Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay

Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay

A Personal Theology and Practice of Pastoral Care and Counseling (15%): Students will submit a four-to-six page paper that describes the biblical basis and principles for engaging in pastoral care and counseling. The paper should also describe how pastoral counseling should be done in a local church (i.e., how often should it be done, by whom, when referrals will occur, and what specific practices will be employed)Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay. Even though this paper will be describing a personal theology regarding pastoral counseling, the student will demonstrate skill in exegesis and bibliographical research.

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Introduction

Pastoral care and counseling involve caring for others in a way that reflects how Jesus Christ cared for people. The aspects include taking care of people in crisis and empowering others to enable them to live life at its fullest while looking forward to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastoral care involves the collaboration of the church congregation toward caring for people within the congregation and the community. Caring for the flock and the community allows the church to speak on the salvation of Jesus, which is the main principle of pastoral care and counselling. In early years, pastoral care was mail ordained for the clergy, but in present days, it’s the responsibility of the clergy and the laity to work together to help those in need. Further, other professionals and individuals may make it their business to assist others. This paper discusses the biblical basis and principles of pastoral care and counselling and how pastoral counselling should be conducted Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay.

Basis and Principles for Pastoral Counselling

The first principle of pastoral counselling is living a lifestyle of prayer and meditation. All pastoral counsellors must have a defining hallmark of living a prayerful lifestyle. Living prayerfully facilitates growth in grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Odeleye 2022)Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay. Through prayers, counsellors can overcome issues they might encounter through revelations. Fundamentally, the counsellors must soak in prayers while integrating them with deep expertise and insights into the scripture

The second principle involves living a life that exhibits the gifts of the holy spirit as enunciated in Galatians 5:22-23. The gifts are love, joy, gentleness, faith, goodness, meekness, temperance, and longsuffering (Odeleye, 2022). These are gifts that pastoral counsellors must continuously manifest in their roles. When a counsellor practices the gifts, loving and caring for others becomes easy.

The third principle is a life of purity, where the counsellor must emulate salvation in their life. Through personal conviction in the salvation of Jesus Christ, then the counsellor can live a pure life. Nothing compares to a life of peace and serenity aligned with Jesus. By leading a righteous life, the counsellor is qualified to help others.

Basic and Principles of Pastoral Care

The first basis for pastoral care is practising it holistically and inclusively. The Gospel clearly illustrates God’s pastoral concern involving the whole person, including the physical, social, and emotional aspects. In the Gospel, Jesus heals the sick and disabled, heals relationships, and forgives humans of sin (Carey & Cohen, 2015)Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay. He demonstrated an inclusive ministry by treating women with respect and dignity and embracing those at the margin of society, including tax collectors, sinners, and Samaritans. Therefore, pastoral care should deepen relations with Go and the community.

The second basis is deploying compassion during pastoral care. One notable feature in Jesus’ life and ministry was his compassion for those around him. In the Gospel, we are called to know that God is vengeful, but he is moved and shows compassion to us during pain and human struggles. Therefore, empathy must be employed during pastoral care, just like Jesus did during his ministry.

The last basis for pastoral care is in the light of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The cross reminds us of human nature’s destruction, and that pain and suffering can have meaning in the salvation of life sin (Carey & Cohen, 2015)Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay. Knowing that something good might come out of the pain helps us endure loneliness and despair. Thus, during pastoral care, it is essential to always remain at the heart of the cross, which involves helping the broken and vulnerable so that they can be transformed.

How Pastoral Counseling Should be Done in a Local Church

Pastoral counselling integrates psychological and theological concepts to support healing and growth for those seeking help. In local churches, pastoral counselling should be done daily, as people seek support, guidance, and solutions from religious leaders daily. Pastoral care is provided by ordained religious leaders, including chaplains, priests, rabbis, and clergy. Additionally, practising psychotherapists may provide pastoral psychotherapy but must have a religious background. However, to become a fully recognized pastoral counsellor, there is a specific requirement which includes a master’s in divinity, a graduate or degree in theology, biblical study and spiritual studies, and a degree in pastoral counselling.

At times, the individual seeking support and guidance from a counsellor may have some mental health concerns or any other issue that needs a professional specialized in that area. As such, if the counsellor is not specialized in mental issues, then a referral to a licensed mental health practitioner may be appropriate. Thus, referral during pastoral care is inevitable as counsellors may lack expertise in some areas. There are specific practices that are employed concerning a situation. For example, counselling for dying individuals employs making things right with God in preparation for eternal life which is different from practice employed on people facing life challenges. Therefore, pastoral care and counselling have their basis in biblical and vision care and thus must portray the life of Jesus Christ Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay.

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References

Carey, L. B., & Cohen, J. (2015). Pastoral and spiritual care. Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_326-2

Odeleye, Donald. (2022). OVERVIEW OF PASTORAL COUNSELLING Personal Theology and Practice Of Pastoral Care And Counselling Essay