Pastor Life: Behind the Curtain - pt. 4 (Pastoral Care)

After a couple of months where we had to cover some other important topics, we’re back to our “series” on what a pastor’s life includes (well, sort of – every day is different, to be honest). Besides preaching, pastoral care is probably the other duty or task or responsibility of a pastor with which people think they are most familiar.

Pastoral care covers a wide range of responsibilities, including meeting 1:1 with people when they have questions, concerns, issues, problems, or just need someone to listen to them. It’s the middle of the night phone call when there’s been an emergency (all types), and the pastor has to rush to the hospital. That happens at all hours of the day, but it can be more dramatic in the middle of the night. It’s sitting with someone during the final weeks, days, hours, and minutes of their life. And it’s being available to and for those persons’ families before, during, and after that time as well. It includes visiting – by phone, letter, and in person – with those who are homebound or in assisted living, as well as those who are in the hospital with sickness or for surgery. It’s a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a hand to hold. And so much more.

Part of pastoral care includes preparing memorial/celebration of life services, as well as weddings and baptisms, although all of those fall under planning and leading worship as well.

I tell congregations at the beginning of an appointment that my seminary forgot to issue me a crystal ball when they handed me my diploma. It’s a lighthearted way to remind everyone that I can’t read anyone’s mind. Different people have different preferences on visitation – both at home and in the hospital. Additionally, since the passage of HIPAA (the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), healthcare providers and facilities are legally not allowed to provide any information with patient identifiable data to outside organizations or persons, including pastors or churches. And that means neither the church office nor I can know if anyone in particular is in the hospital or any other healthcare facility, or if they want a visit, unless they tell us.

Pastoral care is an area particularly good for congregation members to help the pastoral staff with. That’s because these are your friends, the people you worship with on a regular basis. They want and need to know that you – as the congregation, their faith family – care. Visiting with our homebound members, and those in assisted living, is mostly about going to see people you already know, sitting with them, and talking with them. It’s extending the love of God to your fellow members of the Body of Christ. Not everyone can prepare or preach a sermon (nor do they want to!), but everyone can visit with another person.

Pastoral care requires a servant’s heart, as well as caring and compassion for one another. It can be one of the most rewarding, grace-filled parts of ministry (for ANYONE) – filled with spiritual, holy moments. I hope you’ll consider being a part of it.