Group Leaders and the more members who participate in ChristCare Groups, the more our parish will become what God wants us to be," Father Medlock said.
"As ChristCare Group Ministry develops here, we need to be careful to keep our focus on quality, not numbers. Our Equippers believe in this approach and are committed to making sure we have quality groups. We're rejoicing in the success of the groups we have--how they're meeting individual needs and providing ways for members to use their spiritual gifts. We're also looking forward to the future when, God willing, we will have more groups to which parishioners can belong."
Empowering Lay Leaders
With his goal of empowering laypeople for leadership, Father Medlock asked God to help him identify Equippers who could lead ChristCare fairly independently. During the first year, he supported the lay Equippers by attending all ChristCare Group Leader training sessions but leaving the training to them. Now they do most of the training on their own.
Empowering lay leadership goes beyond the Equippers Team. "Not everyone trained as a ChristCare Group Leader leads a group," Father Medlock said. "But everyone who is trained through ChristCare has a wonderful set of tools that enables them to more effectively lead the particular ministry in which they are involved." For example, the chairman of the Pastoral Council, which provides lay leadership for the parish, is a ChristCare Group Leader. The Council uses the ChristCare model to provide structure for their meetings and activities, and already they are seeing the benefits.
Encouraging Members to Use Their Gifts
The parish's strong, vibrant Consolation Ministry began through the vision of one of the parishioners. "A woman came to me and said she felt God calling her to be involved in grief ministry," Father Medlock said. "I could tell she didn't have the self-confidence or skills to do this on her own. At that time we didn't have a system in place to support this ministry. I felt frustrated because I didn't know how to empower her to lead this ministry.
"As soon as we had ChristCare in place, I invited her to become a ChristCare Group Leader. She didn't see how this would help, but she stepped out in faith and went through the training. Now she is confidently leading a ChristCare Bereavement Group, with support from our Equippers and the other ChristCare Group Leaders."
Making the Congregation a Community
ChristCare Groups are filling many needs in the parish. The Moms with Young Children Group, for instance, is thriving, and a newly commissioned ChristCare Group Leader believes that God is calling him to start a men's group. The parish is becoming a warmer, more connected community.
"Being part of a ChristCare Group is an exciting experience for me," Beverly said. "I enjoy having those one-to-one personal connections with other people of faith. I love seeing others get excited about their faith and God's grace and their journeys with the Lord.
"I've met members who had shaken hands with each other every Sunday during the sign of peace, but they didn't learn each other's names until they joined a ChristCare Group. People are looking for community. They are reaching out to those who have discovered God and are on fire for serving him. Because of ChristCare, we want to serve, and we realize that there's a loss if we aren't serving."
Equipper Jon Hermon agrees: "I'm excited about the way that ChristCare Groups can provide a more intimate setting in our large parish. Due to its size, I can go for months without seeing many of our members. However, we expect that our developing ChristCare Group program will provide more opportunities for sharing time with others and building supportive relationships. New members will also have a nurturing place to find community and to plug into parish life. Seeing Christ alive in others in a small group setting is truly contagious!"
"People are looking for community," Father Medlock said. "They need to turn to God's Word for nourishment and guidance. They need a stronger prayer life, deeper study of the Scriptures, and meaningful caring for one another. Our ChristCare Groups are providing that. ChristCare Groups are valuable for helping individuals grow in fellowship and grow in Christ."
Welcoming New Members to the Church
St. Patrick's is also using ChristCare as part of their Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program. During this time, people who are considering joining the church learn about the Christian faith and the church's teachings. From September through May or June, they participate in an RCIA study group, based on the ChristCare Group model.
What happens if people feel drawn to the Lord at other times of the year, when no new class is starting?
Father Medlock has started a Seekers Group, also based on the ChristCare model, to help these individuals prepare for RCIA. In this group they learn about Christ and how to relate to him before they make a commitment.
Father Medlock also has a vision for extending the community new members experience in the RCIA group. "We're planning post-RCIA ChristCare Groups because new members need a place to grow in their faith and find a strong sense of community," Father Medlock said. "Spiritual gifts discovery will be part of this assimilation, too. We want them to become more than members; we want them to be servants of Christ both inside and outside the church."
Growing ChristCare in the Congregation
--and Beyond
ChristCare continues to grow and flourish at St. Patrick's parish. But the church isn't keeping the blessings of ChristCare just for itself.
"We've introduced the ChristCare Series to two other parishes in our area," Jon said. "It's exciting to work together. The ChristCare Series is helping us create a wonderful culture both in our parish and in neighboring parishes as well."
