How do you honor a faithful pastor?
(full disclosure…I am a Lead Pastor of a wonderful local church which blesses me and my wife abundantly, so this will not be posted on our church sites.)
Church Leadership
Pastoral Care – More Than Just Help for the Hurting
PASTORAL CARE – MORE THAN JUST HELP FOR THE HURTING
Pastoral care is more than simply help for the hurting. It is much more a holistic way of applying the discipleship process. And, indeed, pastoral care is globally the pastoral method integrating diverse aspects of prayerful action through fellowship within the activities of the life of a church. The church, from an interactional viewpoint, might exist to serve the community, but the pastor exists to “to shepherd… to take on the role of guiding, watching over, and protecting the entire flock.”
The church, as a community espousing community for the healing of the individual and the whole, understands that fellowship will deliver more than just help for the hurting. It develops something richer. Similarly, the pastor starts from where people are at. But, like Christ, the pastor is not content to leave them there. The pastor wants to take a person on toward Christ, and to that actual destination – the acquisition of the Holy Spirit through transformation of soul.
9 Considerations For Conducting a Pastoral Visit
9 CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONDUCTING A PASTORAL VISIT
VISITING with people in their home or work environment, pastorally, is something I’ve been doing regularly for nearly twenty years. Every time we step into someone else’s environment we do so as guests with certain privileges, but also with certain responsibilities.
These following considerations are worthy of reflection for any of us who conduct visitation:
1. Pray before you arrive: it’s good to ensure our hearts are prepared and our minds are attuned. On the way to a home or workplace I’ll try and envisage what the environment might look like, prepare myself for the greeting I’ll receive, and just generally psych myself into being myself. It’s important to be relaxed.
2. Call ahead if there’s any change to plan: it’s no good arriving early or late or with extra visitors. Catching people unawares is not a good way to start or maintain a friendship. It’s never good to surprise people.