{"id":2827,"date":"2026-08-18T06:49:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T13:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/?page_id=2220"},"modified":"2026-08-23T11:57:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T18:57:36","slug":"support","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/","title":{"rendered":"Support and Pastoral Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-threshold bf-img-1\" id=\"section_848208326\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1656467511\">\n\t<div id=\"col-1981534799\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner text-center\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-2351163598\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<!-- BLOOM_IMAGE_NEEDED: a plain wooden chair turned to face a second empty chair in warm low light, no people, no altar -->\n<span class=\"bf-eyebrow\">SUPPORT<\/span>\n<h1 class=\"bf-h1\">Someone is at this door.<span class=\"bf-turn\">You do not have to explain yourself first.<\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"bf-rule\" style=\"margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"bf-lede\">This is where pastoral care for trans people, disabled people, and anyone shut out of a church actually happens. You can ask for a conversation, a group, prayer, or emergency numbers. Nothing here has a fee, and nothing here requires you to believe anything in particular.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bf-actions\" style=\"margin-top:40px\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/pastoral-care\/\" class=\"bf-btn bf-btn-primary\">Ask a pastor <span class=\"bf-arrow\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/crisis\/\" class=\"bf-btn bf-btn-ghost\">If you are in crisis<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_848208326 {\n  padding-top: 90px;\n  padding-bottom: 90px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_848208326 {\n    padding-top: 150px;\n    padding-bottom: 150px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-doorssec\" id=\"section_455040499\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1468199433\">\n\t<div id=\"col-872467186\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-1837877383\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<span class=\"bf-eyebrow bf-eyebrow-left\">SIX DOORS<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"bf-h2\">Pick the one that <em>matches today.<\/em><\/h2><div class=\"bf-rule\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-doors bf-doors-3\">\n<a class=\"bf-door\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/pastoral-care\/\"><span class=\"bf-door-n\">I<\/span>\n<h3>Ask a Pastor<\/h3><p>One conversation at a time, by message or voice. The Ordinary answers these personally.<\/p><span class=\"bf-door-go\">Write to the Chancery \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a class=\"bf-door\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/exiled\/\"><span class=\"bf-door-n\">II<\/span>\n<h3>If Your Church Shut the Door<\/h3><p>For people told to leave, and for people who worked out that staying was not survivable.<\/p><span class=\"bf-door-go\">Come back in \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a class=\"bf-door\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/grief\/\"><span class=\"bf-door-n\">III<\/span>\n<h3>Grief<\/h3><p>Deaths, and every loss the world declines to count. Grief here is never ranked or scheduled.<\/p><span class=\"bf-door-go\">Bring the loss \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a class=\"bf-door\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/prayer-requests\/\"><span class=\"bf-door-n\">IV<\/span>\n<h3>Prayer Requests<\/h3><p>Private by default, read by the Ordinary only. You may ask without believing in prayer.<\/p><span class=\"bf-door-go\">Send a request \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a class=\"bf-door\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/groups\/\"><span class=\"bf-door-n\">V<\/span>\n<h3>Faith-Dimension Groups<\/h3><p>Religious trauma, deconstruction, grief with a faith dimension, the exiled. Enrolment is open.<\/p><span class=\"bf-door-go\">Enrol \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a class=\"bf-door\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/crisis\/\"><span class=\"bf-door-n\">VI<\/span>\n<h3>If You Are in Crisis<\/h3><p>Numbers that answer now, and what to do in the next ten minutes. Help first, prayer second.<\/p><span class=\"bf-door-go\">Get help now \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_455040499 {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 80px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_455040499 {\n    padding-top: 130px;\n    padding-bottom: 130px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-declsec bf-light\" id=\"section_1996446020\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-350355958\">\n\t<div id=\"col-242421136\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-674277430\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<span class=\"bf-eyebrow bf-eyebrow-left\">CONFIDENTIALITY<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"bf-h2\">What you say here <em>stays where you put it.<\/em><\/h2><div class=\"bf-rule\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-decl\"><p class=\"bf-decl-art\">On confidence<\/p>\n<p class=\"bf-decl-t\">What you share is held in confidence within the limits of the law. <em>No name reaches a prayer list, ever, unless you ask for that in writing.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-decl\"><p class=\"bf-decl-art\">On sharing<\/p>\n<p class=\"bf-decl-t\">Nothing is passed between Bloom programs without your explicit consent. <em>Asking the church for prayer does not put you in a grant file, a mailing list, or a case note somewhere else.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-decl\"><p class=\"bf-decl-art\">On the limits<\/p>\n<p class=\"bf-decl-t\">Oregon clergy are mandatory reporters of child abuse under ORS 419B.010, and the clergy-penitent privilege at ORS 40.260 is narrow. <em>The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline is 855-503-SAFE (855-503-7233), and that duty is not dispensable, even by the Ordinary.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_1996446020 {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 80px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_1996446020 {\n    padding-top: 130px;\n    padding-bottom: 130px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-splitsec\" id=\"section_955139202\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-217745458\">\n\t<div id=\"col-1163058346\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-966053254\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<div class=\"bf-split bf-split-wide bf-split-flip\">\n<div class=\"bf-split-media bf-img-2\"><span class=\"bf-ph\">A circle of<br>folding chairs<br>in a lit room<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span class=\"bf-eyebrow bf-eyebrow-left\">NOT EVERYTHING IS CHURCH<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"bf-h2\">Some help should not <em>require walking into a church.<\/em><\/h2><div class=\"bf-rule\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"bf-p\">The groups on this site are the ones with a faith dimension \u2014 religious trauma, deconstruction, exile. The general community groups are different: trans peer support, caregivers, disability. Those live on the main Bloom site, deliberately, so that someone who is done with churches can reach a room full of people without going through one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bf-p\">If that is you, go straight there. Nobody will ask you why you skipped this page, and no one from those groups reports back to the Chancery.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bf-actions\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/what-we-do\/\" class=\"bf-btn bf-btn-primary\">Community groups on the main site <span class=\"bf-arrow\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_955139202 {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 80px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_955139202 {\n    padding-top: 130px;\n    padding-bottom: 130px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-stepssec bf-light\" id=\"section_1378858358\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1152990148\">\n\t<div id=\"col-1019816928\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-2861383259\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<span class=\"bf-eyebrow bf-eyebrow-left\">HOW TO REACH US<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"bf-h2\">Four sentences is <em>a complete request.<\/em><\/h2><div class=\"bf-rule\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-steps\">\n<div class=\"bf-step\"><h3>Write, in whatever shape it comes out<\/h3><p>Use the form on any support page. Bad grammar, no context, and one line at 3am are all fine.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-step\"><h3>Say how it is safe to answer you<\/h3><p>Tell us whether email is safe, whether a name may be used, and whether anyone else reads your messages. That instruction is followed exactly.<\/p><span class=\"bf-step-gate\">Followed without exception<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-step\"><h3>Expect a reply within a day or two<\/h3><p>The Ordinary answers these personally. If it has been longer than that, the message did not arrive \u2014 send it again.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"bf-step\"><h3>Decide what happens next<\/h3><p>A conversation, a referral, a group, prayer, or nothing further. You are never obligated to a second exchange.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_1378858358 {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 80px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_1378858358 {\n    padding-top: 130px;\n    padding-bottom: 130px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-faqsec\" id=\"section_112645745\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1374208241\">\n\t<div id=\"col-1949490972\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-1445618647\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<span class=\"bf-eyebrow bf-eyebrow-left\">PLAIN ANSWERS<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"bf-h2\">The questions people <em>ask before they ask.<\/em><\/h2><div class=\"bf-rule\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div class=\"accordion bf-faq\">\n\t<div id=\"accordion-1217940000\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-1217940000-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-do-i-need-to-believe-in-god-for-any-of-this-to-matter?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-1217940000-content\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Do I need to believe in God for any of this to matter?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-1217940000-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-1217940000-label\">\n\t\t\tNo. Pastoral care for trans people at Bloom is offered on the basis that you are a person in front of another person. Atheists, agnostics, and people who cannot say what they believe anymore use this support constantly, and nobody is going to work on you.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-372645891\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-372645891-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-does-it-cost-anything?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-372645891-content\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Does it cost anything?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-372645891-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-372645891-label\">\n\t\t\tNothing here has a fee. Not conversations, not groups, not prayer, not any sacrament.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3844710646\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3844710646-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-do-i-have-to-join-anything?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3844710646-content\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Do I have to join anything?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3844710646-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3844710646-label\">\n\t\t\tNo. You can use every door on this page without ever becoming a member, being baptized, or attending worship.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-443971970\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-443971970-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-is-this-therapy?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-443971970-content\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Is this therapy?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-443971970-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-443971970-label\">\n\t\t\tNo. Pastoral care is accompaniment, not clinical treatment. Nothing here diagnoses or treats a condition, and referral to an affirming clinician is treated as a duty rather than a failure.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3239890433\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3239890433-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-are-you-in-communion-with-rome?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3239890433-content\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Are you in communion with Rome?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3239890433-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3239890433-label\">\n\t\t\tNo. The Church of Bloom is Independent Catholic and keeps the Roman Rite of 1962, but it is not in communion with Rome and claims no Roman faculties, jurisdiction, or recognition of its orders. Rome holds otherwise on much of what is written here.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div id=\"accordion-3046209461\" class=\"accordion-item\">\n\t\t<a id=\"accordion-3046209461-label\" class=\"accordion-title plain\" href=\"#accordion-item-what-if-i-need-money,-food,-or-housing-help-rather-than-a-pastor?\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-3046209461-content\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle\"><i class=\"icon-angle-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>What if I need money, food, or housing help rather than a pastor?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div id=\"accordion-3046209461-content\" class=\"accordion-inner\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-3046209461-label\">\n\t\t\tAsk the main site instead. Material assistance is handled through the request-assistance page and does not run through the church.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_112645745 {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 80px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_112645745 {\n    padding-top: 130px;\n    padding-bottom: 130px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n\t<section class=\"section bf-ctasec\" id=\"section_1097264660\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1084977077\">\n\t<div id=\"col-1912957927\" class=\"col medium-12 large-12\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner text-center\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<div id=\"text-1767839118\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n<span class=\"bf-eyebrow\">START ANYWHERE<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"bf-h2\">You do not need the right door.<br><em>You need any door.<\/em><\/h2>\n<p class=\"bf-lede\" style=\"margin:0 auto 36px\">If you cannot tell which of the six fits, write to the Chancery and say so. Sorting it out is the work, not a prerequisite for it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bf-actions\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/support\/pastoral-care\/\" class=\"bf-btn bf-btn-primary\">Ask a pastor <span class=\"bf-arrow\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/crisis-support\/\" class=\"bf-btn bf-btn-ghost\">Ask for material help<\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_1097264660 {\n  padding-top: 80px;\n  padding-bottom: 80px;\n}\n@media (min-width:550px) {\n  #section_1097264660 {\n    padding-top: 130px;\n    padding-bottom: 130px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2827","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2827"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3119,"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2827\/revisions\/3119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloomministries.org\/faith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}