| In many local congregations the needs of members, their families and persons in the community who look to the church for help are not being adequately met. The professional pastoral staff cannot adequately respond to the number and variety of these needs. At the same time, many lay persons in congregations, who are often highly trained professionals, have skills in human services that are often not put to use through the church and its ministries.;The theological foundation for such involvement is found in the theology of the Holy Spirit: Christ incarnate in the human spirit for the purpose of continuing his ministry of reconciliation. The idea of the covenant as it is traced from the Old Testament through the New Testament and the new covenant in Jesus Christ mandates that all Christians continue the work of Christ as he dwells and works within them.;Twelve lay persons, skilled in human services, were recruited for the project group. Seven training sessions, focussed primarily on the resources of the faith and theology for caring ministries, were conducted by the Pastor. Attention was also given to human development concerns and to the personal characteristics of the helpers. The lay persons responded to a wide variety of human needs and ministered to persons under the supervision of the pastor and a psychologist at an out-patient mental health clinic.;Several models for involving lay persons in caring ministries were described and evaluated in light of the experiences of the project group. A strategy for implementing a program to involve lay persons in pastoral care was then outlined for Pennewy Church of God, Lansing, Michigan.;The purpose of the project was to recruit, theologically sensitize, and support a group of twelve lay persons who had training and skills in human services for ministries in pastoral care at Pennway Church of God in Lansing, Michigan. |
