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Pastor Care: The Core Concept Of Pastoral Care

Decent Essays

INTRODUCTION
A proper placement and a conceptualization of Pastoral care would have to be premised on a concise definition of what Pastoral care is thus defined: In its broader sense, pastoral care refers to the different faculties of service usually executed by a pastor. Some and other denominations of the Christian faith use the phrase to refer to more specific aspects of a pastor’s ministry, such as counseling and visitation. The core idea of “pastoral care” is that pastors are to care. The word pastor comes from the Latin word for “shepherd.” A pastor is to be a shepherd or caretaker of God’s flock. “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3, emphasis …show more content…

Recognizing the tremendous amount of stress and burn-out many pastors experience, there are some ministries that use the phrase “pastoral care” to refer to ministry to pastors. Secluded locations where pastors can get away for a time, counseling ministries to pastors and their families, and even the pastoring of pastors are aspects of this form of pastoral care. Perhaps the best understanding of pastoral care is that pastors are to care for us, and we are to care for our pastors.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AND PASTORAL CARE
Some consider practical theology to simply be a more technical name for the doctrine of the Christian life. Its emphasis is on how all the teaching of Scripture should affect the way we live today in this present world. The emphasis of practical theology is not simply to contemplate or comprehend theological doctrines but to move beyond that to applying those doctrines in everyday Christian life so that we “contribute to the world’s becoming what God intends it to

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