Why This Book Is Needed:
Dr. Melvin
The following observations convinced me that this book was needed.
The Need
- Although many persuasive appeals have been made to both clergy and laity to share in the work of pastoral care, few provide a practical structure through which this shared ministry can become a permanent part of the church.
- Existing pastoral care programs usually focus on people in crisis or those with special needs. While valuable, they often fail to provide ongoing pastoral care for the entire congregation.
- Many books present excellent theology, sound principles, and inspiring theories about shared ministry. However, they either lack a workable model or fail to demonstrate how those principles can be effectively implemented in the life of the church.
- Numerous attempts to establish lay pastoral care ministries have ended in failure, leaving churches with disappointment, frustration, guilt, and skepticism about whether lay people can truly share in pastoral ministry.
On the Other Hand
- At CHPC, the Lay Pastors Ministry has proven to be effective. Its eight-year record demonstrates that this ministry is not merely a theory but a practical model with lasting potential.
- Our ministry is comprehensive because it recognizes that every person in the congregation needs ongoing pastoral care—not only those in times of crisis. We all have needs. We all need someone to pray for us, encourage us, nurture us, and show us Christ’s love.
- Because this ministry has been successfully adopted and adapted by churches of various sizes, it has demonstrated that it is a transferable model that can be implemented in many different settings.
Compared with other excellent books on this subject, I would not describe this as simply a “how-to” book. Rather, it is a “how it’s being done—and how you can do it too”book. It tells the story of ordinary lay people who are faithfully sharing in the ministry of pastoral care, showing that this model can become a living reality in churches everywhere.