A Ministry of Presence: Organizing, Training, and Supervising Lay Pastoral Care Providers in Liberal Religious Faith Communities

Denis Meacham wrote this book because he realized an important aspect of congregational life could not be adequately met by a lone parish minister. He says, “A well-organized, trained and supervised cadre of lay ministers can ensure that no member of a congregation of any size ever falls through the cracks.” This book covers the important characteristics to look for when choosing lay ministers for this assignment: the competencies of active listening, awareness of the presence of the sacred, and assessment; as well as the overall management of the program within a congregation and how the lay caregivers are trained. He continually circles back to a simple truth: the most fundamental offering of lay ministry is presence – compassionate, nonjudgmental presence, as important to the lay minister as it is to the person being cared for. (from the back cover)