Pastoral care has been traditionally
understood as pastoral acts administered to individuals or small groups
by an ordained or lay religious practitioner. As congregations in the
twenty-first century begin to reclaim the missional nature of church,
this view must be broadened to include care and concern for the needs of
the larger community. A missional perspective of pastoral care embraces
the notion that all of God's people—not just trained professionals—are
called to partner in the healing and redemption of the world.
In Beyond Church Walls,
Rick Rouse sets out to articulate precisely what such an approach to
pastoral care looks like—and the substantial impact it can have on
congregations and communities. A skilled teacher and pastor with deep
experience in real communities, Rouse leads readers through the changing
realities of the twenty-first century and to new ways for missional
churches to succeed in offering pastoral care for the whole community.
