Looking for a simple, intimate way to extend your pastoral presence? Laura Heikes reminds us that a voicemail prayer only takes a few seconds to record but can be replayed for hours, days, or long nights of waiting.
“Leave a message at the beep.”
One of the best innovations in my pastoral ministry happened entirely by accident. A sassy, compassionate, irrepressible member of my church was in the hospital with leukemia, but her condition was so delicate that I never felt fully safe visiting. I didn’t want to unknowingly carry in a cold or a small bug which—minor to most—could be dangerous to her. So, I called and FaceTimed instead. One day, when the call rolled to voicemail, I left a prayer as my message.
My parishioner and her family loved it. They later told me they played the prayer dozens of times: in the middle of the night, on the way to the next infusion, when the waiting felt bitter. I left another voicemail prayer. And another. Their gratitude was so sincere that the next time someone fell sick, I left a message on their phone with a prayer. What has amazed me is how meaningful these prayers have become.
Voicemail prayers quickly became a regular part of my pastoral care. I still encourage connecting in person whenever possible, but phone or FaceTime work well too. At the end of the visit—after you’ve already prayed with them—offer to call later and leave a voicemail prayer. Ask if you can address any particular needs in that second prayer. Do they need a prayer for long nights? For an early morning procedure? For the final hours of hospice? You can either record a voice memo and text it (my favorite option, because it can be titled and re-shared) or leave a traditional voicemail.
Timely
Voicemail prayers allow you to pray when the patient or their family is most in need. Families have shared that in the middle of the night, when anxiety is rising or a loved one is struggling to breathe, they play the prayer. They say it feels like I’m in the room with them—praying right when they need it most. One woman, dying of cancer, would lift her hand to signal her family to play my voicemail. She asked again and again. I prayed with her throughout that long night in a way I never could have otherwise.
Expanded Reach
Voicemail prayers also extend pastoral presence. When I learn late about a surgery or have a parishioner hospitalized in another town, I leave a voicemail prayer. These prayers allow me to be in places I couldn’t physically be. I’ve prayed before surgeries in towns hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of miles away, all from my church or home.
These voicemail prayers don’t replace in-person ministry, but when used to supplement it, they are a gift—unexpected, intimate, and deeply comforting.
Related Resources
- Relationships are the Key Ingredient in Successful Outreach by Doug Powe
- How to Develop a Social Media Strategy That Enhances Your Ministry by Scott Holthaus
- Finding Sanctuary: Ministries With Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers featuring Elizabeth Shulman | Watch the Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Listen to the podcast audio version | Read the in-depth interview
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