A MINISTRY OF LOVE AND PRESENCE:

Training Laity in Pastoral Care

PASTORAL CARE TRAINING

Simply put, pastoral care training is a program designed to introduce and educate participants in the skills needed to give pastoral care to members of their church. As a specialized ministry of the laity it is adjunctive to the pastoral care given by clergy. The training affirms and deepens the participant's capacity to bring compassion and care to another human being in need, recognizing that, indeed, there is a genuine "call" to ministry.

  • It is a ministry of healing, in that the commitment is to bring the gift of God's love to persons suffering in mind, body or spirit.
  • It is a ministry of presence, in that the gift brought is one of companionship to the hurting person, honoring how much value there is in "being" with another since so often there is nothing we can really "do."
  • It is a ministry of mutuality, in that each person giving to another bears the gifts of a wounded healer, knowing in richly intuitive ways what it means to experience need. The one giving and the one receiving are each blessed and can be transformed by the experience of being together—human to human, heart to heart.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE AND LEARN?

  • to acknowledge and respond to your "call" to minister to persons in need
  • to affirm your gifts for a ministry of pastoral care
  • to strengthen your commitment to this ministry of caring
  • to affirm the gifts of fellow lay ministers and to build a community of care-givers

Training sessions offered cover a wide variety of topics, such as: being a wounded healer; developing listening skills; life cycle development; crisis counseling; ministry with the dying, the grieving, the divorcing, the aging; ministry with the depressed; using spiritual and religious resources; keeping confidences; skills needed to make referrals to professional helpers.

HOW CAN THIS TRAINING HELP YOUR CHURCH?

As a specialized lay minister, you will be instrumental in helping your clergyperson with his or her pastoral care responsibilities, calling and visiting those in need as a representative of your religious community. As a member of your congregation you will have an "educated" ear to hear the needs of the people, to minister to them, and, when appropriate, share their needs with your clergy. Some people will especially welcome you, appreciating the ministry and presence of a fellow church member.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE GIFTS FOR THIS MINISTRY?

  • Perhaps a few questions will help you explore the possibility of becoming trained as a lay pastoral minister. If you answer YES to many of the following, you may want to consider whether you have a "call" to this ministry.
  • Do people tend to come to you with their problems?
  • Has anyone ever told you that you are a good listener?
  • Do you generally like people and care about what is happening in their lives? Are you a "people person"?
  • Are you curious about life stories people tell?
  • Has your clergyperson ever invited you to help with pastoral care visits?
  • Do you know what it feels like to hurt, to grieve, to be lonely, to be wounded?
  • Have you ever realized that, although you might not have chosen some of the difficulties in your life, that you have learned from them and actually been strengthened after having experienced them?
  • Can you keep confidences?

HOW, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The initial training:

  • The training is offered during the winter/early spring months.
  • The training is conducted with members of one congregation if there are enough participants or the training is conducted with members from several congregations.
  • Most sessions will be held on weekday evenings, but may include some Saturdays.
  • Sessions are held locally at a retreat center or an available space in one of the participating churches.
  • Sessions will be spread out over several months.
  • Cost has to be determined once the "make up" of the group has been established. It may be possible for costs to be shared by judicatory, church and participant.

The follow-up training:

  • Sessions will be conducted to help you implement the training in ways unique to your congregation's needs.
  • Consultations can be offered for case review.
  • Refresher and specialized courses are offered as needed for those already trained in this or similar programs.
  • Annual retreats can be offered to strengthen the community of those who give care.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED

Please contact your clergyperson and feel free to contact us for any further information.

THE TRAINERS:

Donna Strachan-Ledbetter, M.S.
The Rev. J. Thomas Ledbetter, M.Div.

Training Clergy
Training Congregations
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