Pastoral Care Foundations Course
Explore what pastoral care is and how it can be thoroughly shaped by the gospel through this video-based, on demand course
When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 9:36
This statement from Matthew’s Gospel describes people in needs. Harassed by false ideas and hostile powers and unable to help themselves. Needing a shepherd to protect and lead them. Needing the Good Shepherd, Jesus himself, who had come to lay down his life for his sheep.
Pastoral care is the work of Jesus. The call to provide pastoral care to others is his call to share his heart of compassion for people in need and to draw alongside them in his name. That is why our vision and practice of pastoral care must be centred on the person of Christ, grounded in the Scriptures that testify to Christ, and shaped by the gospel about Christ.
Pastoral Care Foundations guides you to explore what pastoral care is and how it can be thoroughly shaped by the gospel. It aims to equip anyone who will be involved at any level in pastoral care in a church or Christian organisation.
Find out more about this course by viewing our introductory video:
How should I use this course?
You can use the course as an individual or as part of a group and you will have purchased a license for one or other of these options.
Please note that there is a different price point depending on whether you intend to use the course individually or for a group. If you purchase it for individual use initially and later decide to use it with a group, we ask that you visit our website again to pay the extra cost to upgrade your license.
We think the course works best when a church or organisation asks those who provide pastoral care or who may do so in future to work through the course as a group. That way they can learn together and apply what they learn directly to their context.
If you are studying as a group, you can mix and match the various elements of the course materials to suit your context and the time available. In your welcome guide, we will provide three possible ways you could plan the course to help you plan.
What is included with the course?
For each session, we have provided:
Video teaching – each video is around one hour long. Throughout the teaching, you will find reflection questions. We encourage you to pause the video at each of these and take a few minutes to reflect and make notes. If you need to watch the videos in smaller chunks, you can also use these reflection questions as natural points to stop and restart.
PowerPoint slides – the slides used in the teaching so you can follow along or revisit them later.
Study guides – each video is accompanied by a study guide including:
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a summary of the teaching video content;
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the reflection questions from the video with timestamps to facilitate stopping and restarting if needed;
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Bible passages related to the topic of the session which you may wish to study;
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questions for use in discussion groups;
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a case study relating to the session for further discussion where possible.
What does the course cover?
The course comprises six sessions, which are designed to be both thoughtful and practical, giving you both a clear theoretical understanding of pastoral care and the tools you need to do it well.
Session 1: What is Gospel-Shaped Pastoral Care and why does it matter?
Defines what pastoral care is, what the gospel is and how our understanding of health and needs can be shaped by the gospel.
Session 2: Gospel-Shaped Pastoral Caregivers
Explores the qualities we must have if we are to be effective in pastoral care and what it takes to develop pastoral relationships.
Session 3: Four Aspects of Pastoral Care
Introduces the four ministries that together comprise pastoral care and explores three of them – presence, provision and intercession.
Session 4: Instruction in Pastoral Care
Explores the fourth aspect of pastoral care – instruction – including ideas about the use of Scripture in pastoral care.
Session 5: Creating a Caring Community
Considers the potential and challenges of the Church as a context for pastoral care and suggests ideas for structuring care provision in a church.
Session 6: Limits of Pastoral Care
Explores vital questions about accountability and the boundaries we need to put in place to ensure pastoral care is wise and safe.
How could a group use this?
Group sessions should be led by someone will have, or share, overall responsibility for coordinating pastoral care in the church or organisation (e.g., the minister, an elder or a pastoral care worker).
Discussion will generally work best in groups of up to around six people, so you may wish to break into smaller groups if you have a larger number of people participating in the course.
The main questions to ask as you plan to use the course with a group are:
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How much time can people commit to the course?
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How frequently can the group meet?
The most important elements of the course are the teaching videos with the reflection questions contained within them and the group discussion questions. Other elements case studies and passages for Bible study can be used if you are able to commit more time to running the course, or you could use them for follow-up or refresher sessions, for example discussing a case study each time your team meets.
Option 1 – Six 2-hour meetings, videos watched individually before meetings
Schedule six meetings (ideally on consecutive weeks but could be scheduled fortnightly or monthly), each lasting 2 hours.
Participants watch the video alone before the meeting, making notes from their personal reflection on the video content and any questions the material raised or points for clarification.
Option 2 – Six 2½-hour meetings, videos watched together
Schedule six meetings (ideally on consecutive weeks but could be scheduled fortnightly or monthly).
Option 3 – Two weekend intensives, videos watched together
Schedule two weekends when the group can meet on a Friday evening and Saturday morning to mid-afternoon. The first weekend can cover sessions 1-3 and the second, sessions 4-6.
Further suggestions on the structure of these sessions are provided in the welcome pack.
How can I purchase the course?
We have three licensing levels available, with associated pricing:
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Individual (£25)
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Group, up to 20 people (£60)
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Unlimited use (£120)
You can purchase the relevant license through our shop, then you will receive a welcome pack detailing how you can access and download all the accompanying material.