 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
Cancer
And Faith Experience - CAFÉ
and CARE, for caregivers
CAFÉ is the name of the cancer support group at CPC, and CARE is for care givers.
W hat’s the rationale for this group?
Cancer patients reach out for support for a variety of reasons,
looking for individual needs to be met through the warmth and caring of others.
Those reasons range anywhere from needing another person to help them emotionally
to needing advice on financial decisions for end of life issues. Support groups
offer people many things: The ability to meet others in similar circumstances,
to share resources and treatment options, to share methods of pain management
and coping, and develop new relationships at a time of isolation.
Groups have been shown to improve adjustment, mood, coping
and quality of life for people with cancer. CPC-CAFÉ will offer an additional
component –a spiritual element wherein we pray for one another, do meditation
and imagery exercises and share our faith.
Who is this group for?
If you are a cancer patient, spouse, widow/widower of a cancer
patient, family member or survivor, this group is for you.
Will everyone meet together?
Not necessarily. We may subdivide according to how we identify
particular concerns, experiences, goals and expectations.
People currently in treatment may want to meet separately
from family; and recent widowers/widows may not feel comfortable with survivors.
These are issues that will be reviewed as we progress.
Who will lead this group?
Each person facilitating a discussion group is a trained Stephen
Minister: Gail Ball, Mary Kay Exstrom, Misty Dunn and Pastor Carol. Each of these
individuals has had personal experience with cancer.
How long will the group meetings last?
Each meeting will be one hour. The longevity of the group
will depend on how the group defines itself. It is expected that people will
come and go, depending on their individual needs and situations.
W hat’s the format of the meeting?
We will begin each meeting with a devotional and prayer. There
will be “check-in” statements from each participant. There may be
educational components or special speakers sometimes which would extend the meeting
time to an hour and a half. Each meeting will close with prayer for one another.
There have been so many people in our CPC congregation who
have been affected by cancer. We know that there are other cancer support groups “out
there” that are available through the American Cancer Association, Cancer
Care and various hospitals. We encourage people to take advantage of these wonderful
resources. We also feel that it is important for folks to know that faith is
a powerful resource in dealing with cancer.
We welcome you to Cancer And Faith Experience
CAFÉ at CPC.
(Oh yes, coffee and tea are available at each meeting.)
What is the current meeting schedule?
The group meets on the first and third
Mondays of the month at 11:00 a.m. in the Gathering Place.
If you have any questions, call Pastor Carol at 486-9081.