Befrienders

The BeFriender Ministry is a Spirit-led ministry of  “being,”—being present and listening to someone who is experiencing stress in his/her life.  BeFrienders accept people as they are and where they are, without giving advice or being judgmental.

BeFriender Ministers are trained lay volunteers who are part of our faith community.  They provide a listening presence to those experiencing grief, loss, stress, or transitional situations.  Strict confidentiality is observed.

 

You may need a BeFriender if you are:

            --coping with marital separation or divorce

            --coping with any type of disability

            --a single parent

            --seriously ill, hospitalized, or  homebound

            --a care provider

            --suffering through the loss of a loved one

            --welcoming a new child through birth or adoption

            --facing the loss of a job or retirement

            --feeling depressed or lonely

If you are going through a trying time and need someone to listen to you, please call Marcie Jordan, BeFriender Coordinator at 303-805-1881 or Lynne Lane at 720-851-4105 to make a request or to make a referral for a BeFriender’s visit.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Ave Maria BeFriender Ministry, a component of the parish’s Adult Faith and Pastoral Care Ministries, is to assist the parish priests, in the name of the Church, by serving the emotional and spiritual needs of people in need; by bringing them an empathetic listening presence and a living reminder of God’s love in their time of need.

Purpose

The parish-level BeFriender Ministry is designed to provide specially trained and gifted lay volunteer ministers, who facilitate a confidential listening presence to anyone experiencing grief, loss, stress or transitional situation(s) in their life.  The key to the BeFriender Ministry is that the assigned ministry volunteer accepts the people as and where they are, without giving advice or being judgmental.

Responsibilities

1. The ministry will have at least a single appointed Coordinator for liaison with the pastor, parochial vicar, and parish office staff.

2. The ministry Coordinator will:

Call forth and train BeFriender Ministers.

Ensure follow-ups are conducted on referrals.

Connect referral(s) with a respective BeFriender minister.

Provide supervision and assistance to individual BeFriender ministers, if/as needed.

Be the ministry’s point of contact and coordinator with the pastor, parochial vicar, and parish office staff. 

Liaison ministry needs, planning, and program needs with the Director of Adult Ministries and the Pastor.

3. The Individual BeFriender minister will:

   1. Attend an initial orientation of approximately 20 hours and on-going continuing education training.

   2. Demonstrate a one-on-one listening presence to those in need.

   3. Record ministry reflection(s) for the purpose of accountability, supervision, and individual growth.

   4. Coordinate any ministry issue beyond their capability with the BeFriender Ministry Coordinator.  In the coordinator’s absence, the coordination may be made directly with the Director of Adult Ministries.

   5. Meet with their assigned BeFriended individual; usually for one hour per week, with periodic reassessment, as appropriate.

   6. Maintain the strictest of confidentiality about the matters discussed with the BeFriended individual; unless it involves information which falls under the State of Colorado mandatory reporting laws (e.g., he/she has demonstrated suicidal or homicidal ideations; sexual abuse on a child, the elderly, or the at-risk populace, etc). 

   7. Other duties or responsibilities as assigned by the Pastor.

Changes to and/or additions to the BeFriender responsibilities and duties will be at the sole discretion of the Pastor (whether verbally or in writing) in consultation with the BeFriender Coordinator and/or the Director of Adult Ministries.  Resolutions to issues regarding the BeFriender Ministry’s mission statement, purpose, and responsibilities will be resolved by the Director of Adult Ministries and/or Pastor, respectively.