Are You a Pastor who needs trained lay leaders to help with the day to day needs of your flock?  The sick need tended to, the widows need help, young families need fellowship, mentoring, and support.  A trained team of lay leaders can be the answer to quality pastoral care in your church.   This book offers foundational training that can prepare those you have chosen to do just that.  

Develop A Pastoral Care Ministry in Your Church is a combined text from the book Effective Pastoral Care in the Local Church by Kathy Smith and 5 Steps to Effective Christian Counseling by Stan DeKoven.  This combined work offers a comprehensive textbook for the course, Develop a Pastoral Care Ministry in Your Church.

Dr. Kathy writes, why is it important to develop a pastoral team of care approach to ministry? It is the essence of the mandate of God for the body to join together in unity as one. The church is where each individual member of the body comes together to not only get their own personal needs met, but to also do their part to meet the needs of the other members of the body. The body is where each joint (relationship) supplies the needs of the church. Pastors were never meant to fulfill all the needs of their individual church members, but they were called to train, equip, mentor, and teach each member to do the work of the ministry and fulfill their own personal calling in the Lord.”

Dr. Stan writes: One of the most important roles for a pastor is the care of God’s people. Pastors are referred to as shepherds in scripture, with a primary responsibility of providing guidance (leading), nurture (feeding and teaching), and protection from the wolves of the world. Pastoral care is critical to the growth and sustaining of Christ’s church; unfortunately, due to many reasons this area of responsibility is neglected. One primary reason is the unreasonable expectation God’s people have of a local Pastor. Pastors are looked to for more than teaching the principles of God’s word and guiding God’s people with wisdom. They are looked at as the first source of advice for marriage, financial concerns, petty business squabbles, etc. Thus, no individual pastor with a congregation of over seventy can give healthy Pastoral Care; what pastors need is a team to help in the nurture and care of the church.

Dr. Stan DeKoven

Author: Dr. Stan DeKoven

Dr. Stan DeKoven is the International President of Vision International University, and founder/President of the Vision International Training and Education Network. Vision/VITEN specializes in establishing and supporting local, Church-based Bible Colleges and distance education programs. Through their unique “Bible College in a Box” system, they are presently serving more than 4,000 Resource Centers in over 150 countries and over 100,000 students through its affiliated ministries.

He is the author of over 50 books and study guides in practical Christian living, which are an outgrowth of his extensive teaching ministry both nationally and internationally.

Kathy Smith

Author: Dr. Kathy Smith is the Director of Curriculum Development for Vision International University, and she is ordained with the Assemblies of God International Fellowship.

As an author/ educator she teaches in local and international churches as the Lord leads. Most recently, 2019 and 2020,  she went to Brazil to train and equip their Christian leaders.

 

She has also authored the books:

        • Treasures of the Heart, The Gifts of the Trinity
        • Wisdom Speaks: Hearing Her Voice In A Noisy World
        • Healthcare Chaplaincy
        • The Power of Unity– Empowered Believers Empower the Church