The ministry of caring is at the heart of the church’s life. In addition to our Rector who focuses on Pastoral Care, at St. Alban’s we also have ministries that seek to show caring to those among us.

Community of Hope

The Community of Hope's mission is to create a Christian community of volunteer lay chaplains united in prayer, shaped by Benedictine Spirituality, and equipped for pastoral care ministries. Through ongoing spiritual formation and practical lessons on care giving, members learn to match theological insights and spiritual practices with their experiences of ministering to others and giving spiritual guidance. Our goal is to provide ongoing support to our Rector in reaching out, and being with and supporting members of our church family. As lay chaplains, Community of Hope members are not counselors, but are present as servants and listeners, trained in those talents to build relationships, honor differences, defend dignity and share in God's grace and love.

Eucharistic Visitors

There are times when life's circumstances make it difficult to attend church. St. Alban's has trained Eucharistic Visitors to go to members who are in the hospital, are recovering at home, or are in long-term care facilities. Eucharistic Visitors are excellent listeners and have been trained to administer the Eucharist. At the end of many of the worship services, you will see Rev. Erin call up one or two individuals. She hands them a small kit which contains the elements for Eucharist, and blesses them. The congregation responds, "We who are many are one body, because we all share one cup." Eucharistic Visitors give members who can't come to church the opportunity to indeed continue to be part of the body of Christ.

Floral Delivery

Members of our Floral Guild arrange our altar flowers, but the beauty of the flowers doesn’t end there. After worship, these flowers are delivered to parishioners. Some flower recipients are struggling and in need of some cheering up, while other recipients receive them as a token of gratitude from their parish family for their ministry.

Meals for Families in Need

There are various life events that call for extra support from our church family. Surgeries, illness, and deaths as well as the joy of births can cause families stress and worry. This ministry seeks to support families in need by providing them with meals. Our coordinator works with the family to see when and how often meals might be helpful and if there are any food restrictions. This ministry not only provides a worry-free meal, it reminds those who receive the meals that they are loved by God and their parish family.

Safe Church (SGC/SGP) Trainers

The final promise of our Baptismal Covenant urges us strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is committed to ensuring that its churches, schools, and institutions live out our Baptismal promises by providing an environment free of abuse, exploitation, and harassment. Through the ministries of Safe Church, The Diocese of Texas provides resources to ensure that every person’s dignity is respected and protected. There are two certifications –Safeguarding God’s Children (SGC) and Safeguarding God’s People (SGP). All those who work with children and youth at St. Alban’s must be SGC certified and those working with vulnerable adults or are in a place of perceived authority (for example lay chaplains with Community of Hope and other ministry leaders) must be SGP certified. St. Alban’s has SGC/SGP trainers that help parishioners complete the certification.