CC--Pastor Jim

I spend most of the time I work calling on shut-ins or visiting people in the hospital.

 There is a long list of people who are not necessarily shut in physically, but limits of energy and presence of declining vitality keep them home. If one thinks of all the people who have fallen out of regular attendance and stay at home on Sunday morning, he is thinking of a lot of people. I am beginning a study on that. It will be a larger and larger part of our ministry in the future.

 At the present time, I deal only with the most fragile and the most critically ill. I would like to find a way to increase our pastoral ministry to those most fragile. We have a meeting on November 2 to talk about how we can expand pastoral ministry to seniors.

I am amazed at how many I do contact and that contact makes a difference. I visit people as far away as Rossville. But we have shut-ins in Wisconsin and in Ohio.

I also have a weekly study group with members coming from both Trinity and First Church, and one person who belongs to neither congregation but is known to both. We are presently studying Psalms.

 I am not sure how much longer I can do effective ministry. I am still excited by it, and I feel a keen kinship with my charges. I think what I am doing is important and needs to be enlarged.

 I preach when asked and assist with liturgy when needed.

Jim Morin