“Pastoral Care”

A tool for growth in character and competence

Main Text: Psalm 78:70-72

Estimated Time: 2h

INTRODUCTION

1)    What does pastoral care mean?

            All of us who are in the ministry face battles which often seem unwinnable; however, the vast majority of pastors, because of religious stereotypes, try to overcome these struggles alone. Consequently, we suffer and wear ourselves out to the point of often having no more strength to keep on going, and so give up the journey. Others, having no strength, cannot resist temptation, and fall into sin. Leaders, and especially pastors, who allow themselves to receive pastoral care, can successfully deal with their weaknesses and struggles, and even if they fall, they find the strength to rise.

The expression “pastoral care” indicates an ongoing action that aims to restore and preserve the well-being of an individual. According to the dictionary, shepherding means guarding or mentoring spiritually.

From these concepts, we understand that every spiritual leader needs pastoral care so they can develop their ministry with integrity throughout their life.

2)    The use of tools in the biblical context.

            In the Bible, the Lord makes use of various tools to illustrate the process of restoration and judgment of his people, as well as of other nations. Let's look at some examples: twine and plumb line (2 Kings 21:13, Am. 7:8); ax (Matt. 3:10; Luke 3: 9); hammer (Jr. 23:29); sickle (Joel 3:13, Rev. 14: 17-19).

In this study we want to make use of this same language and focus on Pastoral Care as a tool to restore and preserve the leader's integrity.

I)              Pastoral care in the Old Testament

            In the context of the Old Testament, we can distinguish three distinct offices: king, priest and prophet. In general, the prophets and priests had responsibility for the spiritual care of the king, who in turn was responsible for caring for the people. Thus, we can infer that the pastoral care of kings was a task of the prophets and priests, who also took care of each other.

Even though the term "Pastoral Care" doesn’t appear in the Bible, its principles and concepts are present both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament and point to a reciprocal action where the caregiver takes care of others but also receives care.

Within the context of the Old Testament, let us do a case study of two kings who had very productive ministries, but had character flaws in their day-to-day walk. The first of these kings is David, described as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), who fulfilled his ministry with integrity (Psalm 78: 70-72). However, this very same David committed three great sins: adultery (2 Sam. 11: 1-4); murder (2 Sam. 12: 9) and taking a census which displeased God (2 Sam. 24:10; 1 Chron. 21: 7).

In the face of the biblical record, how can David be declared a man after God’s own heart? To answer this question, let us examine the following texts: 2 Sam. 12:1-13, where David was confronted by the prophet Nathan and acknowledged his sin; and also 2 Sam. 24:10-17, where the prophet Gad confronted David and once again he acknowledged his sin. David took care of the Lord's people, but he also received pastoral care through the prophets.

David, when he began his ministry, was a man of integrity; yet in his day-to-day life he failed miserably and his integrity was compromised. However, because of the pastoral care he received from the prophets Nathan and Gad, his integrity was restored and thus he was able to continue his ministry.

The other king we will take as an example is Uzziah, who was a man of great success in his ministry (2 Chron. 26:5-15). However, Uzziah is hardly remembered in our preaching or reflections because he had a tragic ending to his ministry.

While Uzziah received mentoring - pastoral care - from Zechariah, his ministry was prosperous and the Lord blessed him richly, being one of the most enterprising kings in the history of Judah. But after the death of Zechariah, Uzziah refused to receive pastoral care or mentoring from anyone else including Azariah (2 Chron. 26:17-19), and consequently had a catastrophic end (2 Chron. 26:20-21).

These two kings had a divine call from the Lord, dedicated their lives to God’s ministry, accomplished remarkable things, yet ended their days quite differently. While David became a leader of reference “after God’s own heart”, Uzziah was banished from the house of the Lord and faded into oblivion. There is no doubt that the difference in the lives of these men of God, apart from the attitudes of their hearts, is directly related to the presence or absence of pastoral care or mentoring.

II - The danger of isolation (Ecclesiastes 4: 7-10)

            “Again, I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless— a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Eccles. 4:7-10

David Kornfield, in his book Mentoring Clinics of Pastors and Leaders, lists from Healthy Relationships: How to Develop Good Relationships and Avoid Those That Aren’t, by John Townsend and Henry Cloud, (Life Ed.) six fortresses that we have erected to defend our isolation: self-sufficiency, a hardened heart, self-disparagement, perfectionism, exaggerated surrender and passivity.

No human being in their right mind opts for solitude as a way of life. Having moments of solitude is fundamental for reflection, to listen to God and to be at peace with yourself; however, living in isolation is a sign of imbalance in your life. God himself tells us: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." (Gen. 2:18).

Regardless of all that is known about loneliness, most leaders walk all alone and thus live dangerously, believing that they will never need someone to listen to them in times of crisis, to encourage them in the face of discouragement or to lift them up in an eventual fall. The Bible classifies this attitude as vanity or folly (Ecclesiastes 4: 7-12).

III - Pastoral care in the New Testament: a salve for the soul (Col. 4:10,11)

The Lord Jesus, even though he was God, did not do his ministry alone. Jesus risked trusting in imperfect men and women with whom he could share his mission, his experiences with the Father and his concerns (John 17; ; Mt. 26: 37-38). Are we better than the Lord Jesus, to the point that we need no colleagues or companions?

After Jesus Christ, there is almost unanimous agreement that the apostle Paul was the most relevant leader in the proclamation of the message of the Kingdom, as well as in church planting and leadership formation. Yet Paul, with all his wisdom and grace from heaven, did not develop his ministry alone; on the contrary, he sought to be always surrounded by men and women who could assist him in the ministry, individuals who provided God’s relief in Paul’s life at moments of crisis and difficulties.

In his letter to the Colossians 4:11, Paul mentions John Mark (cousin of Barnabas), Aristarchus and Justo and says that they have been his comfort and relief . The word translated “comfort” is "paregoria", which literally means: "That which softens or calms pain." (This word gave rise to the name of the medicine for relief of intestinal pain, Paragoric).

When Paul says those companions were his comfort, he is telling us those companions took care of him and were like divine medicine for his life, especially in moments of personal and ministerial difficulties.

Within the New Testament, beginning with the mission of the seventy, the practice was to walk with others (Luke 10: 1, Acts 3: 1, 13: 1,2, 15: 39,40). Another important story that demonstrates this care are the events described in Galatians 2:11-14. In this passage, Paul confronts Peter and corrects him, as well as the stance taken by Barnabas. Paul’s confrontation helped Peter come to his senses, preserved the doctrine in the Church and prevented legalism from becoming an oppressive force among the followers of Christ.

CONCLUSION

The use of any tool requires skill on the part of the user, and this same principle applies to the practice of pastoral care in the life of a leader. If this is the first time you have heard of this tool, you certainly do not yet have the ability to use it. You may even be suspicious of its effectiveness. So we invite you to delve a little deeper into the subject, reflect on the Biblical references cited and also examine some of the tools suggested below.

Tools that will help you grow in the vision of pastoring leaders:

1) Pastoring Pastors Workshop, offered by ORMIBAN, Brazil;

2) Book: The Shining Leader, David Kornfield, Ed. Vida;

3) Book: As Iron sharpens Iron, H.W.D. Hendricks, Christian Art Distributors (Amazon)

4) Book: The Flesh and Bone Leader, Colin Buckland, Ed. New Life;

5) Book: The Spiritual Vocation of the Pastor, Eugene Peterson, Ed. Textus.

6) Book: My Spiritual Legacy, James Houston, Ed. Christian World

7) Book: A Pastor According to the Heart of God, Eugene Peterson, Ed. Textus

“The danger of the egotistical pastor”

Main Text: Jude (Emphasis on verse 12 and 13)

Estimated Time: 2h

INTRODUCTION

1)    Author of the letter

            In the New Testament we find at least six people named Judas: i) Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus - Mt 10:4; ii) Judas, another apostle, also called Thaddaeus, Son of James - Lk. 6:16; iii) Judas, brother of the Lord Jesus - Mk. 6:3; iv) Judas, the Galilean - Acts 5:37; v) Judas, who sheltered Paul shortly after his conversion - Acts 9:11; and vi), Judas Barsabbas, a notable man from Jerusalem, sent with Paul to Antioch - Acts 15:22. Of these, the only one who fits the description in the first verse of this letter is the brother of the Lord Jesus (Mark 6:3). Therefore, the consensus in the Christian tradition is that he is the author of this letter.

2)    Letter recipient

            The similarity of the situation to that mentioned in 2 Peter suggests this letter was addressed to the same churches to which the apostle Peter sent his two letters.

3)    Purpose of the letter

            Judas wanted to write a treatise on salvation in Christ (verse 3), but the news that certain pastors had infiltrated the church and were putting the church in danger (verse 4) made him change his goal, making his letter truly a manual to warn the church about dangerous, ungodly pastors.

            While the letters to the Corinthians, Galatians and Colossians warn the pastor against "ill-intentioned believers," the letter of Judas opens the eyes of the church, exhorting them to be on guard against dangerous or ill-intentioned pastors.

4)    Preliminary considerations

            The desire for human autonomy in relation to God can lead a Christian leader, and even a pastor, to act in ways contrary to their vocation. This desire comes to fruition when the leader/pastor decides to walk on their own and only take care of him or herself. The epistle of Judas is a warning to all who have been called to serve to be vigilant so that we will not become dictators instead of servants, or even become agents of Satan against the sheep of the Great Shepherd.

In the book The Lucifer Syndrome, the author states: "All ingratitude that becomes chronic, all pride that advocates autonomy and all unrestrained pleasure can, when associated with one another, generate the Lucifer syndrome."

It is important to note the fact that a pastor working apart from others does not make him/her a dangerous leader; however, it does place the person in a very high risk zone that can lead him/her to lose sight of being a servant leader and transform him/her into a very dangerous pastor with the same characteristics described by Judas. For this reason we must fight against the spirit of isolation and self-sufficiency and instead make a commitment to walk with others.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE LETTER

1)    Accusations against dangerous shepherds – they are:

a)    Ungodly individuals (v. 4, 18);

b)    People who are debauched and immoral (verses 4, 8);

c)    People who deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ (verse 4);

d)    People dominated by a spirit of rebellion (verse 8);

2)    The main characteristics of dangerous shepherds (v. 8)

a)    Hallucinating dreamers - When people give more credit to supernatural signs than to universal principles of God's Word, then arguments falsely grounded in "inspired dreams" become stronger than what the Bible says;

b)    Slandering those in authority - The hallmark of this attitude lies in defaming others, taking pleasure in disputes, discouraging others and finding fault that is thrown in the face of the offender in the form of insults.

3)    Examples in Israel of those who identify with dangerous shepherds (v.11)

a)    They continue along the path of ____________.

Cain reveals the kind of pastor who is angry when they see God’s abundant grace in someone else’s life rather than their own. Envy comes to dominate this type of leader, to the point that he/she cannot bear the idea of someone else having more or being better used by God than he or she is.

b)    Moved by greed they rush into the error of ____________.

Balaam epitomizes those who use the charisma (gifts) for personal purposes and relativize the Word of God. He is an example of the insatiable and liberal spiritual leader.

c)    They are destroyed because of their attitude of ____________.

Korah is an example of someone who exceeds God given limits, who thirsts for power to the point of using any means to achieve superiority.

A pastor walks in the footsteps of Cain when a lack of love permeates his/her being and when she or he places more emphasis on appearance and outward spirituality than on a life of holiness, devotion and healthy relationships. The pastor becomes a disciple of Balaam when they love money and human honors so much that they are willing to manipulate the truth of God's word to serve their interests. This kind of leader chooses Korah as their mentor when they do not recognize the spiritual authority of anyone else over their life and ministry, and when their primary desire is for self-determination at all costs and to be in the top position in every situation.

4)    The main characteristics of dangerous, ungodly pastors (see 12, 13 and 16)

a)    They are like submerged rocks (v.12)

The figure of speech used by Judas is striking, and teaches us that this type of pastor is an expert in causing a ‘shipwreck’ in the faith of others. Those who approach them run serious risks.

b)    They are without modesty, without discretion (v.12)

Discretion, temperance and moderation are the fruits of a life in submission to God and His Word. When we see someone without these fruits, we must be attentive, for these ungodly people may endanger the lives of those who belong to the Lord Jesus.

c)    They only feed themselves (v.12 and Ezekiel 34: 8)

Judas highlights the individualistic and selfish character of these pastors. They isolate themselves, and instead of feeding the Lord’s flock, they feed only their own ego and so do not allow anyone else to feed or mentor them.

d)    They are clouds without water swept along by the winds (v.12);

In times of drought, clouds bring the hope of rain, but these shepherds are clouds without any moisture: they raise hope, but bring great disappointment in the end.

e)    They are fruitless trees (v.12)

These pastors talk a lot, but they do little. Their lives are unsuccessful, though they make themselves look like someone who produces or will produce much fruit.

f)     They are like wild waves, foaming up their own shame (v. 13);

Judas calls our attention to look at the lives of these pastors, because sooner or later, their filth will be thrown up onto the beach and everyone will discover who they really are.

g)    They are wandering stars (v. 13);

These shepherds are "stars" of temporary brilliance. Moreover, they do not know where they are going, they have no definite direction and they are lost and wandering. We might even describe them as shooting stars.

h)    They are murmurers and discontents (v.16);

These people constantly grumble: they do not like anything they have and want everything they do not have.

i)      They are arrogant (v. 16);

Judas says that they are arrogant because they always exalt themselves and do so as if they were the most experienced person in the group, or as someone with whom God speaks most directly. Therefore, we must beware of the following symptoms:

i) Pastors of pompous spirituality;

ii) Pastors who make a lot of noise about their gifts;

iii) Pastors who consider themselves a reference for spirituality and who use their testimonies to promote themselves.

j)      Flatterers of others for reasons of self-interest (v. 16);

These pastors have no commitment to God or to others, so they become sycophants according to their self-interests.

CONCLUSION

No human being is free of these harmful behaviors or immune to them, including pastors, because these ungodly attitudes are present in our sinful nature and Satan knows how susceptible we are. Walking in an attitude of self-sufficient isolation is very dangerous, because it creates an environment conducive to the proliferation of all these evil behaviors. The best tool to help us identify and combat the first sign of these symptoms is a pastoring of pastors program which allows us to walk with others just like us who have the authority to correct us and to help us return to the simplicity of the Christian life (Prov 27:17, Jd. V. 22, 23).

“What benefits does the Pastoring Pastors Project offer a pastor?

Main Text: Psalm 23; Luke 17:3; Acts 27:3

Estimated Time: 1h30m

            The Pastoring Pastors Project makes it possible for every pastor to receive and offer care from/to other pastors, in the following areas:

1)    Personal pastoral care

2)    Ministerial advice or mentoring

3)    Listening to God together

4)    Studying together a subject or theme in which the group wants to grow.

            Let's look at each of these areas in more detail:

1)    Pastoral care of your life (Accountability)

            This can happen in multiple ways, whether formal or informal. Here we suggest ten excellent questions for accountability in a small group (3-5 people) within one hour. We suggest the group be people of the same sex, to avoid intimacy in this context between men and women. Upon reaching six people, the group should be divided into 2 groups of 3 participants.

            During the last seven days: (if the pastors’ meeting is every other week. If monthly, then the question should be adapted to the period):

1.    Did you bear witness to the greatness of Jesus Christ with your words and deeds? Did you talk about Jesus to any non-Christian?

2.    Were you completely honest in the financial area? Did you cause financial damage to someone? Did you accept extra change when you purchased an item? Did you sign a check without funds? Did you spend more money than you should?

3.    Did you give proper attention to your family? Did you listen to people with love? Did you spend time talking to your spouse? Did you respect and care for him or her?

4.    Did you speak badly about anyone? Did you use vulgar words? Did you hurt someone verbally?

5.    Did you give in to some vice, some behavior that could enslave you? Explain.

6.    Did someone hurt you? Have you forgiven this person yet? Were you still angry after sundown? Are you still angry?

7.    Did you expose yourself to pornography or become sexually excited in an inappropriate way in your thoughts or in practice? If married, did you imagine yourself in a romantic relationship with someone other than your spouse?

8.    Have you read the Word of God and heard from God this week? How was your devotional time?

9.    Add your own question: ______________________________________

10.  In all that you have reported, have you really spoken the truth?

2)    Ministerial advice or mentorship

            A group of 2 to 4 people can dedicate an hour to mentor or build up a member of the group at each meeting. (In the Pastors Workshop, we will present a mentoring tool).

3)    Listening to God with other colleagues

            Having defined an area in which the group or a member of the group needs to hear from God, the group can enter a period of silence to listen to the Lord (2-5 minutes). During this silence, everyone should be alert to what the Holy Spirit brings to their minds, especially key Bible passages (see John 16: 12-15, Heb. 4:12). It helps if someone takes notes on what is shared.

            At the conclusion of this ministry, the person should express to God what they are feeling. In order not to lose the depth of what was shared, you should also write what you heard God say and what you felt. (Before going to sleep, we suggest reading Hebrews 2:1-3). In addition to this special moment in group meetings, the group can gather for a time of prayer, fasting, retreat, vigil, etc., with the goal of listening to God together, seeking the direction of the Spirit for the life of one of the members of the group or for the whole group.

Three possible ways to pastor pastors

1.   Weekly: when the group has a specific high-priority project they want to complete. This might include:

a)   A discipleship project or intentional and intensive training for the group;

b)    A special update course or continuing education course;

c)   A mission project working as a ministry team, for example sharing the good news of Jesus with the city or neighborhood. A structured proposal to implement a new strategy in your churches, for example, developing a pastoral team that experiences the pastoring pastors methodology or initiating a pilot project for family or cell groups.

2.   Biweekly: when a weekly project no longer requires so much investment, or when the members want to start other groups that will require preparation time.

3.  Monthly: suitable for pastors with little time or who already have mature relationships (for example, after establishing a foundation in the weekly and biweekly meetings and at the stage of organizing new pastoring pastors groups). This rhythm also applies to pastors who live far from each other and cannot meet more often.

Mentorship

The word mentor refers to the "person who advises, teaches, or guides." The figure of the mentor has its origins in Greek mythology in the work of the "Odyssey", written by Homer, many centuries ago. Ulysses, the great hero, entrusted the custody of his infant son, Telemachus, to his best friend, Mentor, before leaving for the Trojan War. Mentor was responsible for teaching Telemachus "not only the teachings contained in books, but also practical [applications]." Mentor's task was to provide him with education, not only of the mind, but also of the soul and spirit. He was to provide an education in wisdom and not only in information, preparing the son to assume the role of his father in command of the family lands if the father did not return from the war.

            In the academic context, mentoring has been known for a long time. In it, a teacher, often in the university, adopts a student as their favorite, investing in the student and helping them advance in a unique way. There is usually a special affinity between the two and the teacher sees a special potential in that student. In the English-speaking world, the use of the term has been extended to all areas: business, arts, the church and so on.

            Today, the mentoring process works like this: the mentor prepares a professional early in life for the challenges of corporate life, or a mentor teacher prepares a student with whom he or she has a special affinity to excel in their area of expertise. Some companies have an effective mentoring program, where senior officials become a kind of godfather to younger employees.

            In the Christian context, we define a mentor as someone who believes in someone else, seeing possibilities beyond what that person perceives, supporting and nurturing them, challenging and leveraging them to their full potential within God's purposes. In the pastoring pastors program, the idea of mentoring is that experienced pastors will invest in the lives of less experienced pastors.

“The importance of pastoring pastors”

Main Text: I Cor. 12:12-27 (emphasis on verses 24-26)

Estimated Time: 2h

Introduction:

a)    Of the pastors you know, what is the percentage of those who receive pastoral care? __________

b)    What about the spouses, what would that percentage be? __________

c)    What does a pastor lose when they do not allow anyone to pastor them or take care of them?

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            When pastors do not have anyone to take care of them, they suffer. This suffering occurs because they do not have a safe environment to open their heart and express their pains and sorrows. The pastor cannot achieve all of his or her potential because there is no one to help overcome his or her weaknesses. They burn out easily always giving but never receiving. Often the church, the denomination and even the pastors themselves start to think that this is the way it should be, because they consider that sacrifice is an indication they are giving their life for the Lord’s flock.

           

            Besides the pastor suffering for lack of pastoral support in their own life, who else suffers, when there is no such support? We can say that:

a)   His/Her _________ suffers. Every person called by God to this ministry, if honest, will admit they easily let the ministry become a priority above their spouse. There is a saying in Brazil that the pastor has two women: their wife and their church. The same could be said for a woman pastor – she has two men in her life.

b)   His/Her ______________ suffer. In many cases, the pastor’s children want to be anything but pastors! Even if they feel a call to ministry, they usually have in mind another type of ministry other than being a pastor.

c)  The _______________ suffers. They do not receive pastoral care because the pastor does not know how to share what he or she has never received.

d)  The ______________ suffers. When the pastor, their spouse, their children and church leaders suffer, it is impossible for the church not to suffer, too! Church members, as a rule, see the pastor as the model of a mature believer and seek to imitate their leader. This can lead the church members into the trap of ‘busyness,” which is often marked by loneliness.

e)  The ______________ suffers. Jesus said that love is the behavior that convinces the world we are true disciples (Jn 13: 34-35). A pastor and church who suffer from lack of pastoral care will not attract unbelievers, and if they do come, the church may find it difficult to offer them emotional and spiritual health.

f)    The _______________ suffers. When we suffer, God suffers as well. If we could see the heart of God towards his servants, in many cases we would see a broken heart. God loves his pastors so much that he feels sorry for them when they do not receive the love and care they need.

All of these relationships in the pastor’s life can be improved if the pastor receives pastoral care.

Answers: a) Spouse; b) Kids; c) Leadership; d) Church; e) World; f) Heart of God.

The biblical basis for pastoring pastors

1.    Before studying the biblical basis below, write down two or three passages that you feel would be important for pastoring pastors, or passages that illustrate this concept.

a) ___________________ b) __________________ c) __________________

2.    Below are four classic texts for pastoring pastors. As you read them, please identify biblical principles that underlie pastoral care for pastors.

a)    John 17

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b)    Acts 20:28-31

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c)    2 Cor. 2:12, 13 e 7:5,6

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d)    2 Tim. 2:12

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3.    In addition to the above texts, there are several passages that contribute to a better understanding of the principles and characteristics of shepherding pastors. Brainstorm in your small group and identify other texts.

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