Provides support for our families who are dealing with the death of a loved one by providing a meal after the funeral. Volunteers are needed to make (or buy) side dishes and desserts for the meal as well as to help with setup and cleanup in our Parish Center.
Time: Volunteers are called as needed. There is no pressure to sign up every time.
Gifts and talents: Volunteers are needed to make phone calls to parishioners to provide food for the family and their guests as they gather after a funeral. Volunteers are also needed to help with the setup and cleanup for the meal in our Parish Center
Ministry Chair: Ellen Creely
You don’t have to go through it alone. DivorceCare is a support group that meets weekly in a warm, caring environment. It is an “oasis” in an otherwise difficult season that offers practical information via faith-based videos and discussion. The seminars address topics such as, “Deep Hurt”; “Road to Recovery”; and “Financial and Legal Issues”.
For more detailed information, go to www.divorcecare.org or see the DivorceCare brochure on the Church Narthex Kiosk.
Time: May to August
Gifts and talents: We seek individuals or couples who have been through a divorce, have healed, and have the desire to help others find God's healing. Because the instruction and teaching are presented on DVD videos, featuring Christian experts on a variety of divorce topics, teaching ability is not required.
Ministry Chair: Sharon Schuhmann
Offered at Saint Bernadette through Camberwell Grief Sanctuary
Weekly on Tuesdays 10:00am—11:15am
Saint Bernadette Parish Center
Our Grief Support Group meets to discuss the struggles that accompany grief/loss, and offer support in a compassionate and understanding environment. Facilitators are trained and certified counselors, therapists, or grief educators.
Ministry Chair: Sharon Schuhmann
HOMEBOUND COMMUNION MINISTERS deliver Communion to area nursing homes, Norton Brownsboro Hospital, and homebound parishioners.
Ministry Chair: David Zorn
Sign Up to Volunteer or Receive a Meal
Reality: Even when everything goes well, bringing home a new baby is difficult. Between physical exhaustion, emotional stress, and sleep deprivation, new parents can often feel overwhelmed. Finding food can seem impossible—but everybody’s got to eat! That’s where our church family comes in. Together, our volunteers can provide so much more than a meal. When we deliver a meal, we show God’s love to these new families, we remind them that they are not alone, and we assure them that this difficult time will pass.
MISSION & MINISTRY OVERVIEW
Our mission is to deliver meals to new parents in the Saint Bernadette church family during the difficult newborn baby phase. Any parishioner parents are eligible, including birth parents, foster parents, and adopting parents of an infant (under 1-year-old). The ministry applies to all children (first, second, third…etc.) While many parents want to receive meals as soon as they get home from the hospital, some choose instead to receive meals once the family leaves, or they/their spouse return to work, etc. The ministry is flexible, but the setup is simple.
HOW IT WORKS
The ministry uses the convenient website, www.takethemameal.com, to arrange sign-ups. Using the site is very simple (no logins, no passwords), but if you have any trouble, the Ministry Coordinator will help you out!
Receive The Call! The ministry coordinator will send out an e-mail asking for volunteers to each provide a meal to the new parents. The request will include a general sense of the recipient's house location and a link to the signup page.
Get The Details! Clicking the link, volunteers will be able to see all the information they need, including dietary restrictions/preferences, as well as a way to contact the new parents. You will see open slots to sign up and can see who is already bringing what dishes.
Sign Up! Click an open slot and fill out what you are going to make and bring.
Deliver The Meal! Volunteers will then be asked to coordinate details of food delivery with the new parents. The website even sends you reminders! It’s as simple as that!
TIPS AND REMINDERS
You do not have to sign up every time! We have a lot of volunteers to spread the load and the love.
Please deliver your meal in disposable dishes.
Be safe when delivering meals. Use common sense and consider bringing somebody with you. New parents will typically prefer that you come to their home, but if you don't feel safe during delivery, just contact the parents and arrange another location, like a coffee shop or grocery store entrance.
Please be considerate when delivering meals. This means to deliver, quickly wish them well, and go. If Mom and Dad were feeling up to hosting company, they’d be making their own meals! Don’t worry, though! They’ll be forever grateful, and they’ll be bringing that little bundle of joy to church for you to see before you know it!
Some parents may be open to receiving frozen meals that can be reheated; check the signup details.
You don't have to cook the meal! Buying their favorite takeout or grabbing a rotisserie chicken, salad, and bread from the grocery store works well, too!
Want to go above and beyond? Bring some breakfast food, too! (Muffins, bagels, etc.)
Ministry Chair: Nina Gladson
Volunteers are needed in the Parish Center to answer the phone, welcome/direct visitors, and help the staff with simple projects.
Time: You choose the day, time and how often you want to volunteer.
Gifts and talents: Adults are needed for this ministry.
Ministry Chair: Tina LaTulippe
New Member Ministers (NMM) are assigned families or individuals who have expressed an interest in joining the parish. NMMs meet with new inquirers to go over the registration process and address any questions they may have about Saint Bernadette. Once the registration process is complete, NMMs follow up with them for their first 90 days as parishioners. Our goal is to provide a welcoming and nurturing introduction to Saint Bernadette.
Time: As a New Member Minister, you will be assigned 1 to 2 inquirers per month. Typically, we are meeting with new inquirers after one of our weekend Masses for 15 to 20 minutes to go over the registration process. The follow-ups are conducted through emails and phone calls which may take 10 to 15 minutes per week.
Gifts and talents: Whether you have been with Saint Bernadette since the beginning or recently joined, our ministry welcomes your enthusiasm toward our parish to onboard new members. You will be blessed with new relationships formed from the process of meeting new members, and you’ll receive so much more than you give by learning of peoples’ journey to Saint Bernadette. You’ll also be touched by stories of why Saint Bernadette was selected as their parish of choice.
Ministry Chair: Nancy Falls
Sign Up to Volunteer or Receive Assistance
MISSION & MINISTRY OVERVIEW
The mission of Walking with Moms in Need is to provide spiritual and personal support to any woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances. At Saint Bernadette Catholic Church we walk with moms throughout their journey, offering friendship, encouragement, and prayer.
Ministry Chair: Julie Bayens and Lisa Neihoff