Caring: Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations

Caring: Six Steps for Effective Pastoral Conversations is designed to help ministers and pastoral caregivers solve one of their most significant problems. They are called upon to "fix" all manner of human problems, and this expectation often leaves them feeling overwhelmed, highly stressed, or woefully unprepared. Help is available! Author Denise Massey will teach readers how to coach people to access their own spiritual and personal resources, invoking both God’s help and the person’s own deep inner wisdom. 
The six steps of the CARING process can transform ministry conversations from floundering and uncertain to powerful and effective. These steps of facilitating powerful problem-solving conversation are ones that the minister and the person receiving caretake together. The acronym CARING will help the minister remember both the steps and the ultimate purpose of the conversation.

C:  Connect to God, self, and others.
A:  Attend to the person’s journey and assess the type of help that is needed.
R:  Reach agreement about the focus and goal for this conversation.
I:    Invite help from God, the person’s higher self, and other people.
N:  Notice, release, and navigate around resistance or obstacles.
G:  Generate a loving, specific action plan to reach the goal.