Members of St. John’s Circle of Care are lay pastoral caregivers licensed to serve in the Episcopal Church of Minnesota. They are spiritually formed and commissioned to practice the Benedictine Spirituality and Pastoral Theology set forth by Community of Hope International.
This is the final post of introductions to everyone in the Circle of Care so you can get to know them better: who they are, and what this ministry means to them.
Be sure to watch the videos for lots of fun question-and-answer moments!
Holly Stoerker
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
Sometimes my life seems full of contradictions. For instance, I have no artistic talent whatsoever; yet I love art. I was never a parent, but I love being with kids. In fact, that’s why I was drawn to become a volunteer in the St Paul Public Schools and later a school guide at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. In addition, there’s the irony of the fact that I can’t cook worth a darn; and yet, for over 40 years, I’ve been gathering with friends for a monthly potluck dinner we call “Gourmet Club.”
However, my relationship with the church isn’t nearly so counter-intuitive. I grew up as a minister’s kid. In addition, my grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle were all ministers. So from a very young age, church was like home for me and the congregation like extended family. I guess “church” is just deep in my bones. And perhaps that’s why pastoral care feels like a calling to this pastor’s daughter.
When I first came to St. Johns in 2014, I was drawn to lay pastoral ministry almost immediately. In particular, Camille Scheel, who had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, asked me to be part of her healing circle. I was deeply honored. There were seven of us who met regularly with Camille — reading poetry, talking about our lives, praying, and laying healing hands on Camille. After a few months, we changed the name of the group. As I wrote for a 2015 Evangelist article: “What began as Camille’s Healing Circle is now simply called the Healing Circle….we have discovered that each of us have pain and disappointment, longing and self doubt, joys and frustration, which we carry more easily when we share them with one another… The Healing Circle is an example of a small group that was originally created for one purpose, but has evolved over time. So, what have we learned during this process? We have learned more about one another and with that has come deeper love and trust. We have learned how to hear one another’s wisdom and respond to one another’s needs. We have learned we are not alone.”
The Healing Circle went through a number of transitions before finally disbanding following Camille’s death. But that community of women who prayed together, listened to one another, and supported one another, was the beginning of my journey of pastoral care at St. Johns and a precursor of the lay pastoral caregivers group we call the Circle of Care.
I find pastoral care-giving both a challenge and a deep joy. The challenge is often finding the confidence I need. Am I doing or saying the right thing? Enough? Too much? Sometimes the challenge is accepting the fact that I am not the problem-solver, but rather the listener.
However, the deep joy is in the listening. I’m listening to those who may be in grief or pain, but I’m also listening to the Holy Spirit. And what I’ve heard, both from others and from God’s voice, is that I am not alone. What I have come to understand is that to listen is to love.
Cammie Beattie
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.