Disciple-Making Pastoral Care

“By God’s grace it is possible for everyone in the church to administer love and care, to be ministered to, to be given ears to listen and voices to comfort, council, reproof and rebuke – without a necessary increase in pastoral staff. This is accomplished as the pastor equips the saints for the work of ministry – Eph 4:12”

But…

”Sadly, many people in the church do not see themselves this way. They think of ministry as something for the paid professional. When they think of their involvement, they don’t think very far beyond saying a prayer or making a meal. Yet, their adoption into the family of God was also a call to ministry, a call to be part of the good work of the kingdom”[1]

The scriptures clearly teach that pastoral care is meant to be a corporate responsibility. The ministry of caring for each other in the church is a responsibility of the whole Body, not just to one person, or special- ‘care support’ team (1Cor 12:24-15).

The scriptures also teach that ‘pastoral care’ (or ‘Christian Care’) rightly understood, is actually meant for every disciple of Christ, as part of everyday living, regardless of whether they may be in any particular personal crisis or not. Christian care and caring is part and parcel of the mutual fellowship of believers as we encourage one-another in the race.

In this way Biblical ‘disciple-making pastoral care’ is not to be understood as an event in a moment of time set aside for the ‘needy’, but rather an a everyday activity of mutual love and concern that promotes one-anothers growth in Christian discipleship, as well as our own.

The paper and resources on this ministry module page seek to help and equip all believers in that understanding as they begin to address the following…

1. In understanding the Biblical nature of both disciple-making and of Christian pastoral care.
2. To understand the important relationship between those two activities.
3. To provide resources and guidance in to how to apply this ‘disciple-making pastoral care’ in our everyday practices, i.e. in 1-1, small groups, larger gatherings…in both the ordinary circumstances of life as well as the extraordinary.

[1] Paul Tripp

UNDERSTANDING DISCIPLE-MAKING PASTORAL CARE

DISCIPLE-MAKING PASTORAL CARE WITHIN SMALL GROUPS

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES ON RELATIONSHIPS AND PASTORAL CARE