Students will assess foundations of pastoral care with an emphasis upon cultural context, ethnic diversity, gender, sexual orientation, age, education, religious orientation, and socioeconomic status. From these perspectives, students will develop a comprehensive pastoral care communication model for relating to individuals in their own contexts.
With the increased liability of practicing pastoral care, student must understand and adhere to the commonly accepted professional standards for institutional ministry and missional activities.
Students need to understand the state of the formal study of pastoral care in order to benefit from these fields of study without compromising their biblical faith and commitment to reaching others for the sake of Christ.
Biblical faith is intended to interact with real-life complex issues. Core values are defined, and then through a process of reasoning, careful ethical application is made.
Those engaged in pastoral care are to live out their calling with their roots in biblical faith, caring for others involves reaching out to others where they are with all of their patients' hurts and pains in the name of Christ.
Pastoral care may take the place in an institutional setting rather than a church. Diverse sociological and cultural foundations helped develop the field it exists today. Biblical ethical principles helps bring help these isues into perspectives for ministering to diverse cultures.
In most ministry settings, within or outside the church context, ministry is provided to those in different cultural settings, whose norms must been understood and respected where appropriate.
Understanding and assessing the principles behind sociological foundations behind the field of pastoral care help the biblically oriented pastoral caregiver understanding the presuppositions and principles of pastoral care in the daily setting.
Assessing the sociological foundations behind the development of pastoral care involve interpreting case studies and examples from one's own ministry.
