You Think You Know…But You Have No Idea
You Think You Know…But You Have No Idea
I have come to the conclusion that pastoral care is so very important to effective ministry. More importantly, pastoral care is not only beneficial to the one receiving the care but also to the Pastor providing it. Pastoral care is: the broad, inclusive ministry of mutual growth and healing within a congregation.
“Pastoral counseling, for those who are not familiar, is the utilization of a variety of healing (therapeutic) methods to help people handle their personal problems, life destiny, and their relationship with God. The major functions of pastoral care and counseling are healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling. These are challenging and exciting functions of ministry: to be part of a process aimed at restoring persons to wholeness, helping a troubled person to endure and transcend a circumstance through faith that seems most difficult, assisting perplexed persons to assess their life situations and then make confident choices, and to be a part of a process of re-establishing broken relationships with others and God” (taken from the Lexington Theological Seminary website).
I say this because there are pastors/preachers who sit and prepare their Sunday sermon who have no idea as to the intricate challenges facing their congregations. Let me put it this way: You may know that Mr. Johnson is going through a divorce; or you may know that Mrs. Smith is waiting on the results from her biopsy; or that Ashley has become the newest teen pregnancy within your church; or that 9 months ago Deacon Andrews experienced the death of one of his children. The frightening part is that as pastor/preacher we can know these things but in truth have absolutely no idea as to the magnitude of struggle engaging our very own congregations.
I say that we have no ideas because until on has had several opportunities to dialogue with people in “crisis” we cannot begin to grasp the depths of their reality; of their pain; of their fear; of their notion of failure; or of their plan for success change.
I recently have been blessed by the presence of a young lady I am now offering pastoral care to. And I must say that this young lady has not only been through “hell and high water” but may have drowned several times and been resuscitated. And yet, by the grace of God, she has survived. As I listen to her experiences, I am both amazed and yet convicted. Amazed that she has survived such tragedy but I must say that I find myself convicted because I am fairly certain that I would not have been able to do the same. She inspires me to look deep within and consider reality beyond my own.
Several times this week in many of my classes’ pastoral care has been a central focus. Time and time again I hear stories of church members who go into the hospital, don’t see their pastors before, during or after surgery. What does this say about the church, the Christian Church—that is. The reality is that people lay in their hospital beds angry; initially with their pastor/church and eventually with God.
“God, why didn’t anyone come and see about me.”
Let me be clear, in that, I know that as mature Christians we aught to rely on God and not on others, but the reality is that we were created for relationship; first with God and then with others.
There is distinct difference between worship at home by yourself and corporate worship. There is a distinct difference between praying at home by yourself and corporate prayer. There is a distinct difference between study the bible on your own and engaging in bible study corporately. The reality is we need the members of the body to see about the body.
I say this particularly for pastors/preachers because I believe that our offering of pastoral care we could also benefit. When you know the reality of your congregation your sermons have to come alive; become real and relevant. I say this because now you are intimately aware of the needs of the audience. I think that the more intimately aware you are of the congregations needs the more easily you can discern the Holy Spirit.
As pastors/preachers we stand before the faces of our congregants and we think we know—but in truth—we have no idea. For example, women and children are being abused or men are addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sex. And these descriptions here simply tap at the surface. What and how is the abused being engaged? Why has he or she allowed it to go on so long? How can one get help? Does one want help? How did you get addicted in the first place? And so on….and so on…and so on. We need to hear the reality of our sheep.
I say this because when most churches reach a certain size one of two things happen? Either, the majority of pastors stop offering pastoral care because the rest of the ministerial staff can do so. Or, the pastor offers pastoral care sessions for a very small and limited part of the week…making continued sessions not a realistic option.
However, I think that if pastors could commit to some form of pastoral care, even if it’s just two cases, with persons on a regular basis (bi-monthly at least) I think it would be beneficial to all involved. Because the reality is, how can we preach prosperity if we don’t know form the mouths of our own congregations that children have gone hungry for days on end and the second eviction notice has been fixed to the door?
Well I’m just getting this entire thing out of my heart and onto the computer. I am not thinking it all the way through, but I am attempting to put it out there for some dialogue. Let me know what you think…or perhaps you have no idea.
I have come to the conclusion that pastoral care is so very important to effective ministry. More importantly, pastoral care is not only beneficial to the one receiving the care but also to the Pastor providing it. Pastoral care is: the broad, inclusive ministry of mutual growth and healing within a congregation.
“Pastoral counseling, for those who are not familiar, is the utilization of a variety of healing (therapeutic) methods to help people handle their personal problems, life destiny, and their relationship with God. The major functions of pastoral care and counseling are healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling. These are challenging and exciting functions of ministry: to be part of a process aimed at restoring persons to wholeness, helping a troubled person to endure and transcend a circumstance through faith that seems most difficult, assisting perplexed persons to assess their life situations and then make confident choices, and to be a part of a process of re-establishing broken relationships with others and God” (taken from the Lexington Theological Seminary website).
I say this because there are pastors/preachers who sit and prepare their Sunday sermon who have no idea as to the intricate challenges facing their congregations. Let me put it this way: You may know that Mr. Johnson is going through a divorce; or you may know that Mrs. Smith is waiting on the results from her biopsy; or that Ashley has become the newest teen pregnancy within your church; or that 9 months ago Deacon Andrews experienced the death of one of his children. The frightening part is that as pastor/preacher we can know these things but in truth have absolutely no idea as to the magnitude of struggle engaging our very own congregations.
I say that we have no ideas because until on has had several opportunities to dialogue with people in “crisis” we cannot begin to grasp the depths of their reality; of their pain; of their fear; of their notion of failure; or of their plan for success change.
I recently have been blessed by the presence of a young lady I am now offering pastoral care to. And I must say that this young lady has not only been through “hell and high water” but may have drowned several times and been resuscitated. And yet, by the grace of God, she has survived. As I listen to her experiences, I am both amazed and yet convicted. Amazed that she has survived such tragedy but I must say that I find myself convicted because I am fairly certain that I would not have been able to do the same. She inspires me to look deep within and consider reality beyond my own.
Several times this week in many of my classes’ pastoral care has been a central focus. Time and time again I hear stories of church members who go into the hospital, don’t see their pastors before, during or after surgery. What does this say about the church, the Christian Church—that is. The reality is that people lay in their hospital beds angry; initially with their pastor/church and eventually with God.
“God, why didn’t anyone come and see about me.”
Let me be clear, in that, I know that as mature Christians we aught to rely on God and not on others, but the reality is that we were created for relationship; first with God and then with others.
There is distinct difference between worship at home by yourself and corporate worship. There is a distinct difference between praying at home by yourself and corporate prayer. There is a distinct difference between study the bible on your own and engaging in bible study corporately. The reality is we need the members of the body to see about the body.
I say this particularly for pastors/preachers because I believe that our offering of pastoral care we could also benefit. When you know the reality of your congregation your sermons have to come alive; become real and relevant. I say this because now you are intimately aware of the needs of the audience. I think that the more intimately aware you are of the congregations needs the more easily you can discern the Holy Spirit.
As pastors/preachers we stand before the faces of our congregants and we think we know—but in truth—we have no idea. For example, women and children are being abused or men are addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sex. And these descriptions here simply tap at the surface. What and how is the abused being engaged? Why has he or she allowed it to go on so long? How can one get help? Does one want help? How did you get addicted in the first place? And so on….and so on…and so on. We need to hear the reality of our sheep.
I say this because when most churches reach a certain size one of two things happen? Either, the majority of pastors stop offering pastoral care because the rest of the ministerial staff can do so. Or, the pastor offers pastoral care sessions for a very small and limited part of the week…making continued sessions not a realistic option.
However, I think that if pastors could commit to some form of pastoral care, even if it’s just two cases, with persons on a regular basis (bi-monthly at least) I think it would be beneficial to all involved. Because the reality is, how can we preach prosperity if we don’t know form the mouths of our own congregations that children have gone hungry for days on end and the second eviction notice has been fixed to the door?
Well I’m just getting this entire thing out of my heart and onto the computer. I am not thinking it all the way through, but I am attempting to put it out there for some dialogue. Let me know what you think…or perhaps you have no idea.
