There has been a healing and wholeness group for many years at St Gabriel’s; we offer prayer between our two Sunday morning services and after the Zoom service.
The team also commits to pray at home for those on our prayer list and we have just re-started our regular healing and wholeness services. ‘Whole Life Wholeness’ is one of St Gabriel’s core values and, along with ‘Hospitality’ and ‘Everyone Involved’, is reflected in the church’s ‘Bless Greystones’ initiative. We care about the well-being of our church family and our local community and take an integrated approach. Church volunteers provided well-being packs for families and for the staff at the local primary school during the darkest days of the pandemic. A small group has done gardening at the local pub and at the doctor’s surgery. Women in the community who were alone or isolating received little gifts on Mothering Sunday, and parents had their children fed and entertained to allow them the opportunity for a couple of hours of relaxation. This summer there was the annual holiday club providing activities for children and support for families. Once a week another group provides a ’Cuppa and Cake’ hour in the church hall for anyone to drop in and enjoy refreshments and company. In response to the needs of our community, we hope to provide a weekly afternoon meal and warm space on Sunday afternoons at 5pm. Initially, this will be over the winter season and will include a hot meal, activities for young children and an opportunity at the end for people to engage in a spiritual theme with an evangelistic focus. Yes, healing and wholeness prayer is really important but we are also called to reach out and nourish holistically.
St Gabriel’s Wholeness group