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Caring: Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations
Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations is designed to help ministers and pastoral care givers solve one of their most significant problems. They are called upon to “fix” all manner of human problems, and this expectation often leaves them feeling overwhelmed, highly stressed, or woefully unprepared. Help is available! Author Denise Massey will teach readers how to coach people to access their own spiritual and personal resources, invoking both God’s help and the person’s own deep inner wisdom. The six steps of the CARING process can transform ministry conversations from floundering and uncertain to powerful and effective. These steps of facilitating powerful problem-solving conversation are ones that the minister and the person receiving care taake together. The acronym CARING will help the minister remember both the steps and the ultimate purpose of the conversation.C Connect with God, self, and others.A Attend to the journey and assess the need.R Reach clarity about the realistic focus for this conversation.I Inspire the development of a loving action plan.N Navigate around obstacles to the plan.G Generate commitment to a specific, loving action plan.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2019
10 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 23, 2020
I haven't actually read this book, but Dr. Denise Massey was my mom's mentor and doctoral thesis advisor, so Mom asked me to post her review of the book for her.
From Dr. Amy Jennings:
Dr. Denise Massey’s Caring: Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations is a must-have-resource for ministers and counselors. Not only has Massey completed training from the best coaching programs in the nation, but more importantly, she has many years of ministry and teaching experience along with certification in clinical pastoral supervision. As a former student of Dr. Massey, I have experienced first-hand the powerful transformation that the CARING process provides.
The book’s strengths include its clear organization, smooth transitions, practical insights, and sound theology that astutely integrates Biblical references and Scripture passages. Massey offers readers a reliable, progressive, six-step process to help parishioners identify their negative feelings, negotiate obstacles, develop skills for emotional-regulation, and grow spiritually.
Most importantly, Massey provides readers with numerous, thought-provoking questions in each chapter that are worth the book’s value alone. These powerful questions will certainly lead to meaningful conversations of healing and wholeness. Caring is the perfect resource for churches, academic institutions, counseling, and chaplaincy programs.
Caring is a must read for ministers who want to offer transformative, spiritual conversations that help parishioners and clients love themselves, God, and others more realistically, completely, and joyfully.
From Dr. Amy Jennings:
Dr. Denise Massey’s Caring: Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations is a must-have-resource for ministers and counselors. Not only has Massey completed training from the best coaching programs in the nation, but more importantly, she has many years of ministry and teaching experience along with certification in clinical pastoral supervision. As a former student of Dr. Massey, I have experienced first-hand the powerful transformation that the CARING process provides.
The book’s strengths include its clear organization, smooth transitions, practical insights, and sound theology that astutely integrates Biblical references and Scripture passages. Massey offers readers a reliable, progressive, six-step process to help parishioners identify their negative feelings, negotiate obstacles, develop skills for emotional-regulation, and grow spiritually.
Most importantly, Massey provides readers with numerous, thought-provoking questions in each chapter that are worth the book’s value alone. These powerful questions will certainly lead to meaningful conversations of healing and wholeness. Caring is the perfect resource for churches, academic institutions, counseling, and chaplaincy programs.
Caring is a must read for ministers who want to offer transformative, spiritual conversations that help parishioners and clients love themselves, God, and others more realistically, completely, and joyfully.
May 20, 2020
Excellent introduction to a time-tested approach to engaging in pastoral conversation. Written by an experienced minister, chaplain and educator, this volume operationalizes the best practices of the Clinical Pastoral Education approach to pastoral care.
While at first I found myself wishing for more examples, I found, by the end, that it has actually been full of examples (although none were set in the mode of a verbatim, which I was, for some reason, expecting).
This book has a practicality to it that is often missing in many pastoral care volumes. For example, Massie will offer an insight into how to continue a conversation and then offer three or four different guiding questions to ask. This is followed up with general approaches and then more insight about how to keep the conversation going.
One of the best factors, especially for students and ministers who are indoctrinated with the false belief that it is up to them to save people, is the final chapter. Here, Massies gently reminds the reader that, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the person we are in conversation with to take responsibility for their healing. In a pastoral culture steeped in celebrity pastors and "good enough is not good enough," this is a refreshing reminder.
If you are looking for a new pastoral care model or are looking to update your resources, I would highly recommend this volume.
While at first I found myself wishing for more examples, I found, by the end, that it has actually been full of examples (although none were set in the mode of a verbatim, which I was, for some reason, expecting).
This book has a practicality to it that is often missing in many pastoral care volumes. For example, Massie will offer an insight into how to continue a conversation and then offer three or four different guiding questions to ask. This is followed up with general approaches and then more insight about how to keep the conversation going.
One of the best factors, especially for students and ministers who are indoctrinated with the false belief that it is up to them to save people, is the final chapter. Here, Massies gently reminds the reader that, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the person we are in conversation with to take responsibility for their healing. In a pastoral culture steeped in celebrity pastors and "good enough is not good enough," this is a refreshing reminder.
If you are looking for a new pastoral care model or are looking to update your resources, I would highly recommend this volume.
November 19, 2020
I am so excited to start implementing this ministerial coaching method with some of my parishioners. In this book, Massey provides a clear, concise, easy to follow method for helping parishioners connect with God, others, and their own inner wisdom in order to solve problems in their every-day lives. This small but powerful book is an easily accessible resource with an easy to remember mnemonic for remembering the steps of the process. I highly recommend and anticipate that I will be referring to it time and time again in the years to come.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews