You don’t have to be a “Pastor” to take the initiative to care for God’s people. While God has called some to shepherd the whole flock of God, the spiritual gift of a pastor is not limited to the full-time, paid pastoral staff. This gift is for anyone with a shepherding heart who cares for people. Elders, of course, are to shepherd the people of God (1 Peter 5:1-2). But God can place into anyone’s heart this great work of caring for the people for whom Christ died! Maybe it is time to resurrect the old, tried and true practice of pastoral visitation!

But how does the layperson go about doing visitation? How can you effectively connect with someone in their home or in the hospital? By “layperson,” I mean one not serving in a paid church position or office. Even if one is being compensated for doing this work, what are some pointers on how to be effective in doing this? If God is calling you to stretch your influence through a thoughtful effort to help people grow in their faith or deal with the issues of life they are facing, or even just to pray for them in a thoughtful and caring way, then you may be interested in this article: Pastoral Visitation.