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Creating and Sustaining Lay Pastoral Care Teams

Creating and Sustaining Lay Pastoral Care Teams . Rev. Sue Phillips Massachusetts Bay District of UU Congregations March 21, 2009. Opening Worship. Opening Hymn. Come, come whoever you are, wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving ours is no caravan of despair. Come, yet again, come.

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Creating and Sustaining Lay Pastoral Care Teams

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  1. Creating and Sustaining Lay Pastoral Care Teams • Rev. Sue Phillips • Massachusetts Bay District of UU Congregations • March 21, 2009

  2. Opening Worship Opening Hymn Come, come whoever you are, wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving ours is no caravan of despair. Come, yet again, come. Reading Reflection Hymn Walking, walking with you, walking with you is my prayer. Caring, caring with you... Working, working with you... Walking, walking with you Benediction

  3. Welcome

  4. Assumptions • Caring for one another is a primary expression of Unitarian Universalist theology • Caring for one another is a foundational ministry of every congregation Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its cause. This is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace, to seek truth, and to help one another.

  5. Assumptions • Offering and receiving loving care is the essence of belonging in religious community • Everyone holds this call to care You will be cared for. And you will be called upon to care for others. ~ Mission of Prince of Peace ECLA Church (Burnsville, MN)

  6. Assumptions • Parish care is fundamentally different from pastoral care • Skills required are profoundly different • By vocation, training and call, the Minister is first and best resource as pastoral caregiver • Lay people are essential partners in this ministry

  7. Exercise • What did that person do to express their care? • How did it feel to be cared for? • Think of a time when you received care from someone in your congregation...

  8. Sources of care in congregations within groups person to person minister to individuals lay ministry team Spirit congregation’s staff RE teachers worship services minister to congregation

  9. Definitions of Pastoral Care • “Pastoral care is the faithful ministry of a religious community to the needs of people in face-to-face relationships. This ministry comes from a genuine concern for each person, caring about her as a person of unique worth, and caring for her as a mutual responsibility.” • ~ Paul Johnson, A Theology of Pastoral Care • “Pastoral theology is the science of the care for souls.” • ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

  10. Differences between Parish Care and Pastoral Care Parish Care Pastoral Care Visiting people who • Writing cards • Making and delivering meals • Transportation to appointments and worship • are ill or hospitalized • are in nursing homes or who can’t get to church • are dying • have experienced illness or death in the family • Medical equipment loan programs • Buddy systems for elders Education about • caring for elderly parents • living wills, etc.

  11. Process of creating or revitalizing lay ministry teams selection and training of leadership vision of pastoral ministry nurture pastoral teams design program communicating process and vision volunteer appreciation transition from old system ongoing coordination selection and training of caregivers communicate!

  12. Exercise: Exploring your Vision of Caregiving • What is your vision for caregiving in your congregation? • What kind of care do you want to share? • Why?

  13. Matching Pastoral Gifts with your Vision Identifying pastoral needs in the congregation is relatively easy... • Joys & Sorrows • informal networks • Religious educator and RE teachers • Administrator • Minister • committees/groups Identifying, nurturing, and sustaining pastoral skills is more challenging.

  14. Process of creating or revitalizing lay ministry teams selection and training of leadership vision of pastoral ministry communicating process and vision

  15. Parish Care Team: Skills Needed for Leadership Task Manager • task-oriented • able to handle lots of details • good record-keeper Volunteer Coordinator • recruiter • cheerleader • good communicator Vision Keeper • holds and shares vision of why parish care ministry is important

  16. Shift from Parish to Pastoral Care Significant change in purpose doing being Significant change in “task” presents presence Significant change in relationship mutual/social focus on other

  17. Shift from social to pastoral connections external subjects: weather, world & local events the person accepting tension areas maintaining congenial atmosphere comfort through avoiding comfort through facing mutual sharing of stories & experiences helping person share him/herself being understanding, empathetic being pleasant, positive religion: difference between churches, services, ministers Spirit, God and the holy and our relationship to it people in general the person’s significant relationships

  18. Exercise: The Shift from Social to Pastoral • Do you have a relationship with someone in your congregation that is more pastoral than social? • If so, what makes this relationship pastoral rather than social? • If not, reflect on what would shift in an existing relationship to make it pastoral rather than social.

  19. Pastoral Care Team: Skills Needed for Leadership Pastoral Presence • approachable • spirit of service to others • trustworthy to hold and safeguard confidences Spiritual Leadership • theological vision and language • casts vision of pastoral care as lay ministry • convening power Collaboration and Communication • works well with minister and understands how pastoral pieces fit • enjoys staying in touch with people

  20. Pastoral Care Team: Skills Needed for Volunteers Pastoral Presence • approachable • spirit of service to others • trustworthy to hold and safeguard confidences • is willing and able to commit to significant relationships Collaboration and Communication • works well with others on pastoral care team

  21. Program Design selection and training of leadership vision of pastoral ministry design program communicating process and vision

  22. Program Design: Parish Care Team Infrastructure to support widespread involvement • greatest number of volunteers • greatest number of recipients • ... is therefore hardest for staff to coordinate Managing Volunteers • recruitment • appreciation • vision-casting

  23. Program Design: Parish Care Team Collect information about how folks can help • initial survey • reaching new members and friends • system to collect, maintain, update and share this info Collect information about who needs care • clear way to gather info from multiple sources • communication with caregivers • record-keeping: impact

  24. Program Design: Parish Care Team Coordination with other pastoral care providers • coordinator is member of caregiving leadership team • integrated record-keeping

  25. Exercise: Assessing your congregation’s parish care program • What are your parish care program’s most powerful opportunities for ministry? • Is your program equipped to take advantage of these opportunities?

  26. Program Design: Pastoral Care Team All pastoral care team programs need: • vision of care for congregation • process for selecting and training leaders and team members • system for collecting and sharing information about who can help and who needs help • continuing education for team • oversight from Minister

  27. Program Design: Small Group Ministry Model Leadership Team • leadership recruited and trained by minister • leadership team are lay ministers to care providers • minister facilitates monthly meetings in SGM format, which are spiritual not logistical Care providers • assigned by team leader/minister • follow a small number of people, stays with person • shares information with team leader • regular but infrequent meetings with other providers • opportunities for continuing education

  28. Program Design: Pastoral Associates Model Congregational Charge • broad and explicit lay ministry program • congregation empowers, sometimes elects Leadership Team • application process for leadership team • portfolio model • minister facilitates monthly meetings Care providers • assignments by team leader • follow a small number of people, stays with person • regular but infrequent meetings with other providers • opportunities for continuing education

  29. Program Design: Expanding Pastoral Reach Pastorally-focused gatherings and conversations • end of life issues • caring for elderly parents • parenting • facing economic hardship Listening circles Adult education and faith development Small group ministry

  30. Exercise: Assessing your congregation’s pastoral care program • What are your pastoral care program’s most powerful opportunities for ministry? • Is your program equipped to take advantage of these opportunities?

  31. Process of creating or revitalizing lay ministry teams selection and training of leadership vision of pastoral ministry design program communicating process and vision transition from old system selection and training of caregivers

  32. Skills Needed for Volunteers • great listener • pastoral presence • trustworthy • commitment over time • understands pastoral care as ministry Parish Care Pastoral Care • availability • sensitivity • good follow-through on commitments • task oriented Volunteers accepted Selection process No training needed Extensive training needed

  33. Training for Pastoral Caregivers • developing pastoral identity • deep listening • confidentiality • identifying emergency situations • skill-building: life cycles, bereavement and grief, death and dying; hospital and nursing home visits • when to make referrals to minister • boundaries and limit-setting Led by minister and pastoral/service professionals

  34. Process of creating or revitalizing lay ministry teams selection and training of leadership vision of pastoral ministry nurture pastoral teams design program communicating process and vision volunteer appreciation transition from old system ongoing coordination selection and training of caregivers communicate!

  35. Covenanting with the Congregation • From the River Road Unitarian Church Pastoral Ministry Team: • Our goal is to provide a ministry of hope and caring so that no member of our congregation need be alone. Our covenant to the congregation is to: • • visit the ill at home or in the hospital, • • support those going through a life crisis, • • maintain contact with those unable to attend church due to illness or disability, • • support friends and family involved in care giving, and • • comfort the bereaved

  36. Special tips when starting a lay pastoral care program • vision is critical • explicit transition from old/informal ways • ministerial leadership throughout

  37. Meanwhile, at the Parish Care Team Coordinator’s funeral... “Does this mean you won’t be driving me to my doctor’s appointment?” Establish reasonable expectations about the level of services available.

  38. Special tips when starting a lay pastoral care program • “start slow and grow” • building trust: start with the programs you know you can easily manage and do well • constant communication with congregation

  39. Exercise Where is your congregation in the process of creating our revitalizing your parish/pastoral care programs? What do you need to do to equip yourselves to do this work?

  40. Resources • Creating a Lay Pastoral Care Team Ministry • (www.uua.org/congregationallife/sharingministry/104574.shtml) • Paraclete Press • http://www.paracletepress.com/ministry-pastoral-all.html • TransformingChurch • http://www.transformingchurch.com/resources/2005/01/training_and_eq.php

  41. UU Congregations with Pastoral Care Programs • Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene (OR) • http://www.uueugene.org/UUCE/PastoralAssociates.html • Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton (NJ) • http://www.uuprinceton.org/index.php option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=49 • First Unitarian Church of Pittsurgh (PA) • http://www.first-unitarian-pgh.org/policies/2006.08.02--Pastoral%20Care%20Plan.pdf • First Unitarian Church of Oakland (CA) • http://www.uuoakland.org/about/pastoral_care/ • Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church • http://www.pbuuc.org/comm/caring/pastoral.html • and many more...

  42. Creating and Sustaining Lay Pastoral Care Teams • Rev. Sue Phillips • sphillips@uua.org • 617-803-1116 • Massachusetts Bay District of UU Congregations • www.mbduua.org • 617-393-4216

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