From a pastor-friend on the value of pastoral visits being an opportunity to engage in conversation at a deeper level than the weather, the children/grandchildren, etc, work, or church stuff. ‘It is an opportunity to invite people to share their faith, tell their stories, and feel again the touch of God in the encounter. If we believe that God is at work in the lives of our people, as indeed in our own life, then why wouldn’t they like an opportunity to share what is happening? These types of conversations are the norm in spiritual direction settings, but they don’t have to stay there.

Some discussion questions:

Questions for Reflection

1. In your opinion, what is a pastoral visit for? If there are deacons or lay visitors in your congregation, have you ever asked them this question?

2. Have you ever heard a story in the course of a pastoral visit that showed you something important about who God is and how God acts? How did you respond?

3. Why do you think many people—even those who are members of a congregation—avoid talking about the understanding and experience of God? What kinds of barriers have you encountered to going deeper in conversations about faith?

4. Are there ways that members of your congregation can practice sharing their faith with each other? What one new opportunity for faith sharing could you create this month?

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