Pastoral care

Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church, or persons within a faith-based institution. This ministry can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided by pastors who are licensed to offer counseling services. This is also frequently referred to as Spiritual Care.

'Pastoral care' is also a term applied where Christians offer help and caring to others in their church or wider community. Pastoral care in this sense can be applied to listening, supporting, encouraging and befriending.

Pastoral care can also be a term generally applied to the practice of looking after the personal and social wellbeing of children under the care of a teacher. It can encompass a wide variety of issues including health, social and moral education, behaviour management and emotional support.

ee also

*Chaplain
*Clinical pastoral education (CPE)
*Pastor
*Pastoral counseling
* Health care
* Gerontology
* Faith healing
* Holistic health [http://www.nacc.org/vision/articles/and-the-nominees.asp Pastoral Care vs. Spiritual Care ]

Pastoral care involves shepherding the flock. This is a loving way of caring for people rather than controlling them.

...Shepherding involves protection,tending to needs, strengthening the weak, encouragement, feeding the flock, making provision, shielding, refreshing, restoring, leading by example to move people on in their pursuit of holiness, comforting, guiding (Pss 78: 52; 23).

extract by Gwen purdie,Harold rowdon, church leaders hand book, page 227