Photo by Ben White on Unsplash.

Training for Congregational Care Ministry (CCM) was held at Storm Mountain Center May 17-18, 2019. The group included participants from 15 churches, totaling 35 persons from across the Dakotas Conference. Participants represented teams that are exploring effective Congregational Care Ministry models and strategies for their local church.

Karen Lampe led the training that was organized and supported by Rapid City Canyon Lake UMC. Lampe, utilized a book she authored, The Caring Congregation: Training Manual and Resource Guide, for the seminar.  

Lampe served on the staff at Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. Lampe, along with Senior Pastor Rev. Adam Hamilton, church staff, and the Congregational Care Ministers (CCM) at Church of the Resurrection, created and implemented the CCM method of care for churches of all sizes, that was taught at the seminar. 

Attending from Spearfish UMC were congregational care ministry volunteers, Roberta Hilliger, Sharyl Jaspar and Janelle Jones. Hilliger and Jasper are new to congregational care ministry. Jones has been part of the team working with Spearfish UMC and Pastor Scott McKirdy from the beginning of Spearfish UMC’s congregational care ministry that started in 2013. Hilliger says, “I am thankful to be able to attend this seminar on Congregational Care Ministry. Beyond the opening doors is God's grace.”

The congregational care ministry teams at Spearfish UMC meets twice a month, to communicate about needs for those with new babies, health and surgery issues, death and dying and other ways to assist Pastor Scott. Spearfish UMC has many aspects of congregational care. These include prayer ministry, weekly delivery of worship CD's, monthly communion at care facilities, one-on-one visitation, meals when there is a need, and hospital visits. 

Sharyl Jaspar summed up the experience at Storm Mountain with words that start with the letter p—the 4P’s: “Amazing place, amazing people, amazing program, amazing presence,” she says.

Deb Kjerstad, Dakotas Conference Director of Leadership Development, is targeting a CCM potential seminar, with Karen Lampe leading, for the fall in Bismarck, North Dakota.