To Check On Or Not to Check On
As a minister, you are always trying to read the situation and make the right move. There are no laws in ministry, mostly. Every hospital visit, every Bible study, there are different elements to take into consideration. There are some general principles, but few laws. One of the situations that ministers wonder about is checking in with members who have missed church. It seemed like years ago, or maybe just in the south, the minister has the right to call on you if you have missed for awhile. He could stop by the house, make a call, but mostly he was allowed to “get on your case” because you were not at church. The member would state that he or she would be back next week, or he or she would be upset about sometime and the minister would deal with the concerns of the member. The minister held some authority, and if the minister got on your case, this was not a good thing. Now though, I am not sure people want the minister to “get on their case.” If the person is not at church, this is their private business, and not the preacher’s. Who is he to be on your case about missing. So once again, here is the problem. If you get on the member for missing he might be upset but if you do not he might be upset because he will think you do not care. There is that fine line between caring or over caring. You have to read the person.
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I can tell that it is definitely not a “northern” thing for people to want the minister to call automatically if they are not in worship just to see why they are absent. I think what people are looking for though is someone who cares. So as a minister, if I call or visit someone who was absent, I respond by saying “I’m just wanting to see how things are going and if there is anything I can pray with you about.” It still requires me to read the circumstances though.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
In the two churches I have been a member of in Australia, it is assumed that the members of the small/cell/connect groups are the ones who will call and check if one of their members hasn’t been attending regularly. If the person is not in a home group, then the elders or pastoral care committee members would call. it is not assumed it’s the mnister’s job.