St Matthews has been described as a caring church, and there is a lot of evidence of caring for one another in small groups and in informal relationships.
In an attempt to cater for people who may not be involved in a Bible study or friendship network, the Lay Pastor Programme was set up several years ago. Lay Pastors commit to look after the person or persons they care for by praying for and with them, maintaining regular contact with them, being available to them, and providing them with spiritual encouragement and example. In turn, each Lay Pastor is assigned an Advisor whose job is to care for a small number of Lay Pastors and provide encouragement and counsel to them in their role.
The people being cared for include older people who cannot attend church, people who have lost a loved one, people new to the church who have yet to establish friendships. Lay Pastors are not accepted in their role until they have been trained, and they are also offered in-service training three times a year.
For more information, please contact the St Matts Office.
