Sunday Services 10:00 followed by a time of fellowship.
Church school the second Sunday of each month (and some other Sundays)
Office hours are 9:00-noon, 1:00-4:00 Monday to Friday.
Please use the Accessible Entrance near the kitchen to visit during the week.
The East Entrance is for the day care only.
- John Patton, Coordinator
The following passage from the Book of Micah (6:8) neatly summarizes what God expects of us as faithful followers.
…what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with your God?
Jesus echoed this when he summarized the Law as: love God and your neighbour. Sounds simple doesn’t it? And yet, we often struggle with it—especially the part about loving our neighbour. What does it mean to “love kindness?” Who is our “neighbour?”
I like to think that it means, at least in part, to care for and about others, to want the best for them, and to reach out to them when they are hurting. In both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, the image of the good shepherd is often used to express this. It is from that pastoral image that we get the term pastoral care. Often, the term is capitalized—Pastoral Care—and thus acquires a formal connotation that implies special calling or training. And, indeed, some kinds of pastoral care do benefit from professional training—but by no means all.
At Woodroffe, pastoral care occurs on a daily basis and in a variety of ways. At one end of the continuum is what happens every Sunday (though not only then), when members of the congregation reach out to each other in caring and supportive ways, be it a cheerful “good morning” as we arrive, a quiet chat in the pew before or after the service or a cheery greeting when we encounter someone at the mall. The weekly bulletin reminds us of this when it notes, “We are all called to ministry.” At the other end, is the care provided, usually by the Minister, to those in situations of acute need—typically surrounding a death or serious illness. In between are those circumstances which call for an ongoing commitment—long or short-term—by one member of the congregation to take on responsibility for caring for another. One example is members who are largely confined to their homes and are unable to attend church regularly. A group of regular visitors, the Keep In Touch program, ensures that these members of our family remain connected in a very personal way. As well, they receive a personal letter every two weeks and special attention at Christmas and Easter. The letter- and card-writers and shortbread deliverers are providing pastoral care. In some cases, from time to time, members of the congregation find themselves in a particularly difficult or crisis situation that may call for someone with special skills or training to assist or augment the support provided by the Minister. This is where the Pastoral Care Team comes in.
Woodroffe’s team is currently composed of the Minister and lay members who have completed a ten-week training program to develop their listening skills and their ability to respond pastorally and confidentially when a crisis arises. These skills are maintained and enhanced through continuing education programs provided by the Pastoral Care Training Program and community agencies. The team meets monthly from September to June for mutual support, sharing and learning and, each fall, covenants with the congregation to care for one another.
Current team members are Judy Chaplin, Wes Dearham, Lynn Hampton, Deb Lester, Marg MacLeod, Jeannette Montgomery, John Patton, Cathy Seaborn and Dave Watson.
If you have or are aware of a pastoral care need or would like more information about the work of the Pastoral Care Team, please contact Rev. Matt Gallinger or John Patton or any member of the team. All such communication is kept strictly confidential.
COVID note: Although in person services have resumed, some church meetings may have alternate locations or virtual arrangements.
Click on any event to see more information.
During the pandemic, if you wish to provide your givings, or make a one-time donation, you may send a cheque to the church, use our secure PayPal connection or use e-transfer and direct your email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..