7 Ways to Provide Better Pastoral Care

Right now, technological, cultural and social shifts are unfolding at a pace that brings a sense of uncertainty. This uncertainty can lead some people in our congregations to isolate and others to seek deeper community. Regardless of people’s response, the reality is that there is still a deep desire for authentic personal connection.  As leaders, we create opportunities for people to connect, whether that is through corporate gatherings, small groups, online communities and community events. Another sometimes overlooked opportunity to create personal connection is the practice of pastoral care. In its simplest form, pastoral care is the practice of providing physical, emotional and spiritual support. In this article, we explore 7 ways church leaders and their care teams are innovating to intentionally care for the needs of their congregations: 

1. Cultivate active listening skills.  Listening is an important skill in all areas of life, whether that be dealing with a difficult colleague or spending time with family members. But the reality is most of us aren’t as good at listening as we think. Be sure to tune in to nonverbal cues, don’t interrupt and don’t start planning what to say next – you can listen and prepare at the same time. Active listening takes practice and is critical for effective pastoral care. 

2. Nurture skills for holding complexity. It goes without saying – people are beautifully made and wonderfully complex. It’s important that your care team members have the capacity to care for people who have different political beliefs, social views or who may be at a different place in their spiritual journey. Having the skill to be able to hold that level of complexity and still provide compassionate care is critical to providing pastoral care. 

3. Encourage empathy through lived-experiences. The people who make up your team have experienced grief, sadness, happiness, stress, mental health challenges, etc. in their own lives. Healthy care ministries encourage care team members to draw on their lived-experience as a way to build empathy for those they are caring for. It’s important to remember that the focus of a pastoral care visit or call is the congregant needing care – we sometimes see care team members tell stories about their own life experiences without first incorporating active listening skills – this ultimately turns the focus on them, rather than the congregant.

4. Ensure sustainability of the care team. Church leaders and their teams are caring for people through life’s highs, lows and everything in-between. Caring for others is oftentimes emotionally and physically taxing.  For that reason, a trait of healthy care ministries is regular volunteer check-ins. Intentional check-ins directly impact care team retention and sustainability because when care team members feel cared for themselves, they in turn care for congregants better.

5. Anticipate, don't wait. Moving from a reactive to a proactive model of care can be transformative. This alternative is certainly higher-touch and must be supported by more dedicated tools (we recommend Notebird as it has a great integration with Breeze), but it can be so powerful. It allows care teams to intuit the needs of their flock before they manifest into crises, and they can do this because they always know what is going on in the lives of their people. This anticipatory approach not only signals a deep understanding of the community's life but also sends a comforting message to the congregation: no one will be alone in their struggles – we’re here for you.

Notebird provides one central place for all your touch points, visitation and conversation notes—allowing you to see a history of care for each congregant.

Try Notebird Free for 14 Days

6. Make technology your ally. When leveraged thoughtfully, pastoral care technologies powerfully enhance connectivity and support delivery of care. Pastoral care apps and software enable teams to track meaningful life events, ensure consistent care follow-ups, know at a glance what is going on in the lives of their people and work together to ensure all care needs are met. While not a substitute for human presence, tech-savvy solutions can complement and amplify your personal touch.

7. Foster community among care team members. Many times your care team members are made up of people who like being around people. Give your care team time to connect with one another - there is often overlap with pastoral care and the more comfortable your care team is with each other the more likely they are to work together to care for individuals and families. 

The cultural and technological shifts we’re seeing now can be overwhelming, but a closer look reveals that they are also creating great opportunities to elevate pastoral care. Being open to innovative strategies that merge new insights with time-honored practices will ensure care teams continue to serve their people and their care missions in powerful ways.