Sunday Service Recording / July 5, 2026
Today we welcomed Lay Minister Jim Sokolowski (back) to the Minetto United Methodist Church! We hope you enjoy his welcoming message and this recording of our morning worship service!
We look forward to getting to know Jim as he begins his work with our congregation and the Minetto community.
Welcome, Jim!
Jim's message this morning to all of us was as follows:
Good morning!
My name is Jim Sokolowski.
I have been appointed to your church as your new worship leader. I have been a Certified Lay Minister since October of 2020. Previously I have been the worship leader for Hannibal Center/South Hannibal UMC for the past six years and Martville UMC for the past four years. I was baptized as a Roman Catholic but am now a professing United Methodist. And while I was a Catholic and knew about the Catholic religion, it was not until I became a member of this church, and was married here fifteen years ago to my wife, Diane, that I discovered my faith. When I became a Certified Lay Speaker, I shared the pulpit supply duties for six months with Steve Salisbury while this church awaited the appointment of a new pastor. It was through fifteen years of study and pulpit supply at different churches that has led me here today.
My spiritual gifts are preaching, teaching and administration. In fact, this coming Wednesday evening, my wife and I will be teaching a four-week Advanced course through Zoom on the Heritage of the United Methodist Church.
During my interview with the SPRC, Jeff Rothrock, commented that your church was looking for someone who made pastoral care a top priority. I thought about that and felt that the term “pastoral care” needs to be defined. Pastoral care is the provision of emotional, spiritual, and practical support to individuals, modeled on the shepherding role of a pastor or caregiver.
Its origin lies in John 10:11-14, with the words of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…”
Pastoral care refers to the nurturing, guiding, and protective support offered to those in need. It is rooted in the metaphor of a shepherd caring for a flock, emphasizing emotional support, spiritual guidance, moral oversight, and practical assistance in daily life and during crises. Its purpose is to promote well-being, provide comfort, and help individuals navigate personal, spiritual, or emotional challenges. Early church leaders adopted this model to guide, protect, and nurture their communities, emphasizing faithfulness, compassion, and accountability.
The term “pastoral” itself derives from the Latin word for shepherd, reflecting the role of guiding and tending to the needs of others. Discipleship Ministries defines the term “Pastoral Care” as the shared ministry of the church in which the laity and clergy offer presence, prayer and compassionate support to others, especially in times of need or transition. It is rooted in Wellesley’s call to “watch over one another in love”. It extends Christ’s care through relationships, listening, and spiritual encouragement. At its heart, pastoral care ensures that no one within the community of faith faces life alone. It challenges all who follow Jesus to become “story companions”, listening deeply to every life in light of God’s larger story of love. Caring ministry helps us discern how God is present and at work in every story of affliction and trauma, healing and repair.”
Today, pastoral care extends beyond religious settings. In healthcare, education, and social services, it includes: Hospital and hospice visits to provide emotional and spiritual support. Counseling and one-on-one guidance for congregants, patients, or community members. Crisis intervention and trauma support.
Grief support and end-of-life care. Secular and multi-faith approaches for non-religious individuals. Pastoral care practitioners use techniques such as active listening, meditation, prayer, and psychological support, adapting their approach to the needs and beliefs of the individual.
Some of the main points of pastoral care include: Sitting with individuals, listening to their stories, and offering companionship. Maintaining confidentiality, trust and privacy while providing spiritual guidance and advice.
Addressing emotional, spiritual, and practical needs. Helping individuals find meaning, hope, and resilience in difficult circumstances through the scriptures. Pastoral care is a comprehensive approach to caring for people, whether in religious, healthcare, or community contexts. It combines spiritual guidance, emotional support, and practical assistance, inspired by the shepherding model of Jesus Christ and continues to evolve to meet the needs of diverse populations in modern society.
With that said, I would like you to know that even though I am part time, I intend to be your full time spiritual leader. I will be available to you on a 24/7 basis. I plan on visiting all of those who are unavailable to attend our service in person such as those who are in nursing homes, hospitals or home bound for whatever reason and talking with them so that we can get to know each other as well as bringing them communion.
I plan to send out an introduction of myself to these people so that they don’t have a total stranger knocking on their door! I am also planning on having set office hours for those who need to come in for a visit. Carla Salisbury asked me if I intended to make any changes. There is an old saying, “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”
Well, I do have one change. At the beginning of the service I intend to walk in with the acolyte as the light of Christ is brought into the sanctuary. And at the conclusion of the service after the benediction, I intend to walk with the acolyte as the light of Christ is brought into the world. Other than that, if you have any suggestions or concerns, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do to help. I am a firm believer in open communication. Because God gave me two ears and only one mouth, I have become a very attentive listener and only offer my opinion or advice when asked. I am also planning on attending the various committee meetings to get a better understanding of the logistics of this church and of any occurring issues. In the next few weeks I am hoping to get all of the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of every family member of this congregation.
Currently I am also the Chair of the Greeting Card Ministry at the Immanuel UMC in Camillus. I took on this mission after the predecessor passed away and nobody wanted to do it. I developed a spread sheet and once a month I send out birthday cards, anniversary cards, sympathy cards, etc. to those people for that month. I plan to get together with the head of Missions to see if we could do the same for this church. So, if I ask you for your date of birth, I just want the month and day, not the year. The same is true of your anniversary day. Any other time you require a card to be sent by the church please let me know. Early this past year the pastor’s group I belong to was informed by Maureen Berson that she would be leaving you and this wonderful church due to personal issues. That information was relayed to the Bishop’s office and it became an open church in need of an appointment. I met with my mentor, Pastor Jack Keating III, at the Immanuel UMC and discussed my desire to come here. He felt it would be a great opportunity for me to grow in my spirituality and enhance my ongoing faith journey.
I wrote two letters, one to the Bishop’s office and one to District Superintendent Dr. Sherri Rood asking for this assignment. I met with the SPRC and later met with Maureen Berson and Carla Salisbury. The rest is history.
Why this church? Why Minetto UMC? Because I don’t consider this as another church appointment.
I feel like I’ve come home.