Opleiding van leiers met die oog op die pastoraal-terapeutiese funksie van selgemeentes

Abstract

Onderlinge sorg is 'n wesenlike bedieningsaspek van die christelike geloofsgemeenskap. Ongelukkig kom daar soms weinig hiervan tereg. Gemeentes het egter geleentheid om in kleingroep-verband (soos in sefgemeentes) 'n effektiewe sorgsisteem te herbou. Die toerusting van groepleiers bied voorts 'n sleutel tot die ontwikkeling van die pastoraal-terapeut1ese waarde van sulke kleingroepe. Vanuit 'n post-moderne diskoersposisie vir die pastoraat (soos dit neerslag vind in 'n narratiewe benadering) is in hierdie navorsing narratief en ko-konstruktief gewerk aan die opleiding van selgemeenteleiers. Daar is spesifiek gefokus op die vestiging van die deursigtige, narratiewe praktyk van veelvuldige refleksiewe en reflekterende gesprekke in die onderlinge versorging in selgemeentes, dus: die benutting van die selgemeente as getuiegroep. Daarmee word aangesluit by die feit dat selgemeentes 'n forum en konteks bied vir die vertelling en hervertelling van stories, 'n narratiewe proses wat die potensiaal het om byte dra tot die generering van ryker beskrywrngs van mense se lewens.

Mutual care amongst believers is fundamentally part of the pastoral ministry of the church. The situation in this regard leaves much room for improvement in many churches. However, churches have the opportunity to rebuild an effective system of mutual care through small groups (ce11s). An important key to the development of the pastoral-therapeutic impact of such small groups, lies in the training of group leaders. This research project used a narrative, co-constructive approach toward the traintng of cell leaders. It was done from a post-modern discourse position for pastoral care. The specific intent was to establish the transparent, narrative practice of multiple reflexive conversations as a basis for mutual care within church cells thus utilizing cells as witness groups. This was done as cells provide a forum and context for the telling and re-telling of stories and th1s has the potential to contribute to the generation of richer descriptions of people's lives.