I think this highlights the difference between the reading of an academic paper and a sermon. Although I'd hope that my sermon has some decent theological content, I'm not merely delivering a corpus of knowledge but aiming to inform, encourage and challenge people with whom I have a relationship.
That sounds very odd to me--you have meetings that surface pastoral care concerns?
Not as such. As Gramps49 said, the meetings themselves can be a form of pastoral care.
Then of course you have to prioritize them.... We have so few meetings, and all of our pastoral concern stuff comes in via word of mouth or over the phone. And naturally preaching takes a far higher role in a congregation filled with young believers and nonbelievers.
I think it depends on the context - on the congregation's demographic, on their circumstances.
Being a rural parish priest in the CofE typically involve caring for rural communities, in which meetings about the community are themselves often part of the social fabric of the community, as well as being forums for addressing the issues that sustain that community. In trying to draw a conceptual boundary between meetings and gatherings that represent the church's interests, and the interests of the wider community, you are likely to be making a distinction that is not recognised by many of those you are caring for.
Participating in meetings and attending events is a tangible way of demonstrating that the community matters to you, that you care about people in it. (But some meetings and events matter more than others.)
The way that issues are discussed and how meetings are conducted can be at least as important as the issues or the decisions themselves. Some people in rural communities continue to expect or accept that the vicar has a part to play in this respect.
Some communities are fairly self-sustaining, and will convey to you the role they expect you to play in community life. Some struggle to sustain themselves and are less able to articulate what they need from you.
The role and centrality of the church varies - a church community and a village community can be at odds, for various (sometimes historic) reasons, in which case you've got your work cut out.
Comments
Not as such. As Gramps49 said, the meetings themselves can be a form of pastoral care.
I think it depends on the context - on the congregation's demographic, on their circumstances.
Being a rural parish priest in the CofE typically involve caring for rural communities, in which meetings about the community are themselves often part of the social fabric of the community, as well as being forums for addressing the issues that sustain that community. In trying to draw a conceptual boundary between meetings and gatherings that represent the church's interests, and the interests of the wider community, you are likely to be making a distinction that is not recognised by many of those you are caring for.
Participating in meetings and attending events is a tangible way of demonstrating that the community matters to you, that you care about people in it. (But some meetings and events matter more than others.)
The way that issues are discussed and how meetings are conducted can be at least as important as the issues or the decisions themselves. Some people in rural communities continue to expect or accept that the vicar has a part to play in this respect.
Some communities are fairly self-sustaining, and will convey to you the role they expect you to play in community life. Some struggle to sustain themselves and are less able to articulate what they need from you.
The role and centrality of the church varies - a church community and a village community can be at odds, for various (sometimes historic) reasons, in which case you've got your work cut out.