Congregational Care
Immanuel’s Healthcare Navigation Team
The Congregational Care Committee
The Congregational Care Committee shares in the celebrations and concerns of the congregation. It is a vital part of our community of faith – changing lives by responding to the special needs of our Immanuel family.
You can submit a Prayer Request, or email Pastor Aaron Fulp-Eickstaedt.
The Committee’s primary focus is ministering to the individual needs of those in the congregation.
When members are ill, grieving or in some other personal distress, the Committee:
- Makes personal visits
- Sends notes of sympathy, cheer or understanding
- Delivers sunshine baskets
- Provides food to those recovering from illness or injury
- Delivers flowers from the sanctuary
- Provides transportation to appointments and worship
- Sponsors a prayer chain
- Hosts a reception following a funeral or memorial service
To celebrate life’s milestones and other special days, the Committee:
- Provides a rosebud on the communion table to celebrate the birth of a child or grandchild
- Provides special occasion remembrances as an expression of love and understanding
- Supports our confirmands by providing a meal during the confirmand process
The Committee also:
- Provides pamphlets on life issues at the entrance of the Sanctuary
- Sponsors blood drives
- Maintains Immanuel’s End of Life Planning Guide
- Interacts with the Prayer Shawl Ministry, which makes and distributes prayer shawls to those with illness or grief
- Offers training on how to minister to those who are ill or grieving
- Oversees Immanuel’s new Healthcare Navigation Team
Stephen Ministry
Immanuel Presbyterian is a Stephen Ministry church.
Immanuel Presbyterian is a Stephen Ministry church. A Stephen Minister is a member of our congregation who is trained to listen, care, encourage, pray, and walk alongside you during difficult times. It’s confidential, free and very helpful.
We all face challenges in our lives. Some we cope with more easily than others. Are you facing one of life’s difficult challenges? A death in the family, divorce or separation, loss of a job, a difficult pregnancy, chronic illness, terminal illness, hospitalization, loneliness, aging, relocation or some other life crisis? If you think you would benefit from having someone visit you once a week, listen to you, encourage you, and pray for you, then request a Stephen Minister. You can ask for one by telling our spiritual leader or any Stephen Minister or Stephen Leader at Immanuel. Once you have made your request, one of the Stephen Leaders will contact you and give you more information and assign you a Stephen Minister. Everything you say to a Stephen Minister is strictly confidential; no one else will know your “business.” Having a Stephen Minister means you won’t have to bear your burden alone.
For more information or to ask for a Stephen Minister, contact the church office at office@ipcmclean.org.
Healthcare Navigation Team
The Congregational Care Committee shares in the celebrations and concerns of the congregation.
What is Immanuel's Healthcare Navigation Team?
- A number of people in our congregation have been seeking help dealing with our complex healthcare system, especially in matters of:
- finding providers of care
- obtaining & choosing appropriate insurance coverage
- understanding bills, co-payments & deductibles
- processing claims
- dealing with the business side of healthcare in the midst of difficult medical conditions and crises.
We have formed a team of Immanuel members who have the background, skills and desire to help with these needs. They include physicians, nurses, business people and attorneys, among others. We have identified a range of community health resources such as hospitals, medical societies and social assistance programs with which we can connect patients and their families. Printed material from a number of these organizations is available in the church library. Click here for a PDF of the Healthcare Navigation Team's brochure.
Healthcare Navigation Team's Mission Statement
The Immanuel Presbyterian Church Healthcare Navigation Team (IPC-HNT) is based on the following principles and goals, informed by our faith:
- Immanuel Presbyterian Church (IPC) is a spiritual community dedicated to a lifelong exploration of faith.
- A living faith community requires dedication to its members and a commitment to enriching the lives of those around us.
- Maintaining optimal health is a priority for our members in order to enhance the ability to continue their faith journey independent of age.
- The complexities of modern medicine include a wide array of insurance options, resources that are challenging to access, confusing alignments of care deliverers, ever-expanding technology options, end-of-life decisions while maintaining dignity, and advances in mental health support, to name a few.
- IPC-HNT is committed to utilizing the skill sets of volunteer IPC members to support, encourage and advocate for other IPC members facing healthcare challenges to help them achieve a better today, which is the gift we are given each morning.
How to Get Help from Our Team
The Navigation Team works within IPC's Congregational Care Committee, which will connect you with the right team member and oversee how to best meet your needs.
Call or email ntoups@verizon.net or david.main@nelsonmullins.com and share your situation.
You can also speak to any member of Immanuel's clergy (Pastors Aaron, Katie or Susan) and they will help to connect you, as well. Know that everyone involved will respect your privacy and be discreet.