Visit the Sick
Ministering God’s Grace in Times of Illness
- Church Leadership & Ministry
- Publisher: Zondervan Reflective (Zondervan)
- Published: 2014
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Publisher's Description
How Do You Care for the Sick? Here’s How. One of the marks of the ministry of Jesus is his compassionate care for the sick. Jesus brought healing and hope to individuals struggling with life-debilitating illnesses. Ministry to the sick should also be a mark of his followers, but in many churches today it is neglected or pushed to the periphery of ministry concerns. To counter our modern tendency to minimize or ignore sickness, pastor Brian Croft looks to paradigms of the past and examines historical models of care that honor God, obey the teachings of Scripture, and communicate loving care to those who are struggling with sickness and disease. Part of the Practical Shepherding series of resources, Visit the Sick provides pastors and ministry leaders with real-world help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. Visit the Sick gives pastors, church leaders, and caregivers the biblical, theological, pastoral, and practical tools they need to navigate through both the spiritual and physical care of the sick and dying.
Endorsements (8)
“What do pastors do when they visit the sick? Brian Croft has written a marvelous piece to assist us. His work is theologically grounded, gospel centered, and full of practical wisdom. I recommend it enthusiastically.”
“— someone who feels ill-equipped to say the right words or do the right things at someone’s sickbed — you’ll delight in this book.”
“What should I say? How long should I stay? Why should I go? What should I pray? What if the person is dying? What if they’re not a Christian?” These are just a few of the many apprehensions people have about visiting the sick. Brian Croft gives practical assistance that should eliminate feelings of inadequacy and motivate us to fulfill Christ’s commission, “I was sick and you visited me.” A biblically based, highly practical manual for Christian caregivers, this insightful book can be read in just a few minutes, but its down-to-earth counsel will equip you to confidently visit the sick for years to come.”
“Seldom does one encounter pastoral resources of a practical nature that are richly biblical and theologically grounded. Brian Croft’s excellent book provides more than a mere “how-to” guide for pastoral visitation. He offers the gospel of grace and power needed for the kind of practical help that brings honor to God and leads people to Christ. Filled with wisdom and rooted in theology, this resource offers the blend that is so needed in the church today.”
“Many pastors and church leaders spend time visiting the sick. Some feel that their visits are fruitful times of ministry; others feel very awkward. Very few people, however, have the intuitive people skills and the pastoral expertise to do this successfully without some training. Read Visit the Sick for yourself, study it as a staff, or use it as a training resource for all those in your church who regularly visit the sick. It can help turn a routine responsibility into a time of effective ministry.”
“Many younger pastors (and not so young ones as well) have never received the sort of practical guidance that Brian Croft gives in Visit the Sick. It will now be a recommended text in my pastoral ministries class, and I heartily commend it to others.”
“Times of suffering from sickness have the power to prepare the heart for the seed of the word as few other things can. Brian Croft has done an excellent job of showing how the pastor can make the word of God central in his ministry to the sick and dying.”
Dr. Andrew Davis
“Brian Croft has given us a practical and theological guide to caring for our congregations. It is a must-read for those interested in a theology for visiting the sick.”
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