During the three years of the pandemic, believers was unable to connect with each other. Consequently, in the post-pandemic era, visiting has emerged as a central emphasis of church ministry.
I found that in Central South China, every pastor is assigned at least eight visits a month. A rural church in North China immediately resumed its visits during the New Year's season, right when the pandemic ended. Three sisters in a group visited old believers and gave them fruit, rice, and some money. The pastors of an eastern city said that the church should pay more attention to preaching, management, and visiting at present.
Pastor G of a county-level church in southwest China said that even if the number of fellow workers is limited, visiting must never cease. A problem has been bothering her more and more in recent years. “We come and go and listen to them talk about the difficulties at home. But we can’t help them except by comforting them. Sometimes we can’t even give them comfort.”
It reminds me of a pastor’s ministry in my hometown. After a Sunday service, three believers approached him for prayers. One said that the divorce could not be done; another said that a lawsuit was involved with the upper-floor neighbor due to domestic renovation; the other one asked to pray for the child’s entrance examination. The pastor did his best to respond and pray for them in the limited time. However, his helplessness was obvious.
“Believers trust you so much that they want your help.” Pastor G felt that the difficulties faced by believers are complicated and involve many fields, which makes pastors overwhelmed. She added that visiting pastors can understand the difficulties of believers’ lives, and in order to help them solve problems, visiting pastors need to be innovative.
Pastor G mentioned that visiting should focus on providing believers with truthful teaching, loving comfort, and spiritual support. Moreover, psychological aid is a good way to go. “Psychotherapy has become increasingly popular in recent years,” she said. “Even my best friend, who runs a church in N City, called me last year to tell me that the pressure was too great and she wanted to buy a small yard in the country to stay away.”
Pastor G’s family is suffering from depression. On the way to finding a solution, an online companion healing app inspired her.
It is software for people who have “light psychological problems”. Users do not need professional psychological counseling. They only need to be in pairs to talk to and heal each other. She thought that most believers are in such an interval—not completely unhealthy, yet not to the point where they need psychotherapy. She thought that pastors could also play the role of light psychological helpers when visiting.
Pastor G believes that pastors can also learn psychological knowledge, diagnose the problems and needs of believers, and then provide them with corresponding methods. For example, the crux of the problem lies in epistemology, so it is suggested that people participate in Bible study more often. If there is a lack of communication and companionship, more participation in fellowship should be encouraged.
However, Pastor G also stressed that it is beneficial to learn psychological science knowledge to assist the visit, but it is by no means necessary to replace pastoral counseling with psychological science. Psychological science may help people identify problems, but only the gospel can establish a “real person” belonging to God, thus leading people out of their predicament.
“Visiting can’t just be prayers. It should be of practical help to believers, or it reveals pastors’ laziness.” This is the voice of Pastor G, and Pastor X in the neighboring city has the same understanding.
Pastor X enlisted the aid of a non-profit organization in response to the free day clinic at a church. He invited experts to the church to give medical and health training to a group of young fellow workers. After the students passed the exam, they would be awarded certificates and given medical equipment. However, they required that they visit believers’ homes and communities regularly after school, not only to do blood pressure, blood lipid, and blood oxygen tests for them but also to disseminate health knowledge.
Of course, the core of the visit is to care about the spiritual life, spiritual situation, worship fellowship, and family relationships of believers. After establishing this core, it is a good way to talk about psychological care and medical help.
- Translated by Charlie Li
三年特殊时期，教会与信众以及信徒彼此之间的联系被迫中断，探访则成为疫情之后教会的一个工作重点。
笔者走访中南某教会时发现，这里每个教牧同工一个月要排至少八次探访；华北某农村教会在疫情刚刚结束的新年期间，立即重启探访，三两姊妹带着水果、大米、些许红包去探望老信徒；东部某城市教会的牧者表示，教会目前最应该看重讲台、管理，以及探访。
在西南一个县级教会牧会的G牧师也表示，即使同工人数有限，但必不可少的工作一定是探访。只是这几年有个问题越发困扰她，“我们走走看看，听他们说说家里的难处。但除了安慰，我们什么都帮不了他们啊，甚至有些时候我们连安慰都给不了。”
这让笔者想起目睹的家乡一个牧师的经历。礼拜结束后，三两个弟兄姊妹来找他代祷，一个讲离婚办不下来，一个讲房子装修跟楼上打了官司，一个是孩子的升学考试。牧师在有限的时间内尽其所能地做了解答，并为他们代祷。可他个人的无力感也显而易见。
“信徒非常信任你，所以就想得到你的帮助。”G牧师感慨，信徒面临的困境种类之繁杂、涉及领域之多，都令牧者应接不暇。探访中牧者能了解到信徒生活之难，而为了帮助信徒解决问题，探访工作也需要有所创新，她补充道。
G牧师提到，教会和探访应重在为信徒提供真理的教导、爱的安慰与属灵的支撑。除此之外，心理帮助是个好方法。“这几年心理疗愈越来越热门，”她说道。“连我在N市做教会的闺蜜，去年也打电话跟我说，压力太大，就想到乡下买个小院子安静安静。”
G牧师家中正有人经受抑郁症的苦楚，在寻求解决之道的途中，一款线上陪伴疗愈的软件给了她启发。
这是一款针对“轻心理问题”需求人群的软件，用户不需要专业的心理咨询、只要两两结伴，互相倾诉互相治愈。她想到，大多数信徒正处在这样一个区间，并不完全健康，但也没到需要心理医生的程度。牧者在探访时也可以承担起轻心理帮助者的角色，她想到。
G牧师认为，牧者也可以学习一些心理方面的知识，辨别知道信徒的问题和需要，再为其提供对应的方法。比如症结出现在认识论方面，那建议多来参加查经；若是缺少交流陪伴，鼓励多参加团契.....
但G牧师又强调，学习一定的心理科学知识来辅助探访是有益的，但绝不是要用心理科学代替教牧辅导。心理科学或许可以辅助人辨清问题，但只有福音才能建立属于神的“真人”，从而带人走出困境。
“探访不能只是祷告，要对信徒有实际的帮助，不然就是偷懒，”这是G牧师的心声，距离她不远处的城市里，X牧师也有同样的认识。
受教会爱心义诊的启发，X牧师申请到非盈利机构的帮助，邀请专家来教堂为一批年轻同工举办医疗健康培训班。学员通过考试后为其颁发证书、配备医疗箱设备。但是他们要求，他们学完后要定期到信徒家和社区里走访，不仅为受访者做血压、血脂、血氧检测，还普及健康知识。
当然，探访的核心还在于关心信徒的灵命，灵修境况、礼拜团契、家庭的关系。立定这核心之后，再谈心理关怀和医疗帮助，不失为值得尝试的好方法。
让心理和医疗帮助成为探访新助力
During the three years of the pandemic, believers was unable to connect with each other. Consequently, in the post-pandemic era, visiting has emerged as a central emphasis of church ministry.
I found that in Central South China, every pastor is assigned at least eight visits a month. A rural church in North China immediately resumed its visits during the New Year's season, right when the pandemic ended. Three sisters in a group visited old believers and gave them fruit, rice, and some money. The pastors of an eastern city said that the church should pay more attention to preaching, management, and visiting at present.
Pastor G of a county-level church in southwest China said that even if the number of fellow workers is limited, visiting must never cease. A problem has been bothering her more and more in recent years. “We come and go and listen to them talk about the difficulties at home. But we can’t help them except by comforting them. Sometimes we can’t even give them comfort.”
It reminds me of a pastor’s ministry in my hometown. After a Sunday service, three believers approached him for prayers. One said that the divorce could not be done; another said that a lawsuit was involved with the upper-floor neighbor due to domestic renovation; the other one asked to pray for the child’s entrance examination. The pastor did his best to respond and pray for them in the limited time. However, his helplessness was obvious.
“Believers trust you so much that they want your help.” Pastor G felt that the difficulties faced by believers are complicated and involve many fields, which makes pastors overwhelmed. She added that visiting pastors can understand the difficulties of believers’ lives, and in order to help them solve problems, visiting pastors need to be innovative.
Pastor G mentioned that visiting should focus on providing believers with truthful teaching, loving comfort, and spiritual support. Moreover, psychological aid is a good way to go. “Psychotherapy has become increasingly popular in recent years,” she said. “Even my best friend, who runs a church in N City, called me last year to tell me that the pressure was too great and she wanted to buy a small yard in the country to stay away.”
Pastor G’s family is suffering from depression. On the way to finding a solution, an online companion healing app inspired her.
It is software for people who have “light psychological problems”. Users do not need professional psychological counseling. They only need to be in pairs to talk to and heal each other. She thought that most believers are in such an interval—not completely unhealthy, yet not to the point where they need psychotherapy. She thought that pastors could also play the role of light psychological helpers when visiting.
Pastor G believes that pastors can also learn psychological knowledge, diagnose the problems and needs of believers, and then provide them with corresponding methods. For example, the crux of the problem lies in epistemology, so it is suggested that people participate in Bible study more often. If there is a lack of communication and companionship, more participation in fellowship should be encouraged.
However, Pastor G also stressed that it is beneficial to learn psychological science knowledge to assist the visit, but it is by no means necessary to replace pastoral counseling with psychological science. Psychological science may help people identify problems, but only the gospel can establish a “real person” belonging to God, thus leading people out of their predicament.
“Visiting can’t just be prayers. It should be of practical help to believers, or it reveals pastors’ laziness.” This is the voice of Pastor G, and Pastor X in the neighboring city has the same understanding.
Pastor X enlisted the aid of a non-profit organization in response to the free day clinic at a church. He invited experts to the church to give medical and health training to a group of young fellow workers. After the students passed the exam, they would be awarded certificates and given medical equipment. However, they required that they visit believers’ homes and communities regularly after school, not only to do blood pressure, blood lipid, and blood oxygen tests for them but also to disseminate health knowledge.
Of course, the core of the visit is to care about the spiritual life, spiritual situation, worship fellowship, and family relationships of believers. After establishing this core, it is a good way to talk about psychological care and medical help.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Psychological Counseling May Make Visitation Ministry More Effective
