Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) is committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.
The Rev. Sharon Stalkfleet
Contact Info for the Rev. Sharon Stalkfleet: Sharon currently serves the Lutheran Ministry to Nursing Homes, a joint outreach ministry of St. Paul Lutheran, Resurrection Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran in Oakland,CA and Trinity Lutheran Church Alameda, CA through the East Bay Lutheran Parish. Lutheran Ministry to Nursing Homes (where love is ageless)
The vision of this ministry began in 1998. Early on the goal was to call a person from the roster of the Extraordinary Candidacy Project (ECP) to be a chaplain for this ministry. In 1999 candidates were sought, but no one was available, so the ministry was put on hold. In the summer of 2001 it was revived, and this time, candidates from both ELCA and ECP were accepted. In the spring of 2002, I was selected for the position of chaplain. I was ordained on May 12, 2002 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oakland, Calif. Initially I was issued calls from four congregations: Resurrection, St. Paul and Trinity Lutheran Churches (Oakland) and Trinity Lutheran Church (Alameda). Immanuel Lutheran Church (Alameda) issued a call to me in January of 2003. Bethlehem Lutheran (Oakland) and Lutheran Church of the Cross (Berkeley) also support this ministry. I am a bisexual woman in a relationship with a wonderful woman and on the roster of the Extraordinary Candidacy Project. I am pleased that this ministry serves people in nursing homes and serves to resist the policy of the ELCA that denies people in same gender relationships from serving as clergy. I am able to use the gifts I have to serve in an incredible ministry with a committed group of congregations. A key point in the development of the LMNH has been a relationship with Eldergivers, formerly San Francisco Bay Ministry to Nursing Homes. Eldergivers seeks to uplift the gifts of the elderly. The philosophy of Eldergivers and its executive director, Brent Nettle, has significantly shaped LMNH. It opens our eyes to see that the residents have much to share and puts our work in the frame of a mutual ministry. The Lutheran Ministry to Nursing Homes has three objectives: chaplaincy, advocacy, and building relationships with volunteers from the participating congregations. Each week, I routinely go to four nursing homes, three in Oakland and one in Alameda. These nursing homes, primarily funded by Medicare and Medi-Cal, had no chaplain in their facilities because they do not have the same resources as privately funded institutions. Many of the people in nursing homes have few or no visitors, and little or no spiritual care. One of the joys of my role is working with volunteers. Many people are passionate about being with the elderly, and this ministry is a way for their passions to flow. There are a The interesting thing about the four people who brought the paralytic to Jesus is that they experienced the blessing of Jesus, the love of God. The LMNH ministry allows all of us to experience the love of God. It is a joy to get to know people, their stories, their gifts, to be with them in their joy and sadness, even to be with people who cannot talk and knowing that God is with them too. It is truly a fulfilling ministry! Mildred, one of our volunteers, said it best, “You get much more out of it than you give.” ‚ ——————————————————— If you would like more information, please feel free to contact : sstalkfleet@hotmail.com |
In the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, there is a story of four men who dig a hole through a dirt roof to place a paralyzed man in front of Jesus so the man might be healed. The four men acted out of faith to bring one who is easily forgotten into the center of community. Today there are many elderly and disabled people living in nursing homes. They are unable to be a part of the mainstream of society, and because of this and other factors, many tend to be forgotten. The Lutheran Ministry to Nursing Homes (LMNH) seeks to bring people who have been forgotten in nursing homes back into the center of community and give them a central place in our lives.
variety of ways that volunteers connect with people in the nursing homes—from individual visits to group activities. Volunteers include people of all ages and abilities. As time goes on we find more and more creative ways to connect with the nursing homes. 