Presence, Paying Attention and Prayer: Pastoral Care Fundamentals

The love of neighbour is a calling for all disciples of Jesus—we are commanded to it. But by framing it as “pastoral care,” we have often reserved this ministry to “pastors” and separated it from daily life. We will identify and practice a range of pastoral care skills, including reflecting on the elements of caring presence, paying active attention to others’ needs, and prayerfully coming alongside others, as well as scriptural grounding, active listening, self-awareness, boundaried pastoral practices, and discerning the role of prayer.

What You’ll Learn

This course will introduce you to a particular practice of leadership by:

• Reflecting on scriptural grounds for the art of pastoral care
• Identifying and practicing active listening skills
• Paying attention to the needs of others
• Paying attention to our own needs and how they should and should not be met
• Explorinh the significance of presence and sacramental understandings of ministry
• Reinforcing accountability and boundaries for best pastoral care practice
• Considering the “mission field” in which we might live out the love of neighbour
• Wondering about how we will go about exercising this ministry in our lives and collectively in the parish and wider communities.

How It Works

Join our instructor, the Venerable Terry DeForest, and an engaged learning community of fellow leaders and missional practitioners.

• Participate in eight two-hour sessions with Terry and the learning community.
  The learning community will meet weekly on Wednesdays from 2:00p – 4:00p, September 20 – October 25.
• Practice in your context.
  During the course you will be encouraged to apply your learning in your context in order to deepen your understanding.
• Reflect within the learning community.
  Your new knowledge and experience will become even more meaningful when shared with other learning practitioners.