In Chapter 17 of the Book of Exodus, a battle is described in which the Amalekites attack the people of Israel. In this story, Israel was able to withstand the attack and prevail only as long as Moses was able to hold up the staff of the Lord. When Moses grew weary and was no longer able to hold up his arms, the Amalekites triumphed. In order for Israel to win, Moses, and only Moses, had to hold up the staff, but he grew exhausted as the hours passed. Two other leaders, Aaron and Hur thought to bring a rock for Moses to sit upon, and, though it would have done no good for them to hold up the staff, they could support Moses’ arms as he held the staff. Thus, together they supported Moses, enabling him to hold the rod and assuring Israel’s victory.

The Exodus story is an apt illustration for the concept of care teams, a new ministry that is developing at the Chapel of the Cross and other congregations in our community. Each of us, from time to time, needs the support of others so that we can do what is required of us when we are embattled in life. When facing a serious illness ourselves or in caring for a sick loved one, having the support of others can make all the difference in the world. Though a care team cannot endure the medical treatments on our behalf, having caring folks who can offer spiritual and practical support, (run errands, take children to piano lessons or sports practice, cook meals, walk the dog) can give us the strength to get through what we must.

So what exactly is a care team? A care team is a group of people with a variety of talents who like to help in different kinds of ways. The team provides on-going attention and coordinated care to those who need a variety of assistance. Types of assistance vary according to needs but may include providing social contact, light housekeeping, running errands, reading aloud, or being an exercise partner. Because dealing with multiple needs may exceed the ability of one person, a team works to provide structure and coordination of care for the person in need and mutual support for fellow team members. Composition of a care team is not limited to parishioners of the Chapel of the Cross; teams may also include friends and neighbors of the person being served. The care teams provide the structure and organization to provide assistance.

In addition to ‘basic’ care teams which are assembled to work with particular people on an on-going basis, it is conceivable that care teams might be created to attend specific tasks for several “care friends.” These would be called “mission” care teams. For example, one local congregation has a youth care team dedicated to raking leaves for people who are frail. Though not originally structured as such, our Parish Visitors may be thought of as a care team whose mission is to visit all those who are homebound in the parish. Our Good Samaritans Guild’s mission is to deliver casseroles, run errands, or provide transportation to people who need assistance on a short-term basis.

The model and training for Chapel of the Cross Care Teams follows that developed by the Care Team Network at the University of Alabama Medical Center. (Check out their web site at www.careteam.org) Project Compassion, a local affiliate of the Care Team Network, is providing training and support for our congregation and others in the community as a part of their Care Team Initiative. (www.project-compassion.org)

People receiving help are termed “care friends.” “Care friends” define the needs to be addressed. They understand that team members work together and so must communicate openly with each other; but outside the team, all communications are confidential. It is also understood that, though the care team will try its best, it may not be able to meet all requests.

Training for care team members is done in one session, typically lasting three hours. The commitment to serve is “as long as there is joy in the work” with the stipulation that, when it becomes necessary to leave, good-byes will be said to the “care friend” and to fellow team members.

We currently have two care teams in place, for which more members would be welcome. If you find yourself called to this type of ministry or if you know of anyone who might benefit from this ministry, please contact me. I also encourage you to visit the Care Team Network and Project Compassion Web sites.