Saturday, July 21, 2007

Spiritual Care for Pastors


I found the link to this organization on the LCMS Word Relief and Human Care website. Here's how they describe their mission:

The primary purpose of this organization shall be to provide ongoing spiritual care opportunities for Lutheran pastors. Participants will be refreshed and equipped as a result of their participation in a program of soul care grounded in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. The Center provides a safe environment for clergy to reflect on their own spiritual health and offers a program carefully crafted to help them review and enhance their professional competencies and skills. Doxology strengthens pastors so they can more faithfully pastor others.

Program Objectives:


The program curriculum:

  1. Provides resources, insights, teaching, admonition, encouragement, new tools and strategies needed to move beyond “survival functioning in pastoral ministry” to joyful service in the pastoral life and calling.
  2. Provides opportunities for immediate and ongoing care to nurture and encourage pastors whose personal lives may have been burdened by stress and isolation or wounded by sin, depression, conflict, fear, or hopelessness.
  3. Yields critical insights to enhance the pedagogy of spiritual care and counsel.
  4. Benefits from team casuistry and the experience of fellow pastors enrolled in this renewal experience.

Pastors participating in DOXOLOGY will:

  1. Prize and embrace their identity as called and ordained servants of God.
  2. Explore the art of spiritual care and enhance their skills as physicians of the soul so as to help those entrusted to their care to find health and healing in God through His gracious Word and Sacraments.
  3. Choose to benefit from individual spiritual care and personal counsel for restoration by Christ’s healing and peace.
  4. Establish and maintain meaningful professional relationships with peers through personal interaction.
  5. Return to their parish renewed, strengthened, and equipped in their vocation to preach, teach, and administer God’s Holy sacraments faithfully.

Also check out their Resources page. Looks like great stuff!

1 comment:

Rev. Jim Roemke said...

I thank you for the encouragement. May I suggest to you and your readers to take the time to encourage young pastors out of the seminary? It is so important that we hear from lay-people that we are supported (especially when so many competing voices are telling us to give up and give in to any evie-fundie practice). Thanks again, and take some time to encourage us young one's to strive for faithfulness to our Lutheran doctrine.