PACE Training Manual (SUMMARY)
CONTENTS
Introduction
1 Concept and theology
2 Who needs it?
3 Commitments
4 The call
5 Building a relationship
6 About listening
7 Being precedes doing
8 Keeping spirituality fit
9 Anatomy of a visit
10 Being professional
11 Confidentiality
12 Difficulties into possibilities
INTRODUCTION
The Lay Pastors Ministry is a system of Congregational care by laypeople. It is one-on- one, hands-on, grass-roots, ongoing pastoral care ministry.
The Lay Pastors Ministry in brief:
-They are prepared
-Members are assigned
-It is programmed: P-A-C-E
Our expectations:
-Trained….how to be a Lay Pastor
-Loved……relate one another
-Called……to be a Lay Pastor
-Grow……..experience spiritual growth
1 CONCEPT & THEOLOGY (Summary)
New Testament Scriptures
I Peter 5:1-4….Magna Carta of Lay Pastors Ministry. John 21:15-17….Peter was the first caring pastor.
Ephesians 4:11-12…for the work of ministry
Old Testament Scripture
Exodus 18…The Mosaic Model
The leaders will be able us their gifts.
The people will be adequately cared for.
Lay People Can Pastor
Robert Carcuff… more effective than credentialed
Oscar Feucht……The church is a ministerium
Samuel Southard…most of what we pastors do
Alaster Campbell….a relationship founded upon the
You already have these essential pastoral qualities.
Love with skin on
2 WHO NEEDS IT? (Summary)
Everyone needs pastoral care
God would have every one of his children intentionally loved, prayed for, and cared for by another
Pastoring includes nurturing.
Another kind of need: people with
pastoral gifts need to be used them.
Supporting Paper #3, 4
3 COMMITMENTS (Summary)
P-Prayer: for three to four people
A-Available: to your people
C-Contact: each one on a regular basis
E-Example: of love
Seven additional commitments
Self to Jesus Christ
Time and energy
Months or years as long as
Continue being equipped
Being accountable
To church and ministry leaders
Meeting of the lay pastors
You are not committing to discipling or problem solving.
-to presence, loving, and listening with the borders of PACE
-love with skin on
Supporting Paper #5, 6, 7
4 The Call (Summary)
God takes the initiative Moses, Samuel, Peter Call-train-Send
God gives gifts with which to do ministry
He give gifts to every Christian
Our gifts are to be used
Two pastoring gifts: mercy, encouragement
God calls ordinary people to be lay pastors
-they don’t think they are but God does Paul, Gideon, Amos…calling and obedience Robert Slocum-Maximize your ministry
Standards of accepting ordinary people
-feared God and were trustworthy
-full of the Holy spirit and wisdom
Some payoff
Spiritual growth
Ever-deepening relationship
Inner sense of fulfillment
They are cared for in the act of caring
The future benefit: “the crown of glory”
Supporting Paper #8, 9
5 Building a Relationship (Summary)
Pastoral care is a relationship
Alastair Campbell (Scottish theologian): “Pastoral care is not correctly understood if it is viewed within the framework of professionalism . . . . Pastoral care is a relationship founded upon the Integrity of the individual. Such a relationship does not depend upon the acquisition of knowledge or the development of skill.
Rather, it depends on a Caring Attitude toward others which comes from our own experience of pain, fears, and loss, and our own release from their deadening grip.“
How to build a relationship Relationship has a friendship factor.
Relationship makes pastoral care possible
Pastoral care is proactive.
Supporting Paper #10
6 About Listening (Summary)
There are two kinds of listening
Passive: Not speaking but only listening
Active: Reflecting what you think..paraphrasing
Both kinds of listening achieve three ends: People feel loved and helped because ….. People are affirmed whey we hear them. Acquaintance is transformed into a relationship..
Helpful listening skills
Listen for what is not being said.
Listen over time.
Listen fore feelings as well as words.
Supporting Paper #11, 12
7 Being precedes Doing (Summary)
We need to be equipped on two: Being & Doing
Being focus on what we are…Doing is what we do
A synonym for Being is Integrity
ASK GOD REPEATEDLY TO HELP YOU BE:
A loving person rather than just to love at times;
A patient person rather than just to show patience;
A compassionate person rather than just to project compassion;
A servant rather than just to serve at times;
A generous person rather than just to give conveniently
NOTE:
Jesus is our model. He was a servant. He was not just performing a servant’s task when He washed His disciples’ feet. He was a loving person; He did not merely love certain people to a certain degree at a certain time.
8 Keeping Spirituality Fit (Summary)
There are two imperatives for spiritual fitness
Spend time daily with God a Scripture
Meditation
Prayer
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
To keep spiritually fit takes commitments intention and disciple.
Supporting Paper #13
9 Anatomy of a visit (Summary)
The process from now to the completion of your first visit
Fill out an application form
Be commissioned
Receive your pastoring group
Letter sent from the pastor to your pastoring group, informing them that you are now their Lay Pastor.
Phone your people for an appointment
Make your First Visits.
Turn in your First Visit reports
Supporting Paper #7, 14, 15
10 Being professional (Summary)
Note that the unit is not titled BEING A PROFESSIONAL. You are non-professional people, doing your ministry with quality performance and quality behaviors. Without being a professional you can be professional. The goal is, “excellence in all things and all things to God’s glory:
Be yourself
Be human
Get down to business
Know what you are doing
Use your proper authority
Be dependable
Be available
Be assertive
Know your limitations
Be forgiving of yourself
11 Confidentiality (Summary)
What is the definition or description of “Confidentiality?“
Why is it essential to keep confidential those things which are told to you in private?
How and why is confidentiality broken?
What damage is done by telling confidential information to another (breaking confidentiality)?
What do you do about “grey” areas, uncertainties about whether some information can be shared with other people such as the pastor or a prayer group?
What part does relationship play in disclosing confidential matters?
What does the self-disclosure of private matters do for the person who trusts you to keep them confidential? NOTE: In logging information after visiting with your people so you can connect the visits, never log any confidential information. Experts say there is no need to log this kind of data because you will have no trouble remembering it.
12 Turing Difficulties into possibilities (Summary)
No ministry is without challenges to its effectiveness and threats to its existence. If managed positively, challenges and threats become assets rather than liabilities. Discouraging experiences, when prayerfully and intentionally managed, make one’s ministry stronger. A Lay Pastor may be challenged to deal with one or more of the following difficulties in such a way as to turn them into possibilities.
