Spiritual care can be a dimension of any discipline, when a practitioner provides wholistic care, that includes the spiritual

dimension Pastoral care is a person-centred, holistic approach to care that complements the care offered by other helping disciplines while paying particular attention to spiritual care. The focus of pastoral care is upon the healing, guiding, supporting, reconciling, nurturing, liberating, and empowering of people in whatever situation they find themselves*.

Pastoral / spiritual care is the only caring modality in which personal connection is the prime goal of interaction. Because the nature of friendship is the mutual self disclosure of each person, pastoral care includes the skill by the carer of appropriately revealing him or herself as a person in the pastoral conversation. The value of this offer of friendship becomes important when the other person is interested to receive it.

An effective pastoral care is an expert 'non expert'. The conversations she or he initiates are between two or more free and equal persons where there is no necessary assumption of 'expertise' as there is with a counsellor or therapist. Pastoral care requires high levels of interpersonal skill focused in the free and equal relationship of friendship in which the carers intentions are formed in the interest of the patient or person, undergirded by a general motive of love and concern. The provision of pastoral care is becoming profession in its own right within institutions, incorporating the provision of pastoral care by religious communities. Because the nature of friendship is the mutual self disclosure of each person, pastoral care includes the skill by the carer of appropriately revealing him or herself as a person in the pastoral conversation. The value of this offer of friendship becomes important when the other person is interested to receive it The Functions of Pastoral Care Healing In its best moments, the church has been there to help people through their experiences of grief and sorrow. Thus, congregation members perform the healing function of pastoral care as they come together in the midst of chaos, offering hope and wholeness in the midst of fragmentation and despair. Healing doesn't always mean a physical cure. Instead, it sometimes suggests how the church can foster emotional and spiritual healing in the midst of physical suffering. There may also need to be healing within the congregation itself.

Guiding The second function of pastoral care is the ministry of guidance. This is one aspect of pastoral care that is often neglected. Guidance doesn't mean telling people how to live their lives. Guidance means that the church has theological and ethical resources for thinking about life decisions. People turn to the church expecting us to have something meaningful to say in the midst of conflict and confusion. As members of a community of faith, we miss the point when we refuse to offer guidance in ways that are concrete but not intrusive. The most appropriate pastoral guidance offers people the options that lie in front of them, reflects on the consequences of those options, thinks about the faith issues involved, and then remains with people as they make their choices. Be present in their questions and concerns, but don't offer to make the decision for them. Guidance is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks in pastoral care for it requires care-full deliberation and trust in the spirit of a living God who moves beyond our words and actions. Reconciling -- reconciliation. Reconciliation occurs as people with differences move toward common concerns. This does not mean everyone will end up agreeing with each other. The goal isn't to agree but to remain faithful to the love and grace embodied by the gospel, while at the same time remaining true to what you believe. This requires a mature faith which insists that people can disagree with one another while still standing together. It isn't easy. There are times when reconciliation means simply finding ways for people who strongly disagree to still pray for each other with a sense of honesty and integrity. The church can model an ability to stand in solidarity with one another while acknowledging the depth of struggle and serious differences over decisions that are made. Sustaining The sustaining power of God can be felt in the presence of a church member who says I'm with you in your suffering and, in my presence, the body of Christ is with you too. It's this sustaining power of the church which we often find creating the most hope in our lives. The church can help people remain stable in the midst of crises by providing a place for people to simply name their thoughts, feelings and fears without having to defend them. Indeed, one of the most important aspects of pastoral care is providing a safe place for people, For the church to be an instrument of God's grace, we ourselves must provide the grace-filled spaces for people to express doubts, fears, concerns, and angers. There are few easy answers, yet God does provide the sustaining power to deliberate, pray, and reflect on what it means to be faithful.

Introduction: Pastoral Theology Introducing students to the nature, scope, and function of pastoral theology in relation to the ministry of the church. This involves exploring various aspects of ministry; the roots/ foundations of biblical & contemporary models of pastoral care; the role of pastor and church; doing the work of pastoral ministry and dealing with various forms of crises. the branch of theology dealing with the responsibilities of membersof the clergy to the people under their care. Christian pastoral theology is that aspect of the theological task which informs and reflects on pastoral ministry within the Christian community. In the broad sense, pastoral ministry covers, for example, preaching, teaching, healing, counselling and spiritual direction, all of which are sometimes Pastoral counseling We believe that all problems come as a result of the condition of the heart. If the heart is right with God our relationships will reflect that. Pastoral Counseling exists to help, exhort and encourage individuals in a closer and more personal relationship with God. Once a better relationship with God exists, then the function of Pastoral Counseling is to help the client understand who they are in Christ, their purpose, calling, and how to get there. We have found that the only way to be truly happy in life and fulfilled is to go in the direction that God has called us to as individuals and as a body. In doing so relationships will be better, people will be healed, lives will be changed, families will become more focused, and we will all begin to work together as one body with many parts. In doing so, theses changes in us will be seen in our communities as we will all become more sensitive to the plight of others. Pastoral counseling goes beyond the encouragement or support that any religious community can deliver, by offering psychologically sound therapies that weaves in spiritual and religious dimension. It is important to see that not just it is a time improved emphasis on the therapy but also it is a time of improved interest in spirituality. provider who provides health services to health care consumers recipient a person or thing that receives; receiver: the recipient of aprize. adjective 2. receiving or capable of receiving.