Services
Joy Circle at First English Lutheran Church
A Stuart Circle Parish Council Ministry
First English Lutheran Church (FELC) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of Joy Circle on November 12, 2026! Joy Circle is a free, weekly gathering for neighbors living with early-to-mid-stage memory and for the family members who care for them. Each week, Joy Circle participants—we call them our Friends—enjoy music, art, and easy conversation with trained volunteers—whom we call Buddies. At the same time, their care partners can participate in a facilitated support group if they would like.
While located at FELC, Joy Circle is a Stuart Circle Parish Council (SCPC) ministry. SCPC is comprised of six neighboring churches and the PACE Center who collaborate on opportunities to serve the community. Members of the SCPC congregations will comprise the Joy Circle volunteer team.
Joy Circle is built on hospitality, dignity, and joy. Circle Center Adult Day Services, which created Joy Circle, provides the training and ongoing support.
For Care Partners & Families
What the support group offers you:
- A real break, every week
- The company of others who understand
- Information about memory loss and what’s ahead
- Practical guidance and encouragement
We’re here for you.
Caring for someone whose memory is changing can be an often lonely road. Joy Circle gives you a few hours that are genuinely yours—while your loved one is safe, engaged, and enjoying good company just down the hall.
During each session, you can feel free to go do what’s best for you. Or, if you’d like, you’re welcome to join a facilitated support group on-site with others walking the same road.
Is Joy Circle a fit?
- For adults in early-to-mid-stage memory loss
- Living at home
- Able to enjoy a small-group social setting
For Volunteers
Be a Buddy for the afternoon.
As a Joy Circle Buddy, you spend the session alongside one Friend—sharing conversation, music, and simple activities, so they feel safe and included. The hours you give are exactly what free their care partner to rest. In befriending one person, you lift two.
It asks nothing more than warmth and a little time—and most Buddies find they leave lighter than they came.
Why you’ll love it
- No experience or special skills needed
- Free training from Circle Center
- You pick the Thursdays that work for you
- 2 hours, and you’re never on your own
- A routine background check—simple and standard
- Learn more about being a Buddy
Coming November 12, 2026!
Schedule: Thursdays, 1:30–3:30 pm
Location: First English Lutheran Church
1603 Monument Ave.
Richmond, VA 23220
Contact:
Matt Thornhill, Joy Circle Administrator
mthornhill@circlecenterva.org