Discernment: Visiting in the homes is a good way for a pastor to get an education, these are his moments of truth. After three years studying psychology and sociology I begin to discern things even before knocking on the door. Did the car have accumulated scum and debris on it? That indicates depression or someone being handicapped. Were the curtains closed in broad daylight ? That too could signal despair, sickness, a day sleeper or an addictive TV watcher. How does the yard look? Do they have a garden? What kind of magazines and or music collection do you see? So far you have just opened the book, now it’s time to sort out the characters within the house and how they might fit into the kingdom of God and more specifically how they might fit into your church.The size of the house and the neighborhood it’s in also gives clues as to who lives there. I’ve enclosed a picture of two houses, they are one half mile from a well known GoG. Do you see these folks serving in leadership or of being up to date in their knowledge of the bible and or of how the church best serves the modern world?
Or maybe they are candidates for the church to serve them?
I don’t like this post at all!! Jim Price
It don’t have anything to do with the group purpose, COG, Cleveland, Tennessee
Unless you can bring it around to CoG and relevance to that. You don’t have a clue about “CoG pastoral visitation”
You are a very wise man Jim Price.
Jim Price, I agree with Charles Page. Your post suggest that you have never pastored a church. Your approach would never be used for CoG pastors. Regardless of people’s status, we must love everyone. Jesus stated that we must take the gospel to the poor. In fact, the poor are often more receptive to the gospel than others.
Love your missional focus. We shouldn’t have to leave home missions in the US just to people from other nations.
The art of pastoral visitation is long lost. I believe pastors should make courtesy calls to all their membership. Lapsed attendance, problem shooting etc. should not be the reason. Discerning their home life is intrusive.
You are there for a visit and letting your people know you are available if there is anything you can do.
@ Charles, I agree with you. As a pastor, I see my visitations as times of encouragement and prayer with members. However, visitation if not handled correctly can become intrusive and lead to problems.
How can the ” art ” of pastoral visiting be lost? No other ministry of the church is so valuable when done right. many times I have had family members visit the church when they have learned that I visited their loved one, comforted them, took them food, prayed for their healing saw to it that they had fuel, sometimes called a caseworker to tell them of a need. Sometimes they would ask me to visit one of their grandchildren or someone else they were concerned about. I built two churches from zero just calling on homes and then following up on leads.
We use to have the Holy Ghost lead us in everything we did, including our visitation work. However, it seems today that pastors no longer visit, even those who pastor small congregations.
I try and visit the shut it’s, my eldest people, the disconnected about a 2 week bases if i can. Some people just want a sound board, those I shy away from, but I do try and visit, nursing homes in there to, hospitals.