Besides pastoral counseling, the pastoral ministry should include psychological counseling and hospice care.
Some pastors teach much Bible knowledge at the very beginning of pastoral care. In fact, this is not scientific.
In medical and nursing psychology, there is a philosophy named "emotion care first, therapy later". Learning of their illness, a patient must be afraid and helpless, so we should provide emotional comfort first to build an emotional connection. Receiving a sense of security, they as a result would be more willing to accept therapy, on account of a good doctor-patient relationship.
Proposed by an American psychologist named Claude, this model is also applicable to the pastoral work of the church. To make pastoral care more effective and sustainable, we should establish relationships first through communication and emotional support. Believers’ relationships with pastors and God are the emotional foundation of pastoralism.
In the face of death, a critically ill patient needs to be held tightly by a pair of hands, which can help him face the disease with dignity and security, even until death. Facing death is the last lesson for the patient and an important lesson for the pastor to learn.
Hospice care can help patients face death peacefully without fear. They can rest in God’s arms, knowing that they can enter the kingdom of heaven.
Here is a very sensitive topic. Should we let believers who have cancer know about their illness? Cancer patients need to be informed about their illness, new research suggests.
For dying believers who are well educated and disciplined with strong character, pastors can provide comprehensive hospice care, activating their bodies' natural ability to self-heal. For believers with low self-control, the church should adopt a protective strategy or something in between.
When a believer expresses anger, they should not be restrained except for excessive behavior. Clear, effective, and positive answers should be given to questions raised by them, to establish good pastoral relationships in a quiet and non-stimulating environment.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
教会的牧养事工包涵着诸多内容：教牧辅导、心理疏导、临终关怀等等。
有的教会牧者在对信徒进行牧养的时候，一开始就进行大规模的信仰知识辅导。其实，这样是不符合科学原理的。在医护心理学里，有一种理念叫“先情感，再治疗”。当患者得知自己的病情后，他的内心必定是恐惧与无措的。首先我们应该是和他们进行情感的联结，给予他们情绪的安抚。当他们心里有了一种安全感，再引导他们进行治疗。这样他们也乐于接受，也不至于使医患关系变得很僵化。
这种“先情感后治疗”的方式是美国心理学家克劳德提出来的，而这种模式也同样适用于教会的牧养工作。“先情感”就是一种情感的沟通、一种情绪的安抚、一种关系的建立，这使接下来的“后牧养”变得更加有效果，有持续力。先情感，即联络牧者与信徒之间的关系，同时也联络信徒与上帝之间的关系，这是“后牧养”的情感基础，也是其信心基石。
临终关怀——让病人与死亡和解，让他们坦然地踏上人生的最后一程，最重要的是让他们知道自己要去的是天国，让他们灵魂有皈依，见主坦然无惧。
面对即将离世的危重病人，他需要有一双手可以紧紧地握着他。这双手可以帮助病人有尊严有安全感地面对疾病，不，应该是面对死亡，这是病人所要面对的人生最后一课，也是教会牧者所要学习的重要的一课。
在这里，我就要提到一个很敏感的话题，那就是癌症信徒的知情权。最新研究表明：癌症病人需要获得病情的知情权。
对文化素质高、性格坚强、有自控能力的信徒，我们可以进行全面真实的临终关怀，调动自身积极的疗愈能力。对自控能力弱的信徒，教会应采用保护性牧养态度或介于两者之间的牧养。
当信徒表现愤怒时，除过激行为外，不应加以限制。对信徒提出的问题要给予明确、有效和积极的信息，建立良好的牧养性联系，创造安静、无刺激的环境。
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/36657/%E6%95%99%E4%BC%9A%E7%89%A7%E5%85%BB%E4%BA%8B%E5%B7%A5%E5%BA%94%E5%BD%93%E2%80%9C%E5%A4%9A%E5%BD%A9%E7%BA%B7%E5%91%88%E2%80%9D
教会牧养事工应当“多彩纷呈”
Besides pastoral counseling, the pastoral ministry should include psychological counseling and hospice care.
Some pastors teach much Bible knowledge at the very beginning of pastoral care. In fact, this is not scientific.
In medical and nursing psychology, there is a philosophy named "emotion care first, therapy later". Learning of their illness, a patient must be afraid and helpless, so we should provide emotional comfort first to build an emotional connection. Receiving a sense of security, they as a result would be more willing to accept therapy, on account of a good doctor-patient relationship.
Proposed by an American psychologist named Claude, this model is also applicable to the pastoral work of the church. To make pastoral care more effective and sustainable, we should establish relationships first through communication and emotional support. Believers’ relationships with pastors and God are the emotional foundation of pastoralism.
In the face of death, a critically ill patient needs to be held tightly by a pair of hands, which can help him face the disease with dignity and security, even until death. Facing death is the last lesson for the patient and an important lesson for the pastor to learn.
Hospice care can help patients face death peacefully without fear. They can rest in God’s arms, knowing that they can enter the kingdom of heaven.
Here is a very sensitive topic. Should we let believers who have cancer know about their illness? Cancer patients need to be informed about their illness, new research suggests.
For dying believers who are well educated and disciplined with strong character, pastors can provide comprehensive hospice care, activating their bodies' natural ability to self-heal. For believers with low self-control, the church should adopt a protective strategy or something in between.
When a believer expresses anger, they should not be restrained except for excessive behavior. Clear, effective, and positive answers should be given to questions raised by them, to establish good pastoral relationships in a quiet and non-stimulating environment.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Hospice Care: Important Lesson for Pastors to Learn
