Pastoral Care can be described as:
- The ministry of care provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church, involving physical and spiritual care.
- It is a term applied where people offer help and caring to others in their church or wider community. It can be applied to listening, supporting, encouraging, and befriending.
- It refers to shepherding the flock — a loving way of caring, not controlling, but offering protection, tending to needs, strengthening the weak, encouragement, feeding the flock, providing, refreshing, restoring, leading by example, moving people in pursuit of holiness, comforting, guiding. (see Psalm 78:52-53)
- In Ministry it refers to any persons, programme or organisation of the church who alone, and together, labour in love to accomplish the work of God’s Holy Spirit here on earth.
- It is the act of being servant hearted, serving, giving aid religiously.
Pastoral Care is not counselling. If you have a need for counselling or professional help then we would urge you to get in touch with people who are equipped to help you.
The responsibility for the pastoral care of the Church family in our five villages rests with our Rector, Richard Coleman. To assist him in this work we have appointed a Pastoral Care Coordinator, Anne Farnsworth. She can be contacted on ☎ 0115 983 0007.
The Pastoral Care Team at each church comprises the Rector, Churchwardens, and Pastoral Care Coordinators. Our Pastoral Care Teams undergo appropriate safeguarding checks in line with the Diocesan Safeguarding Handbook including a Disclosure and Barring Service check as appropriate. At Gotham, we have other trusted individuals who are part of the Pastoral Care Team; they are established members of the church and are appointed by invitation only.
Pastoral care at the A453 Churches operates within an explicit policy of corporate confidentiality. Where appropriate, confidential information is shared between those with pastoral care responsibilities. This protects against the possibility of manipulation or exploitation and ensures everyone receives appropriate care.
The Gotham Pastoral Care Team meets monthly to review and pray for those in need within the church family. If any member of the A453 Churches is in need of pastoral care, they should contact Richard or one of the Pastoral Care Coordinators.
Jesus said, My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)
In fulfilling their duty of care, the clergy at the 453 Churches welcome the Church of England’s Clergy Professional Conduct Guidelines (436 kb).