Zurich. Without a doubt, pastoral care is an important component in the lives of our Church’s ministers. In addition to the proclamation of God’s word, it is among the central tasks of God’s servants. Accordingly, it is very important for them to know how to carry out pastoral care visits. A seminar on this subject will instruct the ministers starting next year.

The new seminar entitled “The pastoral care visit” will appear in the districts in the first quarter of 2007. It is intended to provide instruction for all ministers of the Church and will deal with the objectives and tasks inherent in a pastoral care visit. It will also include come concrete tips on implementation. Visits to the sick are discussed in special detail.

In contrast to the seminars of past years, this instructional work will be offered on DVD. The previously required “cascade system”—from top down—will no longer be used. Instead, the ministers of a given congregation or district will gather—depending on their numbers—in order to first see the contents of the seminar and then discuss it. The advantages of this method are that the seminar content can be disseminated simultaneously and unambiguously, there is no need to train instructors, and instruction can be provided in a small circle at a low cost.

You can also read a report on the production of the DVD film on the website of NAC North Rhine-Westphalia.