The Four Pillars of Pastoral Care and Counseling
Caring for the congregation represents a foundational expression of Christian ministry that can often overwhelm those in pastoral leadership. Today, pastors constantly face the question of personal capacity, as many in pastoral leadership question, “do I have what it takes to respond to so many needs within my congregation?” In over thirty years of serving as senior pastor, I have faced this question many times. Thankfully, in most instances. I have remembered the advice of renowned Greek scholar, the late Dr. Curtis Vaughn (who was also my personal mentor for many years). Upon my graduation from seminary, he counseled:
“Ken, I do not care if you can preach like Spurgeon, if you are not in the lives of your people, they will not listen.”
Wow! This advice stands as real to me now as when I heard these words back in 1994. And the ever-shifting landscape of church life has not changed so much that this need no longer exists. In fact, the opposite stands true. Thanks to such life-altering experiences as the 2020 pandemic – and still affecting churches today -- the need for strong congregational care is a greater priority now than ever before. Therefore, what is the pastor to do?
Be shepherds of the flock of God. This challenge from I Peter 5:2 could rightly translate to “tend” or “pastor” the flock of God. The weightiness of this exhortation - not only for first century church leaders but every minister today – builds from the next phrase of this verse: “not merely as duty but willingly under God’s direction” (New English Translation). This verse expresses a willingness to serve as unto God, and not out of a sense of forced obligation. However, the care of the congregation can become so demanding that pastors often feel the needs of church members force them to serve beyond their capabilities with time and energy. Therefore, how can each of us as ministers face the constant challenge of capacity with congregational care? How can we meet the many needs of the church? In response to these questions, I offer for your consideration, The Four Pillars of Pastoral Care and Counseling.
Pastoral Care and Counseling represents a fundamental component of every minister’s work and must be practiced in the love of God, the presence of the Spirit, and in the name of Jesus. Pastors and all church leaders become more successful through a heightened awareness of the insights and skills necessary for practically extending God’s love and hope through pastoral care and counseling (also referred to as congregational care). Such insights and skills become essential elements in the health of congregational life, as well as in the gospel witness of the church to the world.
In response to the growing demands of congregational care, The Four Pillars of Pastoral Care and Counseling offer disciplined responses to the perpetual spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical needs of the lives of a specific congregation. But pastoral care should not fall on the senior pastor alone. All associate pastors, ministry staff, eldership, and all volunteer leadership must grow in awareness of the proper practice and parameters of pastoral care and counseling so that the minister can step into the needs of the congregation with confidence, offering genuine support.
Pillar #1
The Care of Self: Minister as Person
Because of the many growing demands of a congregation, we as ministers must view ourselves realistically. We must understand ourselves as real people with personal needs for – and challenges with – spiritual growth. We must take the time necessary to care of our own spiritual health. Every minister must prioritize personal soul care so that ministry comes from a genuine walk of faith. Soul care translates the idea of how each of us should care for our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If I am not caring for my own soul, how can I effectively care for the souls of others?
The most effective discipline of congregational care begins with the pastor and church leader assessing her or his own soul and then setting aside daily time to grow spiritually. Pillar #1 explores this priority through honest self-assessment: exploring the condition of one’s soul and spiritual journey. It also explores the meaning of personal sabbath and how to appropriate the essence of Christian sabbath – soul care – to one’s discipleship journey. This pillar becomes expressed in the following simple equation:
Self-honesty + personal sabbath (soul care) = ministry from the overflow.
Pillar #2
The Care of Others: Minister as Caregiver
Pillar #2 prepares us to carry our own personal experience with Jesus into those real moments of offering genuine care to the members of the church. To do this effectively, we must see ourselves as spiritual caregivers. We cannot simply preach on Sundays without stepping into the lives of those we lead. I attended a pastors’ conference at First Baptist Jacksonville, Florida and as their senior pastor Max Brunson took the platform to speak to thousands in attendance, he apologized for his late arrival as he just came from a hospital visit. I took note of this. The pastor of a very large and influential church, while hosting a conference to pastors from all over North America, interrupted his schedule to visit a parishioner. That is an exceptional example of how you and I must always be in the lives of those we lead – with a spirit of care and with a tangible ministry of congregational care.
This pillar fosters such a ministry through exploring the history of pastoral care, dating back to the first century. It further challenges the minister to rethink congregational care through a biblical and theological model of care. These models prepare the minister to approach the care of individuals as Jesus practiced care. It focuses on the shepherding and mediatorial ministry of Jesus, thus encouraging every pastor and church leader to develop an incarnational approach to the needs of the congregation.
The minister as caregiver heightens the awareness of the need for ongoing soul care of those individuals to whom we minister. We all understand how external life challenges affect the internal soul. In response, the successful minister helps the individual respond to life’s challenges through caring for the soul as the very vulnerable seat of all emotions, thoughts, and responses. In this way, the minister responds to the needs of soul care, and not simply to every whim that may become verbalized in the church. Do you feel overwhelmed at congregational care? Focus on your ministry as spiritual caregiver. Your call is to care for the soul through genuine Christ-centered ministry and not to simply respond to every request or solve every problem.
Pillar #3
The Care of the Congregation: Minister as Spiritual Guide
As the minister practices soul care with individual members of the congregation, the third pillar broadens such care to the goal of spiritual formation, as the minister must see her or himself as spiritual guide. You and I are indeed responsible for the spiritual climate of the church and spiritual edification becomes a powerful step in preparing congregants to face life’s challenges spiritually. The essence of pastoral care defines someone who serves as a constant presence of spiritual encouragement so that in times of need, those under our care receive spiritual guidance more than quick solutions to life’s problems. I have discovered that most people turn to pastors and churches for help because somehow, they seek something transcendent to what they might be experiencing at the moment. Pillar #3 teaches the minister how to lead others to the transcendent truth of God’s Word, to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus, and to a life of Christian faith. In this third pillar, the minister explores the clear distinctions between the work of an interventionist (merely seeking solutions) and the work of a minister (leading others to a deeper encounter with God).
Congregational care never centers only on the solutions to problems, but rather on the spiritual truths that guide the steps of those facing life’s challenges and need to discover God’s answers. You as a minister serve as spiritual guide, and this represents a powerful expression of pastoral care. As you step into the painful realities of those you lead, and as you prioritize the transcendent, you become that spiritual guide that leads others to a deeper and more intent focus on God through nurturing faith in Jesus Christ.
Pillar #4
The Care of the Crisis: Minister as Counselor
The fourth pillar of congregational care emphasizes the essence of the previous pillar, but at a much more personal and urgent place – ministering to the crisis. Most in church leadership understand the many crises within the church, such as financial needs, marital challenges, relational disputes, addictions, loneliness, and depression. These crises call for effective pastoral care and counseling, and the successful minister desires to step into these experiences with individuals to offer careful guidance and support. While many within ministry settings may shy away from being considered a counselor, the crises are ever-present and the minister must prepare. Pillar #4 prepares the minister as a spiritual counselor and determines the boundaries and distinctions of spiritual counseling in contrast to the work of a clinician. Upon determining the safe boundaries of spiritual counseling, the minister can flourish as she or he makes much of the proximate relationships already in place within the congregation. Through this pillar, ministers learn how to respond to church members in crises through developing a personal counseling plan:
Counseling that is personal: connecting with those in your ministry who already trust you and willingly confide in you.
Counseling that is temporal: building safe boundaries of time and space for the minister as counselor.
Counseling that is spiritual: emphasizing the minister’s spiritual role and recognizing the appropriate boundaries of communication and response that differentiate a spiritual counselor from a clinician.
Counseling that is practical: leading someone from your own posture of faith and spiritual growth.
The minister as counselor represents a vital discipline in congregational care that encourages the minister to step into the problem of an individual and walk with that person toward a spiritual resolution.
The above four pillars of congregational care engage with the theological and biblical foundations of pastoral care and counseling to minister to a broken and hurting world, offering personal and practical care for the purpose of spiritual growth, healing and restoration. These four pillars summarize the essence of pastoral care and counseling and prioritize for every minister those unique disciplines that must be practiced for the purpose of the health and ministry of the church as well as her individual members.
If you, your church or your association are interested in training on the Four Pillars of Pastoral Care and Counseling, please visit www.leland.edu or contact me at exploreleland@leland.edu.
Written by Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Pruitt