Pastoral Care and the Renewal of Sunday School Teachers’ Commitment to Ministry: A Review through the Lens of Henri Nouwen’s Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55927/ijcet.v5i3.34Keywords:
Empathy, Pastoral Care, Ministry, Sunday School TeachersAbstract
Sunday School teachers play a crucial role in the faith formation of children, yet they often face emotional exhaustion and a decrease in their ministry intensity. This study aims to understand how pastoral care can enhance Sunday School teacher engagement using Henri Nouwen's framework. The method used was a qualitative case study approach through in-depth interviews with two Sunday School teachers. The results indicate that the decline in ministry intensity is not due to a lack of commitment, but rather to emotional exhaustion, a lack of team support, and personal life stress. Relational and empathetic pastoral care, which provides space for ministers to share experiences, significantly restores their ministry enthusiasm. These findings emphasize the importance of paying attention to the minister's inner state as an integral part of successful children's ministry.
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