“And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.” (Isaiah 33:6)
As grace receivers, Christians must become extenders of grace, tenderness and care. Our hearts should desire to minister to others in their walk with Christ, providing them a haven, a safe place to walk through the messes of life. We live in a stressful time when problems often seem overwhelming. Caring for others with the disparate needs today can be intimidating. But it is essential that ministry workers move toward people who are distressed, confused, or overwhelmed, to address their felt needs.
The purpose of the training lessons presented is to provide useful guidance for ministry workers (includes all Christians to some degree) so that they may be able to move with confidence and compassion into difficult situations, interact with people of various backgrounds, and provide effective assistance and services. The lessons are meant to be concise, to allow for training in a busy ministry environment. After presenting the case for the importance of caregiving, the lessons cover four essential topics that a ministry worker should have a working knowledge of in order to be effective when acting in the caregiver role. They are: self-preparation, connecting skills, shame, and loss.
I created this website as an outgrowth of my research into Christian caregiving that was part of my doctoral dissertation. I am making available to all those interested, lessons that may be used by anyone in ministry to provide basic training in effectively assisting those with emotional and spiritual needs.
--- Lynn Marie
NOTE: While the term caregiving is often used to describe providing physical assistance to those with disabilities, throughout this website and the associated training materials, I use the term caregiving to describe the ministry of Christians to individuals with various spiritual and emotional needs. Many churches use the broader term pastoral care to indicate meeting the needs of members of the church, but also includes creating programs to help meet those needs.