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The Lighthouse ministry of Edgewater Presbyterian Church
-- another ministry supported by your gifts to Barnabas
Project -- provides a welcoming, loving church home for
persons suffering severe mental illness. In this ministry
the Church extends a warm welcome to Sunday worship and the
coffee hour that follows. Samaritans (as participants in
this ministry are called) are now serving as ushers, taking
small leadership roles in worship, and assisting with
clean-up.
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The Samaritans attend all church functions including
dinners and the annual picnic. They also attend all special
services including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and
Christmas Eve. Each Sunday we provide additional prayer
service at 1:00 p.m. There is a need to process the Sunday
Worship experience and to deal with any part of it which may
have been extraordinary detractions or exciting. This
service is not group therapy, it is prayer therapy.
On Wednesday night the Samaritans come at 7:00 p.m. for
refreshments, Bible study and a communion service. The
prayers in that service are so plaintive, so joyful, so
simple, and yet so profound that leaders and participants
are often left in tears.
The Church has extended this ministry of Bible study, prayer
and spiritual care into Bryn Mawr Care twice a month. Bryn
Mawr Care is a local community based residence for people
who are severely mentally ill. We also provide social
activities during holiday seasons and well as pastoral
friendship during the week on an individual basis.
Says Rev. Gordon Neil Butcher, "We are not psychiatrists. We
are a church family and these our neighbors have a rightful
place in this house. A small number have attended new member
classes and have been received into full membership of this
church."
He continues, "Through the love of Jesus Christ we have
decided to be a healing presence for the additional mental
anguish caused by fear, shame, rejection, rage and
distortion. We are grateful to the Barnabas Project for your
prayer and financial support."
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