Pastoral Care Ministries

(Rev. Francis Doddamani)

Introduction:

Care is an important aspect of life that some thing every body likes it. Human beings are not an Iceland rather designed to dwell together as family and society. Every one wants to be loved and cared in the society one or the other way. Many leading companies have a special wing called customer service department. They spend money, time and energy to ensure that customers are taken care and satisfied. In the other words, companies would like to communicate that they care for people. Who and why in the world taught these companies that customer care is an essential part of their business. In this century people seem to be getting impressed and moved when they receive care, concern, and belonging and when you tell them that you are there for them.

Increasing Customer Care Service in Secular Companies:

There is a saying in the secular world especially for those want to have good business say, “Care for your customer and they will return…care for your merchandise and they won’t.” The point is…what are you doing to bring your customer back?
According to research the average person who has a bad-service experience tells at least nine others about it and 13% of complaints relate their experience to more than 20 other people. In comparison, people who receive silent service only tell three or four others about it”
Good customer care matters because keeping existing customers is easier than finding new ones and satisfied customers will do a lot of our advertising for the company. Most people consider doing business with a certain company because of a recommendation by a friend or acquaintance. Dissatisfied customers spread the bad news and undermine your business, which ultimately threatens everyone’s jobs.
Hence, the objective of the company must be to provide the highest standard of Customer Care possible and to always aim for excellence. A customer who feels good doing business with you and through you, the company is more than likely to stay with you and recommend you to others.
Let’s define a customer. In some cases our customer is “in-house.” These are departments within a company that help other departments function. The “customer” is simply another department. We must keep “in-house” customer happy to maintain good esprit de corps and productivity. In the family, for a husband, both wife and children is his customer. They will seek man’s service in many ways, if this man fails provide them a good service or care then comes even though children and wife live in the same house yet they may look up else where for proper and satisfying care. They live in your house but they are not really promoter your care from the bottom of their heart, rather they long to have it and keep searching from others within themselves. It is same with the local churches. If the members of the church are don’t receive the needed pastoral care, it will happen as I said in the beginning of this paragraph.

Deteriorating Pastoral care in the church:

We live in a high tech times where there are several mediums to provide care, but even then there seems to be low touch kind of service. Persecution for Christians in India is undoubtedly increasing. In times such as this pastoral touch has to be a high touch as it was prevailing in the first century. They met together regularly for the fellowship and breaking of the bread. They also shared with others whatever they could with great generosity and desire. They interacted with each others. In the urban society people do not seem to have time to interact with each other. Christian leaders and CEO’s concentrate more on missions and reaching their targets, while doing so find it hard to interact with families, church members and so on for giving pastoral care or to tell them that they are there for them. The most recent secular songs that have produced especially for the youth of our times seem to have a theme “I am there for you.”
In the secular companies business people say that business is not just about sales, but it is all about the interactions of the entire business with your customers. Hence, when we fail to interact with the people/members/contacts and so on the growth of our ministry and influence starts deteriorating.
Christians acknowledge Jesus as a master of human relationships. He took initiative to go to people and cater to their cares. His attitude towards people gives a deeper meaning to the pastoral care ministry. Pastoral heart and ministry of Jesus gives a model for pastoral care ministry our time, and at all times. Jesus cared for people so much so that He came down to earth and gave His life.

Seasonal Care in the church today:

In the churches at large pastoral care ministry seems to have become seasonal. It means, we express our care/service occasionally to the people whom we know. We tent to put on a mask of a pastoral heart during Christmas, Easter, wedding, christening and so on. We seasonally communicate to people saying, “we care for you, love you, we are there for you and so on.” Many a time professional and unrealistic love and care we express to people. Most of us show up a happy face during the Christmas, act happy, travel to visit friends, relatives, members and people we know to give away gifts to people, greet them, pray for them, and serve them and so on. And probably next call or expression of care would be next gathering such as Christmas, wedding, ceremonies and so on.
Seasonal pastoral care may not very effective rather the people will be pampered and loaded with care at one time which will is more than needed. It is like offering food to the one who has over eaten already. It is, comforting the comforted and giving to the given. It won’t really help a person. For new believers and first generation Christians the seasonal care does not build them. They require on going, continuous care so that they can be encouraged to run the race without looking back. Unfortunately many Christians including leaders too we all fall into this

Suggestions: What to Do

First things first: we need discover the effectiveness our care giving ministry as we offer to people. Secondly, using today’s technology, one can provide high touch to the tensed believers. Be as objective as you can. Thirdly, act. Change what is necessary to improve your pastoral care ministry/service rating. The more you can cater to the needs of people, the better your chance for long-term success in our fast-paced, ever-changing world.
There’s a book by Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton that explains it all: It’s Not The Big That Eats The Small, It’s The Fast That Eats The Slow. In other words, we need to respond to needs of people in a timely manner if we’re going to survive.
If you want to know how to perceive your pastoral care ministry is hitting the mark or to enhance in this area, Ask, seek and knock then you will be able to improve in care giving ministry

Conclusion:

People need care around the calendar year than mere seasonal.
Customer care in the secular world is done with a motto of selling their product and makes business or earns money by showing the care. On the contrary, in the Pastoral ministry Pastoral care is a voluntary, giving and making others people to benefit by it.