(Minister Well Newsletter, July 2018)
It is virtually impossible for a ministry leader not to counsel people at some point. It is part of shepherding the flock that has been entrusted to them. However, many ministry leaders feel unprepared for this aspect of ministry and it can quickly become overwhelming. There are numerous pastoral care books, blogs, courses of study, and even professional certifications that equip people for this essential part of ministry life. However, my aim here is merely to help you be intentional in how you tend to this facet of your ministry work while not losing sight of your unique calling.
Mind
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:4-5 NIV). The first thing to consider is your current explicit role in the body of Christ. Although we are all called to love one another and to bear with one another’s burdens, we also have specific roles as different members of the body. Let’s put the idea of role importance in another occupational context for a minute to see it more clearly. A hurricane hit South Florida while I was completing my post-doctoral residency at the Miami VA hospital. The emergency call-tree was activated and everyone was told to report to work as usual because all employees were “essential personnel” to the operating of the hospital. “ALL?” I questioned in my mind. But it turned out to be true. Of course the patients still needed all of the various forms of treatment they were receiving from all departments. Because all records and much of the medical equipment were digital, all of the IT and administration folks were necessary. Dietary services, of course, needed to continue feeding everyone. Facilities still needed to keep the place running and safe. And the sanitation and housekeeping folks ensured that illness/infection did not spread like wildfire due to a temporary lapse in cleanliness. Likewise in the Kingdom, we all have specific roles and we are all “essential personnel.” But notice this, the housekeeping department was not cross-trained for surgery and vice versa. The psychology department was not asked to go help in the cafeteria. And IT did not administer pneumonia shots. The hospital and the church function like well-oiled machines when everyone uses his/her skills in their appointed roles. May I please encourage you to consider what your abilities and calling are regarding pastoral counseling? Let this help you proactively think through how and how much pastoral care is part of your role, such that you are not cross training into a different “department” (i.e., pastoral care) and neglecting the role you have been called to.
Body
When you have established a general idea of the extent to which pastoral care is part of your calling and skill set, you can behave accordingly. For example, if your role is to grow relationships within the church or even specifically pastoral counseling, then of course most of your time should go to this endeavor. Your calendar most likely looks a lot like my private practice appointment calendar for clients. And if that is a major part of your role but you aren’t scheduling it into your calendar, then start now! Be realistic about how you are using your time to serve in that role. People work is time consuming and shouldn’t just happen in the gaps between other responsibilities. On the other hand, maybe your job description doesn’t indicate pastoral care as anything more than being a member of the family of God. However, as you look around you wonder where your day went day after day as people come and go through your office door to “talk for a minute.” Either one of two things need to happen behaviorally here: 1) you need to put firmer limits on yourself and your availability so that you can do your actual job or 2) your job description needs to be changed to reflect the reality of how the church is utilizing your gifts. Both of these are easier said than done. Let me refer you back to the “Mind” section – What is your current role in the body of Christ? Does your work/day reflect that? If not, adjust. If you are trying to be the janitor and the surgeon, then you will eventually fail in either of these roles or in your roles outside of work (e.g., spouse, parent, friend, healthy individual).
Spirit
So how can a ministry leader simultaneously provide pastoral care and tend to their unique role responsibilities. The answer is Biblical, we were created for and function as a community. And for some big-hearted people who struggle with maintaining healthy boundaries (forsaking themselves), a convicting and loving admonishment may be found in Exodus 18 when Jethro advised his son-in-law, the over-burdened Moses, to delegate because if he didn’t “You’re going to wear yourself out – and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.” We are meant to be one body with many members. In order to care for those members, the biblical thing to do is use the gifting of everyone appropriately. Whether it is through deacons and elders, a designated pastoral care department, or nurturing within small groups, pastoral care can be provided many ways without pulling people away from their unique role within the Body. Finally, as a ministry leader you are uniquely positioned to care for the other caregivers by encouraging them also to know their role and refer to professional Christian counselors when appropriate.
Challenge
-Identify how much pastoral counseling is an expected function of your current role.
-Proactively schedule your time and tasks to realistically reflect how much pastoral counseling is part of your current role.
-Allow and encourage pastoral care as part of the organization of your healthy church.
Wishing you good health – mind, body, and spirit.
In Him,
Heather Clark, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, PY 7620