Guest Blogger: Dr. Daniel G. Bagby
Interim Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care
You’ve honored me with the invitation to work as your interim associate pastor for pastoral care during the next few months, and I am eager to serve and to be of any support I can add to this fine community of faith. Since I’m spending half my time teaching at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, I’m available in the office only on certain hours of the week, but hope to respond to whatever cares and issues you may send my way. I currently have three “schedule” priorities during office hours: I participate in the weekly Monday morning church staff and worship planning meeting (10AM-noon), offer resources and support to the deacons (first Monday evenings each month), and meet with and function as a resource for the important Stephen Ministry of River Road Church (first and third Wednesdays at 4:30 PM).
My next responsibility consists in visiting with the rich fellowship of church members who find it challenging to attend our services of worship and education. As I begin, I plan to visit retirement communities on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons. We currently have church members in at least eight different retirement centers in our community: Brandermill Woods, Cedarfield, Covenant Woods, Gayton Terrace, Lakewood, Morningside, St. Mary Woods, and Westminster-Canterbury. Lakewood Retirement Center (30), Westminster Canterbury (13), and Cedarfield (12) are home to the greatest number of our members. The church pastoral staff plans to visit those three communities quarterly on a Wednesday to have lunch with our members (October 12, 19, and November 2 are our next scheduled visits). We also plan to visit with members in each of the other centers, and to keep in touch with a number of family members who live at home under the grace-filled care of other loved ones. As you would expect, I’m also available for hospital visits as needed.
We plan to offer an additional set of interest-focused seminars soon to members and friends of the congregation: (1) A dialogue on job seeking/resources for those in between employment commitments (November 11, Noon); (2) a one-session seminar on caring for those dealing with grief (November 15, 7PM), (followed by a four-session series in February-March 2012); and (3) a Friday evening Marriage Enrichment Dialogue (January 13, 2012).
Please let me know how else I may be of support to this unique and talented community of faith. I hope to facilitate not only the communication process we share in this busy congregation, but share with you weekly in the sacred experience of worship at RRCB! Feel free to write me at danbagby@rrcb.org, dbagby@btsr.edu, or call the church office or my direct voicemail at the seminary (204-1204) and leave me a message if you miss me. I’ll respond as soon as I can. May God bless what we do together! Thank you for the privilege of serving with you.