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Pastoral Care

At St Philip's Episcopal Church, Pastoral Care is not just spiritual, but also the emotional support through the ministry of caring; this is the heart of the church's life. It may include counseling, hospital or home visitation, and ministries of shared presence, listening, and other forms of support. Pastoral care can refer to the ministries of professionals as well as the lay people who serve in the name of the church in response to human needs and the gospel.

Acts of Pastoral Care

The Ordained

Ordination is a sacramental rite of the church by which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by bishops to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons (BCP, pp. 860-861). The three distinct orders of bishops, priests, and deacons have been characteristic of Christ's holy catholic church. Bishops carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church. Presbyters (often known as priests) are associated with bishops in the ministry of church governance, along with the church's ministry of missionary and pastoral work, in preaching of the Word of God, and in the administration of the sacraments. Deacons assist bishops and priests in all of this work, and have special responsibility to minister in Christ's name to the poor, the sick, the suffering, and the helpless (BCP, p. 510). The BCP provides rites for the ordination of bishops (p. 512), priests (p. 525), and deacons (p. 537).

Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs)

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The Laity

The people of God. The term is from the Greek word "laos," meaning "the people." All baptized persons are members of the Body of Christ, the church, but with different functions and ministries (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:12). The ministers of the church include lay persons alongside bishops, priests, and deacons. The ministry of the laity, however, is "to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be. this is according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church" (BCP, p. 855).

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