The Pastoral Care Team (PCT) at Whole Life Ministries is dedicated to supporting individuals and families through life transitions and times of need. We are trained listeners offering a sensitive and confidential presence. We will create a spiritual environment wherever we visit and whenever we call and to bring greetings from our Pastor and the Whole Life Ministries family. The PCT works with our Pastor in a continuing process to cherish and care for members of our congregation in times of need.

"Love each other. Just as I have loved you" (John 13:34)

Our goal is to provide a ministry of hope and caring so that no member of our congregation need be alone. Our covenant to the congregation is to:

1. Visit the ill at home or in the hospital.

2. Support those going through a life crisis.

3. Maintain contact with those unable to attend church due to illness or disability.

4. Help new members and those born-again to fall in love with Jesus.

5. Support friends and family involved in care giving.

6. Comfort the bereaved.

7. Provide educational and community resources to members

Purpose:

·To care, not to counsel or cure

·To identify and develop gifts; to help persons recognize and use their gifts under pastoral guideness

·To bear gifts of caring, or a presence with a meaning

·To receive gifts – pastoral care is not one-way but implies mutuality of relationship

·To work with pastor to bring pastoral care to all members, with special emphasis on where the need is greatest

Pastoral Care Teams are a good idea because we have grown too large for Pastor to respond to all of the needs for pastoral care. So there is the danger of people "slipping through the cracks.

Pastoral Care Teams provides a way for our congregation to respond to the real-life needs of individuals and families. This team is a group of volunteers working together to offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to those in need. Pastoral Care Teams do not replace pastor and the care and spiritual comfort she shares with members of the congregation. We are under the Pastor's authority as we work in collaboration with her to bring about the vision God has entrusted to her care. At no time will the team pursue its own agenda.

A comfortable working relationship with our pastor is essential for the successful operation of the Pastoral Care Team and the health of the church. The Pastor and the PCT have to be seen as working hand in hand, one the extension of the other, in order for the congregation to feel the security of an overall, integrated caring presence.

Care team members will receive training in how to appropriately handle sensitive issues and in suggested ways to respond in situations they may encounter as well as the necessity for maintaining confidentiality

While pastoral care is not the same as counseling, team members still need specific training in caring skills to become effective and compassionate visitors. These skills include listening and communication, knowledge of the impact of grief and loss, problem solving, ethics of care, spiritual assessment and evaluation in order to identify needs and resources and know when and how to make appropriate referrals. Initially, team members should receive training in these basic skills. Training sessions will be structured according to the needs of the membership.

As with all the other ministry teams available in our church, in order to be a part of the Pastoral Care Team, you have to undergo a training program and listen to teaching tapes in order to develop listening skills and the ability to respond pastorally to those in need.

Augusta is divided into several postal zones. These zones are assigned specific zip codes, and in keeping with the designated postal zip code areas, we are dividing these zones among all the Pastoral care team members.

Each team is responsible for all the church members that live in the particular zone they have been assigned to. The membership list will be divided and assigned by zip code designations to each team. The team will also know and communicate with schools, businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, churches, and community resources that fall within their assigned zip code area.

Each team has a Zone Pastor and Zone Co-Pastor to co-ordinate the work and utilizes community resources. Each team is made up of 6-8 trained Pastoral care team members who are committed to working together on a team and following the guidelines of the ministry. The team is organized. Each member has established procedures for keeping one another informed.

The congregation will know their assigned zone team. The team will be able to meet the needs of the people they are assigned to.

In collaboration with the Foundation Class Coordinator, new members will be assigned to their perspective teams immediately. The team will assist in the nurturing needs of the new member, making sure the new member feels welcome and comfortable and is making every effort to complete the ten week class to officially become a member.