Pastoral Ministry
Ray Odom
Pastoral Ministries
Final Project
Essay 1
A. Compare the terms shepherd and pastor. – In the New Testament the bible says, and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers (KJV Ephesians 4:11). The word pastor used here in Greek is ποιμήν, or poimēn meaning shepherd, is to tend as a shepherd or as a supervisor; to rule. The truth is, the word pastor(s) is used only one time in the New Testament with the word being translated to mean shepherd. In today’s society we use the word pastor in many different ways to describe the leaders of the church. The word shepherd is the more appropriate translation for the word. The word shepherd is used at least thirteen times in the King James New Testament.
B. Contrast in house calls and personal visits. - When looking at the work of the pastor, visitation plays a role in part of the pastoral ministry. Depending totally on your definition of personal visits, they could be just that… to stop by for a chat or some personal matter on the pastor’s part. This does not mean that the pastor cannot be encouraging, uplifting at the same time. The house call is more than a personal visit, it is planned and it has a set goal with ministry involved. Getting to know the people in the congregation and the various needs they may have in life is necessary. House calls are a way for the pastors to know how to minister to his congregation more effectively. There is always a variety of needs in every person’s life, and most people welcome the prayers of a truly concerned pastor.
C. Describe your personal plan for visitation. - One thing for sure this course has opened my eyes to how visitation should be done. Not that I haven’t done visitation, but having a systematic schedule for visitation the way it’s described in the IST something I’ve never done. Visiting new families, visiting the sick and making hospital visits are done on an as needed basis. This is something that I
Pastoral Ministries
Final Project
Essay 1
A. Compare the terms shepherd and pastor. – In the New Testament the bible says, and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers (KJV Ephesians 4:11). The word pastor used here in Greek is ποιμήν, or poimēn meaning shepherd, is to tend as a shepherd or as a supervisor; to rule. The truth is, the word pastor(s) is used only one time in the New Testament with the word being translated to mean shepherd. In today’s society we use the word pastor in many different ways to describe the leaders of the church. The word shepherd is the more appropriate translation for the word. The word shepherd is used at least thirteen times in the King James New Testament.
B. Contrast in house calls and personal visits. - When looking at the work of the pastor, visitation plays a role in part of the pastoral ministry. Depending totally on your definition of personal visits, they could be just that… to stop by for a chat or some personal matter on the pastor’s part. This does not mean that the pastor cannot be encouraging, uplifting at the same time. The house call is more than a personal visit, it is planned and it has a set goal with ministry involved. Getting to know the people in the congregation and the various needs they may have in life is necessary. House calls are a way for the pastors to know how to minister to his congregation more effectively. There is always a variety of needs in every person’s life, and most people welcome the prayers of a truly concerned pastor.
C. Describe your personal plan for visitation. - One thing for sure this course has opened my eyes to how visitation should be done. Not that I haven’t done visitation, but having a systematic schedule for visitation the way it’s described in the IST something I’ve never done. Visiting new families, visiting the sick and making hospital visits are done on an as needed basis. This is something that I