Pastoral Care

Durrington All Saints has a number of people providing Pastoral Care for the community.  To gain an insight into the workings of those providing this service Sylvia Beamish, a Lay Pastoral Assistant, tells us what it is all about. 

A Lay Pastoral Assistant (LPA) is someone who engages in pastoral ministry on behalf of the local church.  This ministry is nominated by the Incumbent (the Vicar) and the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and is commissioned by the diocese at the point of satisfactory completion of training.

In All Saints Church we always work as a team of LPAs with Peter, our incumbent, and Rachel, our Curate.  The ministry side differs according to the individual - the gifts and skills they bring with them - and the needs of the parish.  In all cases there has to be a loving and compassionate heart and a willingness to listen and support those in need.  To be an LPA you have to be a baptised and confirmed member of the Church of England whose gifts and skills have been recognised and welcomed by our church.

LPAs may be involved in:

• Visiting the housebound, elderly and sick - at home or in hospital.
• Supporting the bereaved.
• Visiting baptism families.

In Durrington All Saints, the names of these clients are provided at regular meetings with Peter; at these meetings we decide who is going to visit them when we are aware of their needs.

People have certain expectations of LPAs, which include:

• Being part of the local Christian community.
• Being a person of prayer, able to listen to, and care for, others.
• Having the ability to keep confidences.
• Being committed to work as part of a team of people responding to God's calling.

After the completion of our training we were all commissioned by the diocese.  The commissioning lasts for five years, with review and renewal every five years thereafter.  There is an annual review of the LPA's ministry by the incumbent and there are day courses that we can attend at regular intervals, where we meet the LPAs from all around the diocese and share our experiences.

For myself, I became an LPA because I felt God wanted me to give back some of the support that others in the church have given me.  I feel I have grown through this experience in myself and my Christian life.  I am doing things now that I never dreamt I could, or should, do.  I have gained back my self respect, which in the last few years took a severe battering, and I believe I am the richer for it.

If you would like to know more about becoming an LPA, or would like a visit from an LPA then please contact the Reverend Peter Tamplin at Durrington All Saints Church.