Congregational care refers to the ministry of caring for the people in a worship community. It is sometimes called pastoral care, and sometimes, but not always, overlaps with pastoral counseling. Most churches recognize that congregational care is the work of the church as a whole rather than the work of a pastor alone.
This guide presents an overview of the resources for congregational care understood as the work of the congregation as a whole or of specifically called and trained members of the congregation, and for the role of the pastor in leading and caring for those who perform these ministries, as well as in doing some of this care also.
This first page provides key resources (books, journals, websites, and professional associations) related to congregational and pastoral care overall. The second page presents resources related to some of the topics addressed by pastoral or congregational care.
Pastoral Care: An Essential Guide by 
The Indispensable Guide to Pastoral Care by 
Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 3rd ed. by 
The Bloomsbury Guide to Pastoral Care by 
Pastoral Care: Telling the Stories of Our Lives by 
Spiritual Companioning: A Guide to Protestant Theology and Practice by 
The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach. Revised and Expanded Edition by 
Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church by 
Pastoral Theology in an Intercultural World by 
African American Pastoral Care: Revised Edition by 
Pastoral Care and Counseling with Latino/as by Search the library catalog using any of the following subject headings to find more resources about aspects of congregational care:
See the "Issues in Congregational Care" page of this guide for more subject headings and resources for particular issues.
For an updated list of new Library books in Congregational Care, see the "Ministry & Mission" LibGuide.
