2024: My year of His Kingdom and His will

What is Pastoral Care & Counseling:

Pastoral care refers to the ministries/services usually performed by a pastor. In Covenant Parish, the phrase refers to more specific aspects of a pastor’s ministry, such as counseling and visitation. The core idea of “pastoral care” is that pastors are to care. The word pastor comes from the Latin word for “shepherd.” A pastor is to be a shepherd or caretaker of God’s flock. “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3, emphasis added).

Many people have a misunderstanding of what exactly pastors do, thinking that their primary responsibility is preaching on Sunday. The joke that pastors only work one day a week could not be further from the truth. Beyond preparing and delivering a sermon, pastors provide biblical counseling, visit the sick and injured in hospitals, and disciple members of the congregation through phone calls, lunch meetings, and other social engagements. Many pastors serve as chaplains in hospitals, the military, workplaces, schools, and prisons. All of these ministries are aspects of pastoral care.

Don’t suffer in silence, let the Pastor know:

In Covenant Parish, the Pastors want to: care for a person who is struggling with a difficulty, be present during a time of pain, pray with someone in a crisis—these are the moments when spiritual breakthroughs occur. Ministering through a good, biblically sound sermon is absolutely necessary. But ministering through a personal touch, i.e., pastoral care, is just as important.

Pastors also need care:

There is another meaning of pastoral care that should be mentioned. Recognizing the tremendous amount of stress and burn-out that pastors experience, we believe that “pastoral care” also refer to ministry to pastors. Perhaps the best understanding of pastoral care is that pastors are to care for us, and we are to care for our pastors.

Contact A Pastor:

You can contact any of the Pastors in Covenant Parish to talk or book an appointment for proper discussion and/or prayers. Remember, the Pastor’s duty goes beyond sermonizing, they are also available to care and offer godly counsel.