Planning on Visitation

Yesterday I decided to work a little on this "visitation ministry" I'm going to be doing as a volunteer for our church. I plotted the people's addresses on a map of Cranberry Township. I learned where the people lived in relationship to each other. I was surprised at how they group themselves into 3 main sections of the map. I also went to the church to see if they had copies of last week's bulletin and a copy the "Daily Bread" devotional that I could give to people when I visited them.

I've been struggling with how to introduce myself on the phone since none of these people will likely know that I've been "approved" by the church Session to do this. I've written a couple of scenarios to introduce myself, and they all seem too wordy. For instance, they mention that I'm calling on behalf of the church and pastor and that we're trying to connect with the people and learn what their needs are so we can minister to them and their families more effectively. However, the more I think and pray about it, I'm drawn toward just cold calling on them. And if they're not home, leaving the devotional, bulletin and my card. And if they are there, then just introducing myself indicating I'm the new minister of visitation from their church (which they likely haven't been to in a long time.)

I also worked on the Bogmeister music some. There are two songs I don't really know well enough to feel confident singing. I tried to play them on the Qchord, and that helped me hear what the notes are supposed to be. We're singing again this Saturday evening at the Butler Country Club as "carolers" for an hour during their member banquet. That should be fun. (That'll be a busy day since I have the Air Force worship service at 3 p.m.)

After Dee came home and we had dinner, I finished decorating the tree with some blue bulbs and some white flowers. The bulbs are about an inch or two in diameter and since the tree is in the loft, they don't stand out much. But they are nice there just the same.

I had a nice talk with my mom. She seemed pretty alert, has picked up her medicine refills, and reflected on her visit with us on Thanksgiving. We talked about her coming to hear the Bogmeister show on the 15 of Dec. I told her I'd pick her up and bring her and that she should pack her bags for an sleep over at our place. She's happy I'm singing with the group and always likes to hear about what we're doing.

WE finished the evening watching a couple of programs we'd recorded.