St. John’s Health Care Ministry: Volunteers Needed to Organize New Medical Equipment

By Gerrie Blackwelder

I recently served as Reader of I Samuel 3 at the 11 am sanctuary worship service and had the honor to hear God call one of his servants to do his work. In Samuel’s story, the Lord called out to the boy while the household was asleep and, after a couple of mistakes in thinking his own worldly father, Eli, was calling, the father and his son came to grips with the fact that God was calling the youth into his service. On the final call, Samuel answered God with the words, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.

You might also remember a favorite hymn based on Samuel’s calling,

“Here I am Lord, Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart”

In my case, it often takes a detailed directive to understand how I need to act on His behalf. But even if I do not get the clear directive, His constant nudges that I need to get involved cry out enough to motivate action.

Right now, at St. John’s, there is a special calling that needs to be filled and maybe you are the person who God is calling to become involved.

The St. John’s Health Care Ministry has been blessed with many assistance devices that need organizing, and preparing for church members to “check out” to be used for assistance with simple tasks such as walking, bathing, and bathroom assistance. The implements that have been donated include many wheel chairs, walkers, crutches, shower seats, bedside commodes, and lifted toilet seats.

The gifts are already on campus and will be counted and a list made, but we need an organizational person to assist with a means of assisting the distribution of these tools to families and getting them back into our inventory as they are released by families who have no further need of them.

We deeply thank the many individuals who so graciously made donations as well as The Community Care Clinic for many donated appliances to assist with rehabilitation of our Church and family members. Our goal is to faithfully and appropriately return the blessings of these gifts to God’s people in need.

Currently, there are six members of the HCM and each is dedicated to specific areas of the organization. If you are interested in joining the group and working with this needed and wonderfully useful project, call St. John’s and ask for the Health Care Ministry Chair, Carolyn Byrd, who will be happy to speak with you further.

And remember Samuel’s sweet response to God’s request for service, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” You are needed to serve and hold his people in your heart.