Teamwork

1
Teamwork

• Pastoral care
• PCW/Agape Mission Programme
• North Wales Baptist College

2
In this session we will consider

• How do we provide pastoral care?
• Who is responsible for doing this?
• What is the motivation for pastoral care?

3
After considering these questions together we
should be

• Aware of the need for pastoral care
• Ready and confident to undertake this task
• Aware of opportunities within the Church to
  provide care for each other.

4
The Pastoral Motivation

• The motivation for all Church work is the love
  of God the Christian in every sphere of life,
  through worship and service, prayer and social
  action, seeks to respond to the Lords love
• Little children, let us not love in word or
  speech but in deed and in truth. (1 John 318).

5
The Early Church the New Testament example

• In the New Testament the Church is referred to as
  a household of faith (Gal 610), and it is
  described as caring for individuals, families and
  social groups joined in community in the
  fellowship of Jesus .

6
Stephen and six others were appointed to serve
tables (Acts 6 7)
7
Ministry and support

• Many groups within society offer support to
  people in varying circumstances by providing a
  listening ear, counselling and therapy.
• The Church also uses these methods to help
  people but it is more than a support group since
  its unique task is to bring people to Christ.

8
The Good Shepherd

• Jesus is the good shepherd (John 1011) who
  cares for his flock through the Church .
• The Church not only seeks to respond to peoples
  needs but also to lead them to Christ.
• In the Church love, faith, forgiveness and grace
  are mediated through prayer, worship, sacraments
  and fellowship this is the work of the Holy
  Spirit (Galatians 522).

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Who is responsible for care and pastoral work in
the local church?

• Traditionally this was the work of the minister
  the pastor called to preach and administer
  the sacraments and provide pastoral care.
• It was also recognized that other church leaders
  had a responsibility to pastor the flock.
• In practice there were some in every
  congregation who were more willing and able than
  others to provide pastoral care and did so
  instinctively.

10
The Pastoral Team

• All pastoral work within the local church will
  have to be co-ordinated and interlinked so that
  it will be adequate and effective.
• Pastoral care is the task of the whole
  congregation and involves caring for others as if
  Christ himself confronts us in them
• Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of
  the least of these my brethren, you did it to
  me. (Matthew 2540)

11
The Minister

• The task of the minister is to enable the
  congregation to undertake work in the world.
  Pastoral care and support is part and parcel of
  that work.
• This does not free the minister from all
  pastoral tasks on the contrary, the minister
  will lead and promote pastoral care.

12
The Elders/Deacons

• The PCW Elders Handbook gives great prominence
  to the task of providing pastoral care and
  support.
• It contains useful suggestions regarding
• - caring for members
• - visiting members in their homes
• - pastoral care of absent members
• - prayer
• - self-awareness
• You may like to use this handbook and apply its
  content to your own particular situation

13
The whole congregation

• Fellowship and friendship should flourish within
  a church
• Although church members often have varied
  backgrounds, personalities and viewpoints they
  ideally should accept each other within an open,
  friendly and supportive fellowship because of the
  love of Christ.

14
An open church affirms

• that no one is alone with his or her problems
• that no one has to conceal his or her
  disabilities
• that there are not some who have their say while
  others remain silent
• that neither the old nor the little ones are
  isolated
• that one bears the other even in disagreement and
  unpleasantness
• that one can also at times leave the other in
  peace when the other needs it

15
Before a congregation can be developed towards
pastoral care and support, it will have to be
recognized that

• the Church and her ministry exist to serve
• the Church is essentially people and that the
  life, experience and the struggles of people
  should determine the form and function of the
  church

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Communication

• Before pastoral care and support can be
  developed within a church, the needs and
  circumstances of the members will have to be
  known
• This will require the effective and prompt
  sharing of information. For example
• telling the minister or church secretary when
  somebody is ill or bereaved.
• If we do not know we cannot act!

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Contact should be regular and deliberate

• This can be achieved through a regularly
  published newsletter or magazine

18
On special occasions...

• a greeting card or a note of condolence can be
  very meaningful

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www.ourchurch.org.uk

• Some churches have a website giving not only
  information about services and meetings but also
  news of members etc
• the goal is to create a feeling of fellowship

20
Whos doing it?
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Everybody!

• Every group within the congregation, or even the
  whole church, could arrange a regular rota of
  visitors to support the work of the minister and
  elders
• Arrange visitors in pairs
• Identify proposed visits
• Provide a newsletter or greeting card to be
  distributed

22
Fellowship

• Traditionally sisterhood meetings were active in
  many churches.
• As well as socializing, the ladies would also
  visit the sick and the lonely.

23
Not only the sick and housebound

• Pastoral care and support should be a permanent
  feature of the whole life of the congregation and
  not something which occurs only at a time of
  crisis.
• Providing opportunities for sharing
  experiences, discussion and receiving
  information is essential.
• Doing so might be easier in a small, informal
  house group.

24
Comfort

• At times of bereavement or illness or personal
  difficulties, a friendly visit can be a source of
  comfort.
• Remember to
• act naturally
• avoid shows of false piety
• leave your personal problems at home
• respect confidentiality
• refrain from being judgemental

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The nature of pastoral care and support -
friendship

• listening
• sympathizing
• supporting
• encouraging
• Everyone brings his or her own talents to this
  work, but that might not always be enough, and
  those in need of specialist help should be
  encouraged to seek it .

26
I have other sheep

• The Church is also charged with providing
  pastoral care for the community.
• Nobody can do everything but each congregation
  can do something
• Is there a local pastoral need that your
  congregation can fulfil ?

27
Community support
28
Think

• How would you persuade somebody to undertake
  pastoral responsibility?
• What are your experiences of loneliness, illness
  or bereavement? Was the local church helpful?
  What sort of support would you have liked to
  receive?
• How many opportunities to discuss and share
  experiences does your church provide?
• Consider what opportunities to offer community
  support are available to your church? How could
  these be further examined?

29
Summary

• Motivation - why?
• Responsibility - who?
• Guidelines - how?
• Results - what?

30
Thank you

• Thank you for listening and responding
• We will look forward to the next session
• Who is responsible for making the arrangements?