Hesed Ministry
The Hebrew word ‘Hesed’ is used in the Old Testament of the Bible to describe God’s loving kindness and mercy that he extends to all people.
In 1997 a special caring ministry with the name Hesed was initiated at St. Matthews as we saw a need to extend love and kindness to people suffering long term chronic illness or physical difficulties. Many find that it is easy to connect with those who experience similar difficulties, with friendships easily formed and meetings proving to be happy times.
Our meetings are very informal and are held in some of our members’ homes, where we share a lunchtime sandwich and chat over tea or coffee. Everyone is free to tell their story, share present difficulties or misunderstandings and we all seem to agree that even the best of friends or loving family members find it hard to understand our sufferings – but at Hesed there is always someone who has been there before us. We are encouraged by a passage being read to us from the Bible and we feel loved by praying for one another. There is no pressure put upon anyone to share or pray and anything that is discussed is done so in strict confidence.
Anyone whose life is hurting is most welcome to join us and we promise you will go away uplifted. We meet fortnightly and we vary the days of the week so we are sure to find a day that is suitable for you.
