Pastoral Care
WHAT DOES ACC MEAN BY PASTORAL CARE?
Pastoral Care embraces a wide range of activity in support of one another in and beyond the Church. It might:
Include
- listening
- encouraging
- practical help
- prayer
Involve
- sustaining others through prolonged difficulty
- offering guidance about other resources and perspectives
- engaging with the journey of healing and wholeness
- considering the process of reconciliation with God, self and others
Be offered
- formally by a pastoral care team or by church leadership
- informally in everyday relationships
- by individuals
- by small groups
- through a particular ministry
- through outreach and mission
- by one church or a group of churches
- in the church setting
- in other settings
WHY CHOOSE PASTORAL CARE MEMBERSHIP WITH ACC?
Many will choose pastoral care membership simply because they seek support and resources for the expression of a natural caring attitude to others in their church or at work. Others may have a special interest, such as prison or sick visiting, bereavement support or the healing ministry and some may have had training with a specialist organisation or in a specific model of pastoral care or counselling. Similarly, pastoral care membership may also be attractive to those who have particular pastoral responsibilities, whether in church or pastoral leadership or chaplaincy.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ACC PASTORAL CARER MEMBERSHIP?
- Belong to an association which has a clear Christian basis and promotes high standards in pastoral care and counselling
- Somewhere to ask questions and get advice and support on pastoral care work
You will be able to:
- Receive the Association’s quarterly magazine, accord, which gives you:
* Coverage of national and international development of Christian pastoral care and counselling
* Support, new ideas and encouragement
* Access to information about events and training courses such as ACC’s Pastoral Care Foundation Course
- Access the member’s area on the ACC website, with information on relevant issues such as eating disorders, bereavement, crisis pregnancy, mental health, debt etc.
- Get links to book reviews and recommendations, audio resources from previous conferences, previously published accord articles.
LINK UP
ACC is arranged across a UK wide network comprising 5 English regions plus Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each part of the network has a Representative who is supported by a local committee which includes a Pastoral Care Co-ordinator who is there especially for the benefit of pastoral care members. Click here for ACC Representatives
Representatives organise training days, workshops and networking events, providing you with opportunities to
- make valuable connections with others who are involved in pastoral care in your community and beyond, and develop support networks
- be informed about local training events, resources and conferences that are planned for your part of the network or nationally
As a member of ACC you can be a link for your church to information, news and events about pastoral care work in the wider community, the country and the rest of the world.
MONEY OFF!
As a pastoral care member of ACC, you are eligible for savings on indemnity insurance (where appropriate), CRB checks, pastoral care training and books. Please contact the team at Head Office for more information.
If you are a member of a church where there are a few of you who may be interested in ACC pastoral care membership then you may be interested in our Affiliated Church scheme which is a great way of buying a multi-membership package with savings on the price of individual membership. Please see below for further details.
ACC NATIONAL EVENTS
Our biennial national conference has traditionally taken place in the beautiful setting of the Derbyshire countryside at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick.
As a pastoral care member you will be able to benefit from discounted rates for attending the conference and training events. In addition to taking part in the workshops and seminars, you will also have opportunity to:
- Worship and pray together
- Explore the Market Place exhibition
- Use the large bookshop featuring special conference offers
- Get advice on pastoral issues
- Find out about other training opportunities
- Raise issues with the ACC leadership
- Lead or attend a special interest group
We seek to address relevant topics for both pastoral carers and counsellors at the conference, covering a wide range of issues relevant to modern-day living.
The training is led by people who specialise in their fields and who look at the pastoral care and counselling issues and needs arising from a Christian perspective. The range of workshops and training events are designed to offer a 'taster' of a broad range of topics which participants may wish to follow up with more in-depth study.
In addition to the learning and input, the conference is a great place to link up with others and share ideas. Saturday night is always a social time when we enjoy time off together.
TYPES OF PASTORAL CARE MEMBERSHIP
Individual Pastoral Care Membership
This type of membership is for those who befriend and pastorally care for people, either in the context of a church fellowship or in the wider community. Applicants are required to sign that they agree with and will abide by ACC's Framework for Good Practice in Pastoral Care and that they agree with ACC's Statement of Faith. Individual pastoral care membership is also available under the Affiliated Church Membership scheme.
There is a discount for the first year of membership, or one year's renewal of membership, for those who have completed the Pastoral Care Foundation Course.
Certificated Pastoral Care Membership
Having joined as a member, pastoral care members have an option of converting their membership to Certificated Pastoral Care Membership. The annual subscription for Certificated Pastoral Care Membership is the same as standard Pastoral Care Membership but there will be an admin charge of £25.00 UK (£40.00 overseas) payable with your application for certification, which is valid for four years, subject to continued membership of ACC. The admin charge is also payable on renewal.
Certificated Pastoral Care Requirements
- A minimum of 18 Hours training on a course approved by ACC for Pastoral Care (50 hours Christian counselling course recognised by ACC also acceptable)
- Evidence that you yourself have appropriate pastoral support and supervision for the pastoral care work that you are involved in
- Provision of a current reference from your church leader
- A reference from a friend or colleague who has known you for at least three years, but is not related to you
- To sign that you agree to and will abide by ACC’s Framework for Good Practice in Pastoral Care and the ACC’s Statement of Faith
Complete renewal is required after four years.
