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by Kathy J. Smith (Author)
Write the vision. Make it plain. Pastoral care ministry benefits the church and its constituency, as well as the team members delivering the care. Personal spiritual growth, corporate body growth and healing for the hurting are just a few of the many benefits that can be gleaned from participation on a pastoral care team. The objective of this book is to paint a picture of effective pastoral care; using your mind as the canvas and revelation as the brush, to impart the vision. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) states: "Without a vision the people perish." The NASB states, "Where there is no vision (revelation) the people go unrestrained." Without vision, people have no direction, like a river with no shore, left to wander aimlessly without guidance or parameters. How can one prepare, strategize, and enact a plan that will take you to the finish line if you have no vision to guide you? Habakkuk said, write the vision. Why? So that he who reads it may run with it. We want you to run with it, so the impartation is imminent. We wish to impress upon your own personal canvas, a vision for effective pastoral care. It is then your responsibility to act on the vision, pick up the baton and run the race. Now is the time to make it happen; as we endeavor to do the work of the Lord. See you at the finish line God Speed Why is Pastoral Care Important? To Avoid Losing People in the Cracks This is what the people in the community could be saying about your church.......... - "I wish my church was as supportive and caring as your church " - "That church knows how to love on its congregation What a fantastic group of people. " - "Your church is the best cared for flock in the region " A good quality Pastoral Care Ministry can decrease the incidence of people going MIA inside the four walls of your local church. What is a MIA you might ask? MIAs are the people of your body that are Missing in Action. You know, those people that come to visit once, twice, or maybe even three times; and then they are never seen again. Or perhaps they have been attending for some time and have become involved in some ministry projects within the body. Then one day they are simply not there anymore. The pew where they sat is empty, their place in the ministry unfilled. We have all seen them. Where do these people go? Did anyone take the time to inquire? Did they move? Get a new job? Have a family crisis that keeps them away? Was something said or done that hurt or offended them? Without good follow-up care many of these people simply fall through the cracks. We are losing too many people to the cracks Isn't it time we show these people we really do care? People can say that they care all they want, but when the community sees that your church lives what they believe, they will stand up and take notice. What better testimony can one give? The widows are cared for, the sick are visited, the people in the hospitals are tended to and their families are given the loving support they deserve. The staff at the hospital will begin to notice. The staff in the nursing homes will begin to notice. The family members of those being cared for will begin to notice. Even the funeral home directors will begin to talk when they see what wonderful care your people are being given. Pretty soon everyone in the community will have heard about your church. With a reputation like this, what is to stop your church from growing?
