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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church


James Killen has written this informal yet instructive book at the end of a 45-year career in ministry, half of which was in small-membership churches (defined here as having fewer than 100 members). Although he focuses his advice on churches of this size, much of it also applies to churches of any size.

He begins by asserting that, unlike large-membership churches, where the senior minister may not do much visitation, small-membership congregants rely on their pastor to be directly involved in their lives. "What is needed is a relationship in which you as pastor offer to share your life with others and invite others to share their lives too." Building personal relationships lays the groundwork for not only various types of pastoral care, but also preaching and leadership, which arises out of others knowing and trusting the pastor.

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