UUCWI has an active program for providing comfort and support to members of the community. Pastoral care is delivered through three principal pathways:

The Minister of UUCWI visits individuals whose health and mobility challenges prevent them from attending normal services, counsels members and friends with personal spiritual matters, helps bereaved families with memorial service arrangements and grief counseling, provides pre-wedding counseling to engaged couples, offers comfort and support to the dying and their family and friends, and provides other forms of spiritual and emotional support as necessary to members and friends of the congregation. The minister also provides referrals to other resources, if appropriate.

The Chaplain of UUCWI supports the minister when the minister’s schedule makes it
difficult to cover all the needs. This may involve doing weddings and memorial services, providing emotional and spiritual support, and other such compassionate service. The chaplain has been involved with congregant support on the north end of the island, where she resides.

Pastoral Associates are members of UUCWI chosen by the Minister. Their work is based on the first Unitarian Universalist (UU) principle: to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We strive to provide a ministry of hope and caring so that no member of our congregation need be alone. Our covenant to the congregation is to:
• visit the ill at home or in the hospital
• support those going through a life crisis
• maintain contact with those unable to attend church due to illness or disability
• support friends and family involved in care giving
• comfort the bereaved

We provide educational materials about Living Wills, Advanced Medical Directives, Retirement Communities, Support Groups, how to manage elderly parents, and many other topics.

If you are in need of pastoral care, you may call our minister or chaplain, or leave a message with our church administrator; please contact us.