A Disciples Of Christ community in Enid, Oklahoma

Our Ministries--Pastoral Care

To be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps "to the ends of the earth."
  - Acts 1:8

We are a community of faith responding to the good news of Jesus Christ by caring for each other and reaching out in compassion to the needs of all people.  The ministry of believers, both ministers and lay persons, lead in worship, service, and spiritual growth.

Pastoral care

In the New Testament, the image of the shepherd is the root from which pastoral ministry springs. “Pastor” literally means “shepherd.”

    Pastoral care is a main component of the ministry of those called to serve the church as pastors. The pastors are available for confidential conversation. Contact a pastor to make an appointment. Every effort will be made to accommodate emergencies and crises immediately. The pastors coordinate their schedules so that one of them is almost always working from the church office Monday through Friday. If they happen to be out at the moment, the office assistant can contact them by phone or make an appointment for regular office hours. A pastor may be called directly for evening or weekend emergencies. One of the great values of having more than one pastor is the increased opportunity to feel a close, trusting relationship with one of them. They have no jealous or competitive feeling about caring for the people of the congregation. They respect the confidentiality of what is shared with them.

    Church members exercise caring and nurture informally through conversations, visits, phone calls, and even notes or email messages. Many take on the formal responsibility to care for an identified group in the church.  The common thread is that all are charged with pastoral care.  Members, through  special friendships or relationships from having worked together on a project, often can know of joys to celebrate or crises that call for compassionate support.  Each person can detect needs in the lives of people in the congregation and respond and communicate that information to the pastors or Elders when that is appropriate.

  Hospital Callers    Volunteers meet once a month to review the schedule for making regular hospital calls on members and friends of Central Christian Church.

Care Givers   In October 1988, this ministry was formed to minister to the well being of homebound members and friends of Central.  Members of this group visit those who are homebound or residing in nursing homes to let them know that they are not forgotten.  Birthday, 'thinking of you', and 'cheer & hello' cards are sent.  This group meets the first Tuesday of each month for a dinner meeting at 5:00 P.M. at Western Sizzlin'.

Shut-in Ministries    Once a month, Elders and deacons go provide communion for those unable to attend regular services.  Worship services are held for residents at Burgundy the second Sunday of each month at 2:30, at the Commons the second Tuesday at 10:00 A.M., and at Greenbrier the second Tuesday at 3:15 P.M.