Caring Pastors, Caring People: Equipping Your Church for Pastoral Care (Living Church)

Don't judge a book by it's title. Anyone remotely familiar with the phrase "pastoral care" will be surprised by the content of this book. The author seeks to redefine this phrase to include most everything a church does and to describe the ministry responsibilities of its members. A good portion of the book is a hard-hitting call to church-goers to get off their duffs and stop expecting the pastor to do everything. Most books that purport to discuss "pastoral care" have a somber and sensitive tone. Not this book.The author divides pastoral care, and the book itself, into three categories that can be visualized in concentric circles: the pastor's responsibilities to the congregation, the congregation's responsibilities to itself, and the congregation's responsibilities to the outside community. In the first section, he highlights the metaphor of a shepherd for the pastor, which includes the role of discipling and teaching to help people become more faithful to God. In the second section, he mainly discusses the need for parishioners to be more involved with the care of each other, and even gives helpful examples of when it's more appropriate that they do so. The third section is about how and why the church can be an active, caring presence in the community. His examples range from one-on-one caring to social justice concerns. All throughout, he uses scripture often and builds his case with its teachings and stories.In one way, the book was pleasantly surprising. The author's departure from the typically narcissistic tone of pastoral care was refreshing. However, given that, it is a very basic book with much that a seasoned pastor would skim, and despite its call for a more vibrant and externally focused church, it keeps many traditional roles and church structures firmly in place.

Excellent introduction to pastoral care. Highly recommend for anyone going into ministry. And it's not just for ministers - it's an excellent resource for laity, as well.

For pastors and lay pastors who work in the field it's a wonderful book on how to lead those we serve

Textbook.

Excellent and has everything I need to know about caring for others.

It is good reading book