Pastoral Awareness

1
Pastoral Awareness

• Aim to explore the pastoral issues involved with
  children and reflect on practice.
• Learning outcomes
• to share insights about a variety of pastoral
  issues.
• to explore how power is used in working with
  children.
• to identify issues involved in providing a safe
  environment, physically, emotionally and
  spiritually, for children.

2
Pastoral Awareness Starter

• What might the leaders have felt when the trainer
  came in?
• How might they have reacted to the task?
• What might have happened next?

3
Power

• Who has the most power in the running of your
  childrens group?
• Give some examples of how leaders can use power
  to have a positive impact on a childrens group.
• Give some examples of how leaders can use power
  to have a negative impact on a childrens group.

4
Biblical thoughts

• Read Luke 241-50
• Who had the power in this situation?
• Why do you think Jesus parents failed to see the
  purpose of Jesus activity?
• Give examples of how we fail to allow children to
  express their opinions and how we devalue their
  role in the church.

5
Basics for a positive session

• To know they are welcome
• To see that their place is ready
• To be safe
• To have your attention
• To experience your skills
• To have quality resources

• To have your prayers
• To have your interest
• To be encouraged
• To know the boundaries
• To be engaged
• To know, by your attitude, Gods love

6
The five steps to risk assessment

• Identify the hazards What hazards could you
  envisage in the place where you meet and work?
• Identify who might be harmed Who is at risk?
  Identify groups and types of people, not
  individuals
• Identify existing controls What is in place to
  minimize the risks?
• Act Implement any further controls required and
  what needs to be updates or revised. What action
  needs to be taken to minimize the risks
  identified?
• Record your findings Who needs to be informed?

7
Risk assessment task

• How safe is the physical environment in which
  your group meets?
• Spend time in the kitchen. What are the good
  points? What are the potential hazards? How
  hygienic is it?
• How accessible is the building for those with
  special physical needs?
• Do you think safety would be affected when the
  premises is busy?
• What are the security arrangements?
• What action needs to be taken to make your
  premises safer for children?

8
Children dealing with loss

• Remember that when a family is grieving, small
  acts of kindness mean a great deal.
• Acknowledge that children grieve.
• Children need to know that it is OK to have all
  sorts of strong feelings, and these feelings
  might last for a while.
• Reassure children that they are in no way blamed
  for the loss.
• Give plenty of affection (as appropriate) to
  reassure children that they are cared about.
• Never assume that you know what they are feeling
  ask them.
• Recognise children have pastoral care to offer as
  well as receive.

9
Behaviour

• What words or forms of speech would you not use
  in front of a child, and why?
• In what ways do we control children in our
  childrens group? E.g. Can we run a childrens
  group without shouting.