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The Rev. Dr. Hank Maertens, Grief Recovery Ministry
Pastor Hank Maertens - Pastor, part-time
I serve as the Facilitator/Counselor for the Grief Recovery Ministry at First Lutheran, which includes a variety of grief workshops and an on-going grief support group. I am also available for individual grief counseling. |
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E-mail: hhmaertens@msn.com |
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PASTORAL STAFF Senior Pastor
Associate Pastor
Associate Pastor
Grief Recovery LAY STAFF Director of Youth Ministry
Dir. of Christian Education
Dir. Of Group Ministries
Associate in Ministry, Director of Music
Organist/Instrumental Music
Director of Special Events And Programs
Director of Lay Ministry
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The Rev. Dr. Hank Maertens, has been a member of our congregation for nine years. He is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent 45 years in active ministry serving churches in Huntington, New York; Rhinebeck, New York and Brewster, New York. Most recently he has been part of the team of three pastors who served Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, serving as an interim pastor. He has also served our congregation visiting shut-ins, preaching at Saturday and Sunday evening and Good Friday worship services. Pastor Maertens is a professionally trained counselor. He has a Master of Science Degree in Counseling from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York and a Doctor of Ministry from Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. He also founded and directed a widow and widower’s support group and led that group for 30 years. During that time he authored the “Widow and Widower's Handbook”, a guide to help people through the first three years of grief. This handbook is an accumulation of wisdom gathered from his academic training, experience in counseling widows and widowers in the past 35 years and his personal journey through grief having grieved the death of his parents, brother and wife, Ruth Ann Mason Maertens. He now lives in Woodland Park with his second wife, Sally McCracken Maertens. Pastor Hank Maertens has been a great help over the past few years by counseling First Lutheran members in grief recovery. Because of the number of members seeking this counseling, it seems prudent to formalize this ministry, which will include: • Contacting bereaved members and advising them of his services. • Being available to members for one to a maximum of five counseling sessions as needed. • A grief group will be formed if there is a need. • Pastor Maertens will also be a part of the training of our Christian Care Givers and support their visitation ministry. You may call Pastor Maertens at his home number, 687-9204, or the church at 632-8836 for additional information or an appointment. |