Foundations of Pastoral Care

by Bruce L. Petersen

Most people focus on pastoral ministry--the activities, programs, and outreach connected with the life of the church--when considering the work of a pastor. But one of the most important parts of a minister's job is pastoral care--activities such as compassion, healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling people to one another and to God. People today earnestly seek a minister who knows their names and cares about their hurts.Foundations of Pastoral Care introduces both clergy and laity to the ministry skills and personal qualities needed to provide effective care for people inside and outside the church. With thorough examination, Professor Bruce Petersen traces the historical development of soul care from the primitive church and on through the centuries to the church of today. In unit one, he introduces the place of pastoral care in the local church. He emphasizes the unique responsibility of church leaders and pastors to provide spiritual guidance while caring for the physical and emotional needs of their people. In unit two, he examines the pastoral care roles clergy are asked to fill--shepherd, counselor, collaborator, and spiritual leader. In unit three, he addresses the need for a pastoral presence in the life of the church, and in unit four, he concludes with a discussion about the pastor's personal life and the importance of personal spiritual formation.Foundations of Pastoral Care provides the fundamental elements pastors and church leaders need to care for people in meaningful, personal ways with the love, compassion, and grace Christ showed during His ministry on earth.

Genres: Theology, Leadership

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2006

Reviews

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is entitled Foundations of Pastoral Care, and it provides just that -- an introduction to and foundations of good pastoral care, written by an experienced pastor. The 'foundations' are primarily providing pastoral soul care, 'unleashing' the laity to serve within the church, and caring through small groups. In essence, pastoral care is about relationships. The second section of the book described the pastoral care roles: as shepherding, counselling, collaboration, and a means of grace via ministering the sacraments. The third section discussed the pastor's presence in resolving conflict, crises, celebration, human suffering, and death and dying. Lastly, the fourth section reviewed the importance of the pastor's character and conduct in personal and professional life.

I agreed with the principles of the text; pastoral care is indeed always about relationships. The book was published in 2007, and some concepts and illustrations seemed a bit dated to me. For instance, there is no mention of how to 'do' pastoral care in an online, social media age, or how to connect with increasingly disconnected generations. While the principles may be carried forward, I would like to see more recent literature on pastoral care for the millennial and Gen Z populations. The book was also heavy on quoting from other sources, which made it a useful resource but not a very smooth read. Sometimes, the author provided heavy anecdotal experience and opinion and then tried to support it with Scripture and other resources. I didn't disagree with anything he said, exactly, I only wish that the delivery was more applicable to today's young generations and non-rural church settings (from most of the illustrations given, it would appear that Petersen has much experience pastoring in small, rural American churches).

I see myself returning to this resource particularly for its chapters on suffering, dying, and death. I think Petersen had great wisdom here, and should I need to perform a funeral or be intimately involved in someone's suffering or death, I will consult these chapters for their practical suggestions. Other chapters regarding counselling and care may be consulted again as well, though I might be more keen on looking at the bibliography for a more in-depth look at these topics by other authors. This book was a good overview of pastoral care. As all overviews go, they are a good starting point for consulting other resources. Petersen's lengthy bibliography will be useful for future reading.

[Rob O'Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent thorough introduction to the practice of pastoral care! This is the book that I wish I had written!