Nov20
Prayer Shawl Group
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Hospital, Residential Facility, and In-Home Visitation | Communion Delivery | Prayer and Support | Prayer Shawls | Caring Calls | Caring Messages Ministry | Caring Meals | Caring Support Groups
Stephen Ministry
The Care and Concern Ministry envisions a church where all feel the love of Jesus Christ and are served with love.
The Care and Concern Ministry Team is a network of lay volunteers from around our congregation that works in collaboration with our pastoral and professional staff to meet the needs of individuals and families in our faith community.
At times of illness, hospitalization, death, employment changes, and other challenges, as well as times of celebration such as new births, the Care and Concern Ministry Team can find ways to support McAllen FUMC members and friends.
Through this web of care-giving ministry, we arrange for visits to people who are isolated or recovering from illness; communion services in the home or other residential settings; prayer; prayer shawls; and keeping in touch with communications through cards, phone calls, and more.
We also offer support groups for those individuals or families dealing with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, or those with family members with special needs.
Anyone interested in receiving or volunteering for these services should contact the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784.
Our Mission:
The Care and Concern Ministry mission is to walk compassionately with others through the changing circumstances of life, fulfilling Christ's commandment to love one another as He loved us.
"Dear children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." - 1 John 3:18
Hospital, Residential Facility, and In-Home Visitation
Trained congregational care visitors are ready and willing to visit members during hospitalization, at residential care facilities, or in homes in times of illness, rehabilitation, and/or recovery. Please let us know by filling out a Request for Care and Concern Ministry form or by contacting the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784.
Communion Delivery
Trained congregational volunteers are available to bring communion to members who are unable to participate in in-church communion services. Please let us know of anyone in need by filling out a Request for Care and Concern Ministry form or by contacting the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784.
Prayer and Support
McAllen FUMC has a group of prayer warriors who are available 24/7 to pray for you, your family, friends, and other prayer requests. The Prayer and Support Team can receive your prayer requests via our website, via email ( ), by contacting the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784, or by completing a prayer request form available at the Hospitality Desk in the Narthex.
Prayer Shawls
Selfless volunteers gather once a month and individually in their homes to create beautiful prayer shawls and baby blankets to be delivered to hospitals, residential care facilities, homes, and to anyone in need of being wrapped in prayer. Please let us know of anyone by filling out a Request for Care and Concern Ministry form or by by contacting the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784.
Caring Calls
Congregational volunteers make phone calls to members at least twice per year and on special occasions to keep extending the love of Jesus Christ and the church. Calls are also made when we are aware that there has been a change in members' life circumstances to determine in what ways, if any, the church can be of assistance. If you are aware of anyone in need of a call, please contact the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784.
Caring Messages Ministry
The Caring Messages ministry is both an in-reach and out-reach ministry to extend the care, concern, and love of Jesus to those in need of a card or note. Anyone known to be in need of get well wishes, sympathy, or encouragement or who are celebrating new births, milestone birthdays or anniversaries, or who are new members are sent cards by congregational volunteers. If you are aware of anyone in need of a card or a special note, please contact the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784 to let us know.
Caring Meals
Each month, our Caring Meals team prepares a meal for families in need of a home-cooked meal. Meals are prepared by congregation members and delivered to church members' homes. If you or someone you know is in need of a meal, please contact the Care & Concern team at or the McAllen FUMC office at 956-686-3784.
Caring Support Groups
FUMC has active support groups to meet additional needs for individuals and families with specific life circumstances.
Alzheimer's Support Group
The Alzheimer's Support Group meets monthly on the third Tuesday of each month from 2:00 to 3:00pm in the Koinonia Room in the South Building. For more information, contact the church office at (956) 686-3784.
Special Needs Support Group
The Special Needs Support Group meets monthly on the third Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30pm in the Keystone Room in the South Building. Childcare is provided. For more information, contact the church office at (956) 686-3784.
Stephen Ministry
Our church is now one of more than 12,000 worldwide congregations with Stephen Ministry programs. Stephen Ministry is a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of trained congregational members, called Stephen Ministers, to provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in our congregation and our community who are experiencing life difficulties.
Two members of our FUMC congregation have participated in more than 20 hours of training to establish and lead our church's Stephen Ministry program. This past winter and spring, our Stephen Leaders, Wayne Johnson and Deb Howard, trained four of our members to be certified as Stephen Ministers. These individuals have received more than fifty hours of training in how to provide confidential, Christian-based, one-to-one care for church members and members of the community who are experiencing challenging life circumstances. Such circumstances might include the loss of a loved one, a major medical crisis, chronic illness or disability, divorce, relocation, major life transition (retirement, relocation, empty-nester, etc.) or family caregiver stress. If you are interested in learning more about Stephen Ministry Services, or would like to consider being trained as a Stephen Minister, please contact Deb Howard (210-394-6480) or Wayne Johnson (956-607-5566).