Tools for Spiritual Care

Volume 22, Number 1 Winter 2005

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Personal or group study ideas.
Read the articles, choose your questions!

Preparing for Spiritual Care:
a. Read Van Dover and Pfeiffer, pp. 18-21. Choose questions from table one, p. 21 and journal your responses or share in a group.
b. Look at the ten lessons Amy Rex Smith learned from her spiritual retreat (pp.30-32). How could these lessons be helpful to you?
c. Read What is Ignatian Prayer? on p. 31. Pray a Bible story, a Rex Smith prayed the burial of Jesus. For example, pray John 11:17-24, picturing yourself as Mary, Martha, Jesus or Lazarus. Journal your experience.

Sharpening Spiritual Care Skills:
a. Read Dameron, pp. 14-16. Think about a recent client and do a spiritual assessment using FICA or a model from table one, p. 16. How was the model you chose useful? What would you change?
b. Read Burkhart, pp. 6-12. From table one on pp. 10-11, what spiritual diagnoses and interventions would you use based on a recent client or your assessment from a?
c. Perform a Spiritual Health NOC from p. 11 on yourself or a colleague. What distinct information did you glean from the NOC?

Giving Spiritual Care:
a. How can you implement the Code of Ethics for Christian Witness, p. 17, in your spiritual care of clients?
b. Read Newman, pp. 33-37. How would you care spiritually for Fiona and her family?
c. From Genesis 1:26, what do you think it means to be made in the image of God? How does this affect your spiritual caregiving?