Doing pastoral care among young adults and the youth a diaconal concern

Abstract

This research is about pastoral care among the youth and young adults. It is the study of how best the youth and young adult in our society can find and get the help that the society can offer to them. The study is not limited to only the youth and young adults who are Christians, but includes all youth and young adults irrespective of beliefs. In the introduction of the dissertation, I explore the term pastoral care and examine how it is applied and to whom and for whom pastoral care is directed. I study the youth and young adults who fit into this description and their understanding of what pastoral care is about. The study stresses the importance of good listening skills when carrying out pastoral care. Being aware of the hurts that can results as an outcome of callouses response to what is being communicated is also important. Good techniques are the keys to good pastoral care giving. Listening with ones’ feelings as well as ones full attention are important traits in this field. Important issues that arose while carrying out this study included in general, that young people did not know that pastoral care exist for all types of grievances. The study revealed that the youth and young adults do not know about the pastoral care service and the opportunity that it provides in terms of counselling. Some participants expressed the need to have pastoral care for the youth and young adults on a neutral place rather than in the church office. The study suggests the need for a place, where the young people can come in and talk to a competent professional pastoral care giver without a referral or appointment. Personal accounts show that there are many youth and young adults who go behind the “walls” of misery because the problems they are facing do not need a medical or psychiatrists treatment. Hence the study echoes the need to have someone to talk to, someone who can listen and give advice when needed. A number of relevant literatures which are related to the research topic were reviewed. The research questions were categorized into relevant themes. The study concludes with some suggestions as to how the availability of pastoral care can be made better known to the youth and young adults.