Introduction
There are times when ministers are called upon to intervene in a crisis. At other times, a crisis might spill out of another setting altogether – it won’t be the first time someone came to the Manse to discuss some business or other, only to mention as they leave the door that their marriage has just broken down.
What do you do to provide clear, helpful and compassionate care in the name of Jesus Christ?
Resources
The Ministry magazine article The process of crisis intervention by Martin W. Feldbush is a good introduction to the overall topic.
One worked example of a pastor (in the US) developing a strategic counselling service – and it is important to be clear that ministers do not provide counselling in the strict sense but, rather, pastoral care – is found in his online summary of the Seven Keys to “Strategic Pastoral Counseling” by David Benner. It would be interesting to talk through this article with its insights and also quite different perspectives from those in the UK.
In the UK, the concept of ‘parish nursing’ overlaps with crisis ministry though also has a longer-term perspective. Some case studies might be instructive in describing forms of intervention and help define approaches to care in critical times.
Ministry Formation Task
In five hundred words, describe your developing approach to ministering in a crisis, particularly where there has been little advance warning.
Learning Life 