Of all institutions, the church has both the opening and the obligation to make a personal response to people’s needs. People endure anonymous and mechanical responses from other institutions. They expect more from a faith community.
With some exceptions, most church members will grant their church access to their lives. They will respond to personal visits, telephone calls, e-mail, and letters. In a need situation, they probably won’t respond to a broadside invitation, such as, “If anyone needs a personal visit, call the church office.”
Clergy need to develop the habit of making pastoral calls other than hospital emergencies.
Personal calls build goodwill, establish one’s ministry, access members’ stories, needs and interests, and strengthen their affiliation with the congregation. Pastoral calls are time-consuming and difficult to schedule, but unless clergy know their people, how can they serve them?
When a person has needs, personal attention from a pastor will make far more difference than being mentioned on the prayer list or receiving a card.
Clergy need to be the primary caller, but they can ask trained laity to assist.
Informal care-giving networks also exist within a congregation, and they make an enormous difference. Small group ministries are especially important. Teams of intentional caregivers, such as Stephen Ministers, also help.
Clergy should plan on making a personal visit with every parish family once a year. They should respond to emergencies as they arise and plan on visiting hospitalized patients at least once a week. Lay callers should visit the hospitalized more frequently (being guided by medical circumstances) and shut-ins (homebound and retirement centers) at least once a month.
This is a lot of calling, but it will affect people’s lives and cement their loyalty to the congregation.
Callers need to be flexible about where and when a call is made. Few people below retirement age are at home during the day. Lunch near a member’s job can be a good approach. So can breakfast, mid-morning coffee, after-work at a watering hole, or Saturday lunch after a kid’s soccer game. The point — show interest in people’s lives.
Tom Ehrich is a writer, consultant, and leader of workshops. An Episcopal priest, he lives in Durham, N.C. The church wellness project may be found at www.churchwellness.com
