Te Hopai Ministry

Author

Sheryl Dean reflects on her time in and around Te Hopai

About 6 years ago, I decided one morning (for reasons which I now understand), to go to the 9am service. Not something I usually did. I sat behind Bob Smith, who, during the service gave a notice about the need for others to support the ministry at Te Hopai Home and Hospital at a monthly service. Ping! The lights went on for me and my heart beat a little faster! Are you trying to tell me something God? Well, turns out He was, and after a few years supporting Bob and John Mullis, a Vicar from St Barnabas in Roseneath, 

I found myself (with Richard) running the services once a month on a Thursday. And what a joy it is! These dear Te Hopai residents have lived varied and interesting lives which are now significantly reduced. Many of them have been actively involved in churches and sorely miss regular worship services. They are so appreciative of the opportunity to get together and share the Lord’s Supper and we regularly have between 20 and 30 attending. 
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The staff at Te Hopai are very supportive and make every effort to ensure that those who want to attend can, which in most cases means they have to bring the residents to the service in their large mobile chairs, walkers or wheelchairs. When Covid disrupted our combined services, (across the various rest home facilities and the hospital), the staff accommodated us on the landing outside the lifts in the newer Owen Rest Home, ministering to just one section of the community. We managed to get up to 25 in a relatively small space, it was pretty cosy! 

There are one or two residents who are now bedridden and I share communion with them once a month in their rooms. 

Over the past couple of years, the relationship with senior staff has deepened to the extent that they now often call when people are dying, when new people arrive, or if someone would like a pastoral visit. I am able to visit, pray with and anoint those residents, and in some cases continue to visit them on a regular basis. 

Up until about four years ago, there were three or four of us supporting this ministry, but since St Barnabas decided they would discontinue their involvement and Bob retired, it has just been me, with Richard helping at the Thursday services. I‘d love to rebuild a small team to support this very rewarding ministry. You might like to take part in the service by reading the scriptures or prayers or distributing the communion, or you may just like to come along with a smile and friendly conversation, which would also be very welcome. 

If you’d like to know more, have a chat with me at church sometime or give me a call, I’d love to hear from you. 

Sheryl Dean