Pastors. Do they care?

Pastoral care vision

We all need God's food to be healthy in every way. We also feel truly satiated because we eat the things that He so generously provides. Now when we do not eat, our body begins to feel weak, and we know immediately that we need to eat. If we do not get any food, we will hunger even more. If our hunger is not satisfied, our bodies will hurt. 

For many of us, the main thing that we feel is not hunger, but weakness where we just do not have the energy to do much. The mind begins to become a little slow. Things just do not work with the smoothness that they normally do when we have strength. This is the same experience in our spiritual lives where we need the food that God provides.

The Pastoral Care division is more like the kitchen in the house where food is prepared to feed the family. This is the position and motivation from where I chose this vision. The term Pastor and Shepherd are interchangeable in the Bible and looking at the various scriptures in the Bible, the Pastoral division needs to be doing the work of a Shepherd.

The above shows that the Pastor, in his or her basic relationships with the people, congregation and community, as well as ministry, needs to adopt the heart and attitude as lived by the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. S/he needs to move closer to the people and stay with them through their difficulties. S/he needs to give their life for the people, thereby showing their concern and care for them in searching and finding them. He or she will in this way establish knowledge of his people’s “nutritional” requirements in order to feed them according to their needs. 

Practically speaking, Pastoral Care is ministering through personal touch. 

Click here for a visual display of my pastoral vision.