The mission of Care Ministry at Los Altos UMC is to provide care, concern, prayer, and support for families and individuals at various stages, places, and circumstances of life.
Pastoral Care Team
For pastoral care support, please contact any member of the Pastoral Care Team by telephone (650-948-1083) or by email. If you have an emergency pastoral care need, call the After-Hours Urgent Pastoral Care Line (650-823-4562). The Pastoral Care Team includes Pastors Kathi McShane, Dirk Damonte, Sam Blewis, Jeong Park, and Jeremy Steele, and Ministry Director Carol Damonte.
Grief & Support
Grief is a natural part of life when someone we love dies. Finding your way through the many emotions that arise during the days, weeks, and months that follow the loss of a loved one can be difficult. You don’t have to walk that journey alone. At Los Altos United Methodist Church, our Grief & Support ministry can offer care, support, and hope to you or someone you know during this difficult time.
Memorial and Funeral Services
We extend our deepest sympathy to anyone who has lost a loved one and wish to serve you in your time of special need. For more information, call any of our pastors, or call the church office to reach the Memorials Coordinator (650-948-1083). Read here to learn more about memorial services at Los Altos UMC.
Journeying Through Grief Mailing
Journeying Through Grief is a set of four short, easy-to-read books that offer words of comfort and hope to those grieving. Members of the Care Ministry team send each of the books to grieving people at specific, crucial times during that first year after a loved one dies. Each book focuses on what the person is likely to be experiencing at that time and provides care, assurance, encouragement, and hope. Although the books are designed to help those in the first year of grief, people with older losses have also found them helpful. If you or someone you know would like to receive the Journeying Through Grief books, please email your request to us.
Good Grief Group
The Good Grief Group meets periodically and offers people a chance to process their experience and feelings, learn about what “good grief” looks like, and work towards completing their grief process around a specific loss. For questions and group meeting information, contact us (650-948-1083 or email). Grief is something we will all experience in our lives, and it doesn’t have to be something we carry alone.
Prayers
Prayer Concerns
Our pastors and Prayer Team regularly pray for our community and our world. If you have specific prayer concerns you would like them to lift up, you can fill out our online prayer request form or call the church office (650-948-1083).
Prayer Team
If you are seeking an important role in service and prayer, consider joining the lay Prayer Team. This group meets every Monday afternoon and offers wonderful fellowship as well as an opportunity to lift up in prayer those with special concerns who have asked for the support of the congregation. Do you hear God calling you to be in service through prayer? If you do, contact any of the pastors to be guided to this vital ministry.
Support and Visitation
Friendly Visitors
Our Friendly Visitors are ready to support those in need of a listening ear. Contact the Congregational Care team for more information or to find out how you can become a Friendly Visitor.
Angels on Call
Angels on Call can offer assistance by taking a meal to one who is ill or recovering, offering a ride to Sunday services, driving to a doctor’s appointment, picking up a prescription, running an errand locally for someone who can’t drive, or shopping for groceries for someone who is housebound. If you are interested in providing or receiving services such as these, please contact Coordinator of Senior Adult Ministries Megan Allende (650-948-1083 or email).
Support Groups
Long-Term Illness Support Group
This group meets periodically to offer compassionate support to those with and those caring for people with long-term illness. Led by Cathy Lampman (408-257-8310 or email: [email protected]), the group is an opportunity to share and support each other in this most difficult challenge. All are welcome.
12-Step Support Groups
These community-based support groups meet during the week on our campus: Alanon, Alateen, Cocaine Anonymous. Contact the group you wish to find for its meeting schedule.
The community of the Los Altos United Methodist Church is Touching heaven, changing earth with head, heart, and hands.
We do this by faithfully committing to and intentionally growing in our five congregational and personal practices.