PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING
The Rev. Canon Joe Warren is Advent’s Director of Pastoral Care and Counseling. For more information on any of our Pastoral Care ministries, contact our Pastoral Care secretary, Mrs. Robin Turner, at 226-3500.
Premarital, Marriage, and Individual Counseling
All counseling is spiritually and biblically based. The gift of marriage is sacred, as well is the gift of life. Hope rests in Christ. Come pray with us and seek help.
All Advent clergy are available for counseling, as is Mr. Gil Kracke, a licensed counselor; appointments with him can be booked at 443-8550.
Baptisms
We perform Public Baptisms, held once or twice during the year, and private family services at the Advent. Call the clergy of your choice to schedule a pre-baptism visit and to make arrangements for your child to be baptized.
Clergy Hospital Ministry
Our clergy make daily pastoral visits to area hospitals. The hospitals will not release names of patients without the Confidentiality forms being completed by the patient, which means we often do not know when some parishioners are in the hospital. Please advise the clergy or Pastoral Care office when you or a family member are admitted.
Lay Chaplains Ministry
Lay Chaplains are trained men and women of the parish who make pastoral visits to hospital patients to augment the Clergy Hospital Ministry.
After Care Ministry
Lay Hospital Chaplains and other AfterCare volunteers track parishioners from hospital to discharge/rehab/home and minister to them during that process. Coordinated by Robin Hinkle, 443-8558.
Parish Visitors Ministry
This is a lay ministry through which trained parishioners make pastoral visits to our people who are homebound or in nursing homes. Coordinated by Robin Hinkle, 443-8558.
Prayer Ministry
Call 226-3500 to make prayer requests. May be used for urgent requests, hospitalization, or a long-term illness. Please obtain permission from the person for whom the prayers are offered. The names are lifted up in prayer daily. (After 30 days, please renew your prayer request.)
Advent House
Prayer and Counseling by Peter and Janice Newton and trained prayer intercessors.
Click this link for more information.
Seniors Ministry
Parishioners age 60 and older who wish to be involved in service, worship activities, teamwork and social outings. Coordinated by Katherine Kilpatrick, 443-8559.
Grief Support
Grief Support offers spiritual support for those dealing with grief resulting from a loss of a loved one, or for those dealing with other life-altering losses. Offered before Christmas and during Lent; led by a professional.
Advanced Funeral Planning
The Pastoral Care Department offers advanced funeral planning to take the emotional pressures off of the family at the time of loss. You may request forms for Medical Directives, Living Wills, and Personal Funeral Preparation Guides. You may also wish to keep this confidential information on file in our church office, for future use by your family or the clergy.
Links to other organizations:
St. Martin’s At Home Companion & Personal Care Solutions
(This service can help people avoid or delay moving to an assisted living or nursing facility while remaining in their home with the help they need. Canon Joe Warren is available for counseling and liaison assistance to parishioners who need help making these arrangements.)
telephone: (205)314-4113
email: athome@stmartins.ws
website: http://www.stmartins.ws/at-home-care
St. Martin’s in the Pines Continuing Care Retirement Community
telephone: (205) 955-9440
email: ncobb@stmartins.ws
website: http://StMartinsInThePines.org/
New Beacon Hospice
telephone: (205)939-8799
email: lcox@newbeacon.org
website: http://www.NewBeacon.org/
Amedisys Home Healthcare & Hospice Services
telephone: (205)868-9221
website: http://www.amedisys.com
Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama
telephone: (205)871-7970
email: aca@alzca.org
website: http://alzca.org/
