Pastoral Care: Telling the Stories of Our Lives

Pastoral Care affirms the historic link between Christian formation and pastoral care by locating the distinctive nature of pastoral care in the mission of the church to form persons in the Christian life of love.Drawing primarily on the theological concept of sanctification and using insights from narrative psychological theory this text presents a praxis-oriented model of pastoral care as companionship. Pastoral caregivers it suggests are called to be companions growing in love walking alongside others who are likewise growing in love of God self and other. Such pastoral caregivers engage their companions in narrative relational and prophetic practices in multiple settings..