Spiritual Care Basics and Beyond: What Do I Say? What Should I Do? Interpersonal Tools and Resources for Spiritual Care, by Joel Hempel. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2023. 200 pp. $28.00.
The author, having ministered in roles of pastor, institutional chaplain, mentor, administrator, clinical pastoral educator, and pastoral counselor, currently serves in retirement as Director of Diaconal Ministry at his church. He has taught spiritual care, also known as soul care, to hundreds of students and pastoral care and counseling workers over a lifetime.
At a time when the world obsesses over the individual’s identity and life experience, we are still tempted to focus on crowds. Hempel writes to alert the church to its God-given care for individuals. Soul care can renew our focus on one.
What is spiritual care? Spiritual caregivers of all kinds will benefit from reading how to administer care in times of crisis or calm. The author explains, “This book intends to provide lay and professional ministers with the understanding and skills to assist people in this life’s journey…in a Christian context or an institution like a hospital, prison, or nursing home” (xvi). Although often unable to join church ministries, people with disabilities, particularly isolated in homes or institutions, need spiritual care.
In the book’s first part the author explains spiritual care and underscores that the goal: spiritual growth. Spiritual care is most at home in the church, but it possesses the ministry flexibility and adaptability to reach out into the community particularly in places like private organizations and government institutions. Part two focuses on the spiritual care skills of assessing, presence, listening, asking questions, and affirmation or confrontation. Here, the author is biblically intentional about spiritual growth. The third part addresses essential elements of spiritual care, and the fourth part the Holy Spirit’s work in spiritual care.
Regarding the essential goal of spiritual growth, the authors ask “Why would Christians want to become more mature in their faith? So that (a) they are increasingly aware of their goodness in Jesus Christ, (b) they are less burdened by destructive thinking, feeling, and behaving, and (c) there is ever-growing evidence of love in their lives and service to others as Christ has loved and served us” (15). Yes, the goal of our care for others is that they grow spiritually, and in turn, they can become spiritual caregivers for others.
How does spiritual care work? It helps to understand that spiritual care is one-on-one soul care in its most basic form, which Hempel develops in three parts: (1) In general, it is “attending to the needs of God’s people in the local church…utilizing all of the resources the church has available by the grace of God” (3). It addresses all people according to their needs. Not surprising, spiritual care is one form of church ministry that non-church institutions allow in their space including government or private institutions. (2) Spiritual care is a unique ministry form. It is “a way of interacting with people and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs” (ix). Most critically, spiritual care goes directly to the person in need. It is mobile soul care. A disability caregiver who is a member of a local church does disability care by going to the person. Spiritual care workers often have two institutional connections: one to their local church and the other to a care institution (hospital, nursing home, or the like). Spiritual care is less formal and programmatic, and more sensitive to the spiritual needs of the person. It is in every way very individual and intentional. (3) What specifically does “spiritual” mean in this unique ministry form? “‘Spiritual’ is everything in life associated with God’s relationship to persons and a person’s relationship (or lack thereof) to God…. Thus, spiritual care is the Spirit-led, skilled ministry provided to those afflicted by the challenges and sufferings of life” (ix). It is individual and intentional focus on one person. How is it different from other ministry forms? It aims to go deeper and be more intentional to need.
Is spiritual care biblical? Soul care is as old as Scripture. It has met the spiritual needs of people for millennia. The author believes that Paul captures spiritual care in the clause, “equip his people for works of service” (Eph 4:12). More specifically and critically, “Spiritual care is not only for working with hurting people who are dealing with individual issues; it is also for helping people identify where they are in their faith journey and what God wants them to do with their lives” (xvii). This dual aim addresses the complete needs, physical and spiritual, of people with disabilities well. They may not get soul care in any other way. Many cannot go to church.
What ministry activities does spiritual care include? With deep pastoral concern, the author’s list includes “admonishing sin, declaring forgiveness, promoting spiritual growth, facilitating healing, and communicating God’s demand for justice and God’s astonishingly generous and ever-present mercy” (3). In practice, it entails listening in silence, praying for and with, encouraging, comforting, even instructing, whatever the need might require. Soul care workers address specific needs, that which is expedient to the moment. They assess needs in the moment and address them.
Although the author takes an integrationist approach to counseling theory, his focus throughout on practical care makes the book a wellspring of good practices for those who use spiritual care, particularly in non-church contexts. Soul care can mobilize ministry to effectively serve the spiritual needs of God’s people. Churches will benefit from its practice in home visitation and other forms of outreach. The reviewer recommends this book to any Christian interested in doing spiritual care, especially disability caregivers in health, education, and disability services.
