pastoral care & counseling

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
​— John 14:27

​There are times when we all need to experience the healing compassion of Christ. Pastoral Care is here to assist you with comfort, support and counsel when life is difficult.

​If you are in the midst of a challenging season, need someone to listen, or want to have someone pray for you and with you, please contact Linda Alley, pastoral care & counseling coordinator, and she will connect you with a pastor.
 
In the event of an illness, hospitalization, death or prayer request, please let us know.
 
The main church number, 913-262-4200, is answered 24 hours a day. After hours, an answering service will connect urgent calls to the pastor-on-call.

KEEPING YOUR TANK FULL 

For many of us, our spiritual, emotional and physical "tanks" have been emptied. CLICK HERE for a series short videos with Rev. Melanie Hardison and Rev. Sally Wright offering tips for your physical, emotional and spiritual health. 

request prayer

Village Church is a congregation that prays for each other and for the concerns of our world. Please send prayer requests to pastoral-care@villagepres.org or 913-671-2327 so that your church family can include your concerns in our prayers. 

MEMORIAL SERVICES

When your loved one dies, we will be with you every step of the way. Please call the church immediately when a death occurs: 913-262-4200. It is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The promise of our faith is that in life and in death, we belong to God. This we trust and this we proclaim at every memorial service.
Our pastors will help you plan a memorial service or funeral for your loved one, assisting every step of the way. Services are held in the Chapel (seats up to 80) or the Sanctuary (seats up to 900). Village Church offers a reception to follow any service. A group of volunteers, the Memorial Guild, serve as ushers and reception hosts the day of the service. Members may also choose to have their loved one’s ashes buried in the Memorial Garden or placed in the Columbarium.

​Services can be planned at the time of death, or in advance. A planning guide, Last Acts of Love, is available to answer further questions, as well as a personal records planner. ​

covid guidelines

During this COVID-19 season, we have new protocols regarding the way we conduct memorial services. Seating in our Chapel and Sanctuary is more limited than usual due to the need for physical distancing. All participants and attendees must wear masks and follow the church’s new COVID-19 safety protocols. For indoor services, we recommend using the Sanctuary, which is equipped for online livestreaming, which allows more people to participate, particularly those who are homebound or high-risk. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer receptions following memorial services at this time.

Many families are opting for outdoor or graveside services, and our pastors are honored to walk with you in planning and officiating such services as well. 

MINISTRIES AND SUPPORT GROUPS

Stephen Ministry

The Village Church Stephen Ministry program equips lay people to provide one-to-one Christian Care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their life. Their initial training is from September to January to prepare them to listen to, care for and walk with those going through difficult times.

After being matched with a person experiencing a life crisis, the Stephen Minister meets with that person on a weekly basis to listen, care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support. The caring relationship lasts as long as the need for care exists. Stephen Ministry has provided spiritual support to over 1.5 million people from 13 thousand congregations.

How do you become a Stephen Minister?
Applications are accepted year round by Pastoral Care and Counseling. 

Are you or a friend facing a difficult time? 
Circumstances in our lives can pose challenges for many…grief, loneliness, chronic or terminal illness, divorce, hospitalization, disability, job loss or even the holidays and winter blues. The confidential care by a Stephen Minister may be helpful.  

Contact Rev. Melanie Hardison if you are interested in being paired with a Stephen Minister to help you through life’s challenges, or if you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister yourself.

What is Stephen Ministry? Watch the videos below to learn more.

Virtual Career Center 

​Receive insight and strategies via online lessons for searching out employment. Information is available on request. Contact ​Linda Alley.

Faith & Grief Virtual Gatherings

Faith and Grief meetings are offered both in person and online via Zoom. For more information and to register go to www.faithandgrief.org/gatherings.

Growing Through Grief

​This is a five-week series offered several times a year for those grieving the loss of a loved one. This group explores what grief looks like, shares stories and finds hope for moving forward. This group is facilitated by our pastoral staff, Rev. Melanie Hardison and Rev. Sally Wright. Contact Linda Alley.

Remaining 2021 Sessions are on Wednesdays from 9:30-11 a.m., Oct. 6-Nov. 3.

Helping Hands

Would meals being brought to you as you recover at home be helpful? Need assistance with a household task? Helping Hands can help with short-term needs such as this. If you aren’t sure if your need fits, give us a call. Please note: we are unable to provide rides to Sunday morning worship. Contact Linda Alley.

Widower's Support Group

A support group for men whose spouses have died, or whose spouses are living with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. This group meets at Village on Mission every Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Participants must register in advance by contacting Linda Alley. Breakfast is available for those who register by 4:30 p.m. on Mondays. Twice a month the group is facilitated by one of the Pastoral Care pastors; other meetings are facilitated by members of the group. 
​Contact: Linda Alley

other support groups

​The following support groups meet at Village Church, but are facilitated by outside organizations. For information about meeting times and additional information, contact Linda Alley
  • Grief Support Network
  • PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays)
  • Recovery, Inc.
  • Straight Spouse Network

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

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​There are some challenges in life that are just too big. When those moments come, we need extra help. In addition to our pastors who are available for limited, brief counseling, Village also offers a counseling ministry with a professional, licensed psychologist, Dr. Dave Ehman.
 
Dr. Ehman has over 30 years counseling experience. He earned a Masters of Divinity from the North American Baptist Seminary, a Master's of Education in counseling psychology from Wake Forest University, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi.
 
Dr. Ehman meets with individuals, couples, or families at Village Church on Wednesdays. You may get a referral through any of our pastors, or contact Dr. Ehman directly at 816-756-1227. Counseling fees are highly subsidized by Village Church in order to ensure that all who are in need of this service may benefit from it. Dr. Ehman negotiates fees on a sliding scale, and insurance is not accepted.
​

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

To volunteer in any of these areas, contact Linda Alley.
  • Pastoral Care & Counseling Committee: Participate and partner with the pastors to oversee, maintain and propose new ways to provide care for our members and the community.
  • ​Friends with Flowers: ​Deliver flowers to hospitalized and homebound members after Sunday worship. Arrange and deliver flowers to Hospice on Mondays. Check back for poinsettias and Easter lilies delivery information.
  • Helping Hands: Assist with basic household tasks, yardwork or provide meals to church members who may need help. All tasks are short-term; simply sign up for any that fit your schedule.
  • ​Memorial Garden Volunteers: ​Share your time and energy to keep the Memorial Garden a beautiful and peaceful place. Tasks include light weeding, checking that floral arrangements are fresh, and maintaining garden policies.
  • Memorial Guild: Ushers - Greet guests attending a memorial service. Memorial Reception - Help host a reception following a memorial service.
  • Share-a-Song Choir: Sing as a member of a small choir at assisted living facilities (and on occasion, members’  homes). All voices welcome!
  • ​Stephen Ministry: ​Provide one-on-one, confidential care to those in the midst of challenging life circumstances. 50 hours of required training is provided for Stephen Ministry certification. Consider joining the leadership team if you are interested in providing leadership.
  • Village Nurses: The Village Nurses offer blood pressure checks, support, nutritional advice, referrals and education at the Food Pantry.
  • Village Visitors: ​Visit homebound members, sharing fellowship and connecting with our church family.

MEMORIAL GARDEN

​The Memorial Garden offers a final resting place outdoors. Bronze markers with name, birth and death years may be ordered through the Village Church Business office at 913-671-2365.
 
The opportunity to select a site is open to current members of Village Church, their children, and their parents. Site selection is made at the time of need and not earlier. Burial is for ashes only, which may be buried with or without a marker. Arrangements can be made with a pastor to have a graveside service at the time of burial, or the staff can perform the service for you if you are unable to attend. Family members can be placed together and a new marker can be ordered with both names engraved.

The Memorial Garden is lovingly maintained by a team of faithful volunteers, our Village Church facilities staff and the lawn care service Earth Expressions.

COLUMBARIUM

​The Columbarium is a room furnished with niches into which small urns or appropriate containers are placed. Families may reserve and select niches in advance, or at time of death. To do so, contact the Village Church Business Office at 913-671-2363.
 
There are two niche sizes available: 1) 8 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, which accommodates the ashes of one or two persons; and 2) 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, which accommodates the ashes for as many as four persons. Urns or containers are furnished by the family, not the church. 
Rev. Melanie Hardison
Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care
913-671-2367
email
Rev. Sally Wright
Associate Pastor for ​Pastoral Care
​913-671-2347
email
Linda Alley
Pastoral Care Coordinator
email
​913-671-2327
Michelle Dicus
Pastoral Care Outreach Coordinator
email
​913-671-238o