The Alcoholics Anonymous in-person group at St. Lawrence is suspended until further notice. The Sunday morning 9:30 am virtual meeting is available via zoom

Meeting ID #: 834 7620 1191
Password: notsomber

Didi Egnatuk | 310-540-0329 ext. 540

When a family experiences the death of a loved one, our Bereavement Ministry is there to represent our community by reaching out and offering support. Our team members assist in various ways to help coordinate arrangements and plan for the Funeral or Memorial service.
A Bereavement Coordinator meets with the family to discuss and plan the service, including the selection of Scripture readings to be used and will attend on the day to help the family feel more comfortable.
Bereavement Ministers of Hospitality attend the day of the service and act as Ushers/Greeters, a welcoming extension of our community.
The Music Director meets with the family to offer musical options, help select musicians and choose the appropriate music for the service. Our Resurrection Choir is also available upon request to help encourage congregational singing at the service.
We also offer assistance for receptions held at our SLM site. These ministers of hospitality help with hosting, setting up and cleaning up receptions.
 

Caregivers, take time to care for yourselves.

The Caregiver Support Group at St. Lawrence is an informal gathering of people whose lives are directly or indirectly affected by their caregiving of parents, children, spouses, or anyone whose lives are directly or indirectly affected by their caregiving.

Our group is a safe place where feelings about God, spirituality, and struggles are shared; where issues of isolation and loneliness are addressed; where, as a group, individuals find the courage and strength to continue; where caregivers teach each other ways to strengthen their relationship with God and with our community.

Our group meets on the fourth Sunday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the Pastoral Center.

Didi Egnatuk | 310-540-0329 ext. 540

For resources regarding caregivers please go here (external link)

You are NOT alone. Mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers. Join us in a safe, confidential environment to share your experiences and learn from others. We dare a FAMILY Support Group for those with loved ones suffering from mental illness. (Please note that this group is for loved ones, not for those with Mental illness).

We meet the 4th Wednesday of the month in the Parish Hall at 7:00 pm.
Kim Sheckler or Tracy Ayotte | 310-792-0244 | [email protected]
 

During this difficult time, the NAMI HelpLine is here for you. HelpLine volunteers are working to answer questions, offer support and provide practical next steps. The resources on this page provide information to address many needs and concerns. 

https://www.nami.org/help

The SLM Grief Support Group is for anyone who is mourning the loss of a loved one. Our group will help you to understand that there is no "expectation" for grieving. Everyone has their process, their way, and their time frame. Working as a group provides the ability to have a safe place to express ourselves. This is a private meeting where the members develop a connection and hopefully feel comfortable and at ease with each other as we journey together.

The SLM Grief Support Group meets at 10:30 a.m. on the second Sunday of each month in the Pastoral Center.

Didi Egnatuk | 310-540-0329 ext. 389

The purpose of this ministry is to provide a welcoming environment for members of the LGBT+ community, their families, friends, and allies at Saint Lawrence Martyr.

Meetings are on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 pm in the Santa Barbara room in the Saint Lawrence Martyr Pastoral Center.

Deacon Don Burt | 310-540-0329 ext. 381 | [email protected]

Providence St. Joseph Health is collaborating on a Statewide initiative to bring whole-person care into our hospitals and communities. Whole Person Care means patients are involved in decisions about their care, families receive help supporting loved ones who are ill, and caregivers receive help coping with the strains of caregiving. St. Lawrence has taken on the challenge of piloting a new ministry focused on whole-person care in our parish.

Didi Egnatuk | 310-540-0329 ext. 540.

We are women and men, daughters, sisters, parents, grandparents. We are people of love and people of hope. We have experienced loss and have emerged stronger than we were before. We see a deep brokenness in people we meet and long to help them. We see the isolation so many feel and want to reach out. If you let us, we’d like to be by your side as you journey from where you are now to a new place of forgiveness and peace.

Many of us are motivated by faith. Some simply want to share the peace that they have found. We are committed to the journey without judgment. At the end, we hope you will come to know that you are created out of love and for love. That abortion does not define you. That you can make peace with your decisions and build a life deserving of the amazing person you are. We are committed to the journey. We will stay by your side.  www.byyoursidela.org

Didi Egnatuk | 310-540-0329 ext. 540

Spiritual Direction is an ancient ministry, a unique one-to-one relationship in which a trained person assists another person in the search for an ever closer union of love with God.

Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey that emphasizes growing closer to God.  In reality, spiritual direction is nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director, the Holy Spirit, hidden in the depths of our souls.

Spiritual direction explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories.

Finding a spiritual director is a very personal and spiritual quest.  Here at St. Lawrence, we are blessed to have a group of certified spiritual directors who can offer their services.

If you want to explore and deepen your relationship with God, please call or e-mail for further information.  The spiritual direction coordinator will match you with a compatible certified director who will keep holy your sacred story.

We look forward to journeying with you!

Didi Egnatuk | 310-540-0329 ext. 540

Visit the Stephen Ministry website.

What is the Stephen Ministry?

St. Lawrence is one of over 9,000 congregations from over 120 Christian denominations with a Stephen Ministry. The Stephen Ministry was founded in 1974 by Kenneth C. Haugk, a clinical psychologist and pastor of St. Stephens’ Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO. Over 300,000 Stephen ministers have been trained, ministering to over one million people worldwide.

What is a Stephen Minister?

A Stephen Minister is a caring, Christian friend who listens, prays, supports, and offers faith-based, confidential care for those hospitalized, terminally ill, bereaved, in a job crisis, or suffering one of the many life struggles of our time.

Stephen Ministers do not replace priests or find solutions to these problems. Ministers are not counselors but trained caregivers. Their role is to listen and care, not to counsel or advise. They are trained to make professional referrals when a caregiver’s needs go beyond the scope of their ministry. Our ministers have over 50 hours of training and participate in continuing education programs throughout their service.

How does Stephen Ministry work?

If you need care, simply call the Stephen Ministry main phone line. One of the Ministers will talk with you and, with permission, assign a Stephen Minister. The Minister will contact you and schedule a time to meet. The rest is up to you. It is essential to understand that this care is strictly confidential. Those receiving care can be sure that their identity and what goes on in the caring relationship will remain private.

The Stephen Ministry is an excellent way for our parish to reach out to more hurting people through our team of well-equipped, well-supervised lay caregivers.

Everyone goes through difficult times. Having someone to care, to listen, and to share God’s love with you can help you get through the confusion, stress, or loneliness you may be experiencing.

If your life is more than you can handle alone right now; if your health, attitude, or relationships are suffering; if you are adjusting to the loss of a job, a change in marital status, a serious illness, the death of a loved one, or would just like to have someone in your life who cares, then perhaps it is time for you to call the Stephen Ministry. Our Stephen Ministers look forward to the opportunity to carry out our Parish Mission Statement by accepting the call of Jesus Christ to love and serve one another.

Confidential Stephen Ministry Message Line | 310-540-0329 ext. 375

Maybe you've wondered about our women's group at SLM, Women in Transition. Perhaps you've thought, "I'm not in transition. Nothing is changing in my life." In these past several years, we've seen many changes and many transitions. Our lives are changing from day to day, from moment to moment. Our lives feel full one day and empty the next; happy one day and sad the next. Change is happening. We can't stop it. Sometimes we feel as though we are in the midst of chaos; our lives are spinning out of control, and we are the only ones who experience these emotions. We can find comfort in learning that we are not alone; that others are likely spinning in similar orbits.

Right now, today, at this moment, think of how your life has changed. Are you working from home? Are you caring for loved ones, either locally or long distance? Are you feeling lonely? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you feeling disconnected? Bored? Too much to do? Ignoring what your body is telling you? Are you drinking too much? Are you overeating?

Are you feeling blessed to have a home and enough to eat? Are you feeling blessed to connect with nature and to have the time to examine what's in your heart? Are you looking inward and liking what you discover? Disliking what you discover?

Together, in this group, let’s share our lives.
 

Didi Egnatuk | [email protected] | 310-540-0329, ext. 540