Pastoral Care
This part of the course explores the role of elders and the Elders' meeting in ensuring pastoral care takes place within the congregation and looks at ways in which this can be effective
3. Pastoral care and the elders' meeting
In the United Reformed Church, one of the functions of the Elders' meeting is
"to ensure pastoral care of the congregation, in which the minister is joined by elders having particular responsibility for groups of members;" (function iii of The Elders' Meeting, URC Structure - The Basis of Union Section 2)
Ensuring pastoral care takes place is not the same as doing it, and whilst most elders will exercise a ministry of pastoral care within a congregation as part of their collective responsibilty, some may not. The important thing for the Elders' meeting is to ensure a system is in place that enables effective pastoral care to happen. This may involve a wider group of people other than serving elders but it is the Elders' meeting that should oversee such a system.
If you are unsure what system is in place in your church, or what role the Elders' meeting has in it then this might be something to ask about at your next Elders' meeting.