10/13/2026
✝
Chaplaincy - Ministry of Presence
The Mid-Fall Edition | October–November 2026
Rev. David Stenske | .Community & Healthcare Chaplain
God's Bible Chapel
The Changing Seasons of Life
As October gives way to November, the warm days of summer have become a distant memory.
The leaves are changing colors, the air is growing cooler, and the familiar rhythms of fall have settled into our lives.
Jacob and Noah are well into another school year, and I find myself wondering where the time has gone.
It seems like only yesterday they were little boys, and now I watch them growing into young men.
As a father, there is joy in watching them grow, but also a certain bittersweetness in knowing that these moments pass all too quickly.
Life is full of changing seasons.
Some we welcome with excitement, while others bring uncertainty, challenges, and even sorrow.
Yet through every season, God's faithfulness remains constant.
I see these changing seasons in my work as a chaplain.
Each day brings people who are experiencing changes of their own.
Some are facing illness, others are navigating loss, and still others are searching for hope and reassurance in uncertain circumstances.
And while I cannot stop the seasons from changing or remove every difficulty someone faces, I can offer something meaningful: a listening ear, a compassionate heart, and a faithful presence.
ABOUT THIS MINISTRY
Rev. David Stenske serves as a Community & Healthcare Chaplain, providing compassionate spiritual care, presence, and prayer to patients, families, healthcare staff, and people throughout the community.
Sponsored by God's Bible Chapel, this ministry seeks to bring the comfort and hope of Christ into hospitals, care facilities, and the everyday places where people need someone to walk beside them.
That is the heart of this ministry.
As you read this Mid-Fall Edition, I invite you to come alongside me and see how God continues to work through the simple but powerful ministry of being present.
Beyond the Hospital Door: A Ministry of Presence
When I walk into a hospital room, I don't always know what I will encounter.
Sometimes a patient wants prayer. Sometimes a family needs comfort. Sometimes someone simply needs another person who is willing to slow down, listen, and stay.
Recently, I met an elderly gentleman who was unable to speak.
When I entered his room, I could see that he was scared.
Communication was difficult, and it was clear that he had things he wanted to say.
So I stayed.
I pulled out my notebook.
I would speak to him, and he would write his responses back to me. Slowly, we began to communicate.
He was able to express his questions and concerns, and I was able to help get those questions answered.
As we continued, the healthcare staff were better able to understand what he was trying to communicate and respond to his needs.
There was nothing complicated about what happened.
It simply required someone willing to give him patience and time.
That experience reminded me of an important part of healthcare chaplaincy: every patient deserves to be heard - even when hearing them requires us to slow down.
Chaplaincy is not always a prayer at the bedside or a Scripture reading. Sometimes it means becoming a bridge between a frightened patient and the people caring for him. Sometimes it means noticing what others, through no fault of their own in a busy healthcare environment, may not have had the time to notice.
And sometimes ministry looks like nothing more extraordinary than a chaplain, a frightened patient, a notebook, and enough time to listen.
Sometimes it just takes patience and time.
Caring for Those Who Care
Healthcare chaplaincy is not limited to patients and their families. Sometimes the person who needs a listening ear and a caring presence is the nurse or healthcare worker who has spent the entire day caring for everyone else.
Healthcare workers carry tremendous responsibility.
They care for frightened patients, support concerned families, respond to emergencies, work through demanding schedules, and sometimes walk alongside people during the most difficult moments of their lives.
In the midst of all of this, healthcare workers need to be heard.
They need to know that someone cares about them, and they need to be reminded that what they do matters.
That is an important part of my ministry in the hospital.
Sometimes I listen while someone talks about a difficult day.
Sometimes I offer encouragement or prayer.
Other times, it may simply be a brief conversation that gives someone a chance to stop for a moment and know that they have been seen.
They don't always need someone to solve the problem.
Sometimes they simply need someone who will listen without judgment and recognize the weight they are carrying.
The people who care for others need care, too.
A Ministry of Presence means being available not only to the person lying in the hospital bed, but also to the people standing beside it.
A Reflection from Scripture
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
- James 1:19 (NIV)
There is something deeply pastoral about listening.
We often feel that helping someone means finding the right words to say. We want to offer an answer, solve the problem, or somehow make things better.
Yet Scripture reminds us that there is also wisdom in being quick to listen.
I am learning again and again through chaplaincy that listening is itself an act of care.
Sometimes it means giving a frightened patient enough time to communicate what he needs. Sometimes it means sitting with a family that is struggling to make sense of what is happening. Sometimes it means listening to an overwhelmed healthcare worker who needs to know that someone sees them, cares about them, and recognizes that what they do matters.
We cannot fix every situation that we encounter.
We cannot take away every fear, answer every question, or carry every burden.
But we can listen.
We can be present.
And through that presence, we can remind another person that they are not invisible, their voice matters, and they do not have to carry everything alone.
Perhaps one of the simplest ways we can reflect the compassion of Christ is to give another person something increasingly rare:
our undivided attention.
Amen.
Looking Ahead
As the fall season is in full swing, I look forward to continuing the work God has placed before me.
My priorities in the coming months will include continuing my ministry of presence in the hospital and healthcare facilities, providing spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, and healthcare staff.
I will also continue laying the groundwork for Community Connections, growing our weekly Bible study at McDonald's, and overseeing the Food Pantry as we work to meet practical needs within our community.
Each of these opportunities may look different, but they share a common purpose: meeting people where they are and walking beside them with compassion, hope, and the presence of Christ.
I am grateful for your continued prayers as this ministry moves forward into a new season.
Prayer Requests
As we enter this new season of ministry, I ask that you continue to keep this work and the people we serve in your prayers.
Patients and families facing illness, uncertainty, difficult decisions, grief, and loneliness.
Nurses and healthcare staff who carry tremendous responsibilities each day. Pray that they would find strength, encouragement, and support as they care for others.
Community Connections as we continue laying the groundwork and building relationships with organizations that can help connect people with needed resources.
Our weekly Bible study at McDonald's that it will continue to grow and provide a welcoming place for people to gather around God's Word.
The Food Pantry that we will have the resources needed to serve individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
Wisdom, strength, and endurance for me that I will recognize where God is calling me to be present and faithfully serve the people He places in my path.
Thank you for standing with this ministry in prayer.
Your prayers are an important part of this work.
Ministry Needs
As this ministry continues to serve people in healthcare facilities and throughout the community, there are several practical ways you can help.
Food Pantry Needs
Our Food Pantry is in need of non-perishable food donations.
As we continue serving individuals and families in our community, keeping the pantry stocked is an ongoing need.
Donations of canned goods, boxed foods, shelf-stable items, and other non-perishable groceries help us provide practical assistance to our neighbors when they need it most.
Healthcare Ministry Needs
We also continue to need Bibles and devotionals, especially large-print editions, as well as puzzle books and short-story collections for patients and residents in healthcare and care facilities.
Whether it is providing food to a family or placing an encouraging resource into the hands of a patient or resident, these donations allow us to care for people in practical and meaningful ways.
An Invitation to Partner
This ministry continues because people believe in the importance of being present with others during the moments when they need someone most.
Your prayers, encouragement, financial support, and partnership help make it possible for me to continue serving patients, families, and healthcare workers while also reaching people throughout our community.
If you believe in this work, I invite you to prayerfully consider becoming a partner in this ministry.
Whether through prayer, a one-time gift, ongoing monthly support, or simply sharing this ministry with others, your partnership makes a difference.
Ways to Give
ONLINE GIVING
PayPal:
https://www.paypal.me/godsbiblechapel
Venmo:
https://venmo.com/code?user_id=4373123084321964916&created=1775937674
BY MAIL
God's Bible Chapel
PO Box 43
St. Clair, MI 48079
Please make checks payable to God's Bible Chapel.
Together, we can continue bringing compassionate spiritual care, presence, prayer, and the hope of Christ into hospital rooms, healthcare facilities, and the everyday places where people need someone to walk beside them.
Thank you for being part of this ministry.
Staying Connected
If you have a prayer need, need pastoral or spiritual support, or would simply like to learn more about this ministry, please don't hesitate to reach out.
I would be honored to hear from you and pray with you.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 734-837-0540
Ministry Page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1EQKQ2eiZR/
Mailing Address:
PO Box 43
St. Clair, MI 48079
You can also follow the ministry page on Facebook for updates, reflections, and news about what is happening throughout the ministry.
Closing Blessing
May the Lord give you ears to hear those whose voices are often overlooked,
eyes to see those who need compassion,
and a heart willing to make room for another.
May Christ strengthen you in your own seasons of change,
give you peace when the way ahead is uncertain,
and remind you that even the smallest acts of kindness and presence can make a difference in someone's life.
May you know the presence of Christ,
and may you carry His presence with you wherever you go.
Amen.
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and partnership in this ministry.
In Christ's service,
Rev. David Stenske
Community & Healthcare Chaplain
God's Bible Chapel
