Pastoral Care
PILLAR
Thriving churches have members who actively care for one another. This can be as simple as noticing when someone is “missing” on a Sunday morning or struggling with something difficult, and taking the time to reach out and care. There is a caring atmosphere.
In addition, thriving congregations often have a group of people who are trained on up-to-date ‘best practices’ in the ministry of pastoral care. Together with parish clergy, they seek to meet the pastoral needs of the community through prayer, companionship, and timely reception of the sacraments.
What Is Pastoral Care?
The word pastoral comes from "pasture"—the field where sheep graze. In the Bible, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, the one who knows and loves his sheep.
When the Church offers pastoral care, we are sharing in that same love and care of the Good Shepherd. We are called to notice those who are lost, hurting, or in need, and to bring them comfort, hope, and belonging in Christ.
In our worship, bishops carry a shepherd’s crook to show their calling to care for the flock of God. All clergy, bishops, priests and deacons share in this calling and help to care for people in every parish.
But this work does not belong only to the clergy. All Christians are part of Christ’s body, and all of us are called to show love and care for one another. In fact, regular pastoral visits by lay team members are a mark of a thriving parish, as they can be done more frequently than by clergy only, and they allow for continuity in the community when clergy are called to another parish. Clergy are called to pastoral care with a community rather than for a community.