In what ways do you see the presence of absence of soul care in your local church?

Soul care is a holistic approach to spiritual growth and care within the framework of the local church. At least five forms of Soul care should be part of the life of every Christian church: Christian friendship, pastoral ministry, pastoral care, pastoral counseling, and spiritual direction.1 Christian friendship is an all-encompassing form of soul care that is supported and established in the local body. Jesus established this form of soul care with the Great Commandment.2 It is so central to the Christian faith that how we treat each other is evidence for being a follower of Christ.3 Therefore, Christian friendship is the foundation on which all other pastoral counseling should be based. One of the missions as pastor is to encourage and equip the body for the work of the ministry. As such, within the framework and the vision of the church to have community lies the basis of pastoral care. Each person is part of the pastoral care network. Small group leaders attend training on basic pastoral care and to them are available more of the pastoral staff for specialized, advanced or generally uncomfortable situations. The basic unit is each person that loves and cares for each other. The responsibility of hospital visitation, accountability partnering, reconciliation and discipleship all fall upon the individual. This approach is directed, intentional and strategic. The pastoral staff focuses on seeking Gods direction, then forming a plan, effectively casting the vision, and producing the model within the church. This is accomplished by the pastoral ministry. The pastoral ministry involves the scope of tools that is employed by the pastoral staff to help lead people into closer relationship with Christ. This is done by preaching, teaching, administration, program, leadership development and by constantly and consistently

David G. Brenner, Strategic Pastoral Counseling: A Short-Term Structured Model 2 ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic 2003), 16. 2 Matthew 22:36-40 3 1 John 4:7

nd

casting the vision to the group. The pastoral care staff serves to backup and assist the small group leaders and the church as a whole. Spiritual direction is a new concept that is traditionally called intercessors, where people come to intercessory prayer partners to lift up concerns to God in the community of believers. This too is found within the small group environment which at the church is the cornerstone to the entire vision for the church, because within this small group environment people live life together in community. The only part of the soul care that is not found within this dynamic is true pastoral counseling and it is reserved for those people who feel that they need more assistance with their walk with Christ. Pastoral counseling facilitates spiritual growth and when working with the Holy Spirit, who serves as the Paraclete or the Spiritual attendant whose role is to offer assistance, succor, support, relief, advocacy and guidancea divine Counselor whose ministry to believers is to offer the very things that so many people vainly seek in therapy!4 It is with the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit that makes all of counseling possible from the individual to the pastor all soul care is from God, based on Jesus Christ.

John MacArthur, Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2005), 81.