Vermilion-Mannville Lutheran Parish

A Message from the Lutheran Hospital Ministry
for Northern Alberta
The Lutheran Hospital Ministry of Northern Alberta, which began 9
years ago is alive and well, and still engaging in its stated priorities:
• to develop operating systems for recruiting, training,
supervising and continuing education of volunteers.
• to involve individuals and congregations in active support
of its ministry.
Presently we have 8 trained individuals who visit weekly in the
following hospitals in the Edmonton area:
- The Misericordia Hospital
- The University Hospital
- The Grey Nuns (Millwoods) Hospital
- The Royal Alexandra Hospital
- The Sturgeon Hospital (St. Albert) (Because Kurt and Nikki Robinson
are presently seconded to work in Calgary, this visitation is on hold).
We have just trained four new hospital Visitors with a 25 hour training
course, and they will begin their visitation in the University Hospital, the Grey
Nuns Hospital, the Glenrose Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in
January of 2011.
We are solvent and ended the year in the black last year, thanks to our
individual supporters in the various congregations and congregational budget
support that we receive from district churches.
We conducted a three-day hospital visitation seminar in Red Deer this
past year, and 32 committed lay people took part in the lectures, the
discussions and the role playing.
This past year, we began a process of networking with our sister society,
the Lutheran Hospital Ministry of Southern Alberta. We jointly made a
project proposal to the LWML (ABC District) and were successful in
obtaining a small grant to fund a retreat of ministry participants that will take
place in April of 2011.
The Board for the LHM of Northern Alberta covets your prayers and
support for our important ministry of visiting and praying with those going
through the crisis of hospitalization.
Rev. Dr. Harold H. Witte, Chairman
Rev. Ken Rodeman, Chaplain