Boards and Agencies of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Board of Christian Training 
Training on Pastoral Care
Make full use of the pastoral gifts of all those in your congregation.
The resources below have been produced by the Board of Christian Training's Panel on Pastoral Care following consultation with many different types of congregations in order to enhance how pastoral care is delivered. A further resource specifically on how to set up and manage a pastoral care team is in the process of being developed.
The Biblical Basis for Extending the Ministry of Pastoral Care
Often pastoral care is left to the Minister or the Ruling Elders but pastoral care is also the responsibility of every church member as we love and care for each other with the love that God has shown to us. This document outlines the biblical basis for this and could be a useful discussion document for Bible study groups or home groups.
Biblical Basis for Pastoral Care (PDF): October 2011
Pastoral Care Training Course
This is a foundation level training course on pastoral care. It is designed for Elders, pastoral care teams, home group leaders and anyone else involved in delivering pastoral care in congregations. The course runs over two sessions each lasting about two hours and covers the basics of pastoral care. It is designed to be delivered by the Minister, pastoral care coordinator or other appropriate person and is in the form of short talks and group discussions. Trainer's notes, participants' notes and an optional PowerPoint presentation are included. The course outline is:
| Session One: | Session Two: | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Foundations for Christian pastoral care | 1. | Using the Bible in Pastoral Care |
| 2. | The Different Levels of Care | 2. | What the World Says and the Bible's Response |
| 3. | Listening well | 3. | Care for People on the Fringes |
| 4. | Relational Principles and Safe Boundaries | 4. | Who Cares for You? |
| 5. | The Where and When of Pastoral Care | 5. | Growing as a Pastoral Carer |
| 6. | A Pastoral Care Scenario | ||
| 7. | Dealing with Difficult Situations | ||
| 8. | Bereavement | ||
The course is available free of charge to trainers within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in electronic format (PDF or Word documents and PowerPoint) on request from the Training Resource Centre: trc.office@union.ac.uk
Pastoral Care Teams Resource
Putting into place a new model of pastoral care with pastoral care teams can be a challenge well worth pursuing. Others have gone before and this resource draws on the experience of Presbyterian Church in Ireland congregations with pastoral care teams already up and running. This resource would be helpful to those considering taking this step as well as those who already have pastoral care teams and wish to enhance how the team is managed. The areas covered are:
- A Step by Step Guide to Setting Up a Pastoral Care Team
- Reviewing Current Practice and Moving Forward
- Pastoral Care Team Roles
- Recruiting Team Members
- Training the Team
- Appointing a Pastoral Care Coordinator
- Producing a Pastoral Care Policy
- Managing Pastoral Care
- Creating a Culture of Care in the Congregation
Pastoral Care Teams (PDF): April 2012
Three Models for Pastoral Care
This downloadable booklet has been distributed to all Ruling Elders and Ministers and outlines three different models of pastoral care endorsed by the General Assembly in 2011 for Kirk Sessions to consider. Extra paper copies for Ruling Elders and Ministers are available to collect from Assembly Buildings (Church House).
Developing Pastoral Care in Our Congregations (PDF): October 2011
© Presbyterian Church in Ireland. info@presbyterianireland.org Information correct at time of upload.