Die siek kind in die gemeente

Abstract

The ill child in the assembly makes high demands of pastoral care. The nature of the illness, social environment, relationships, personality, age and level of development, background and personality are some of the factors determining what the character pastoral care would take. In this article the charismatic assembly is described as the ideal place to care holistically for the sick child and the family system influenced by the illness. Some of the implications of such mutual care would be substitute maternal or family care by fellow believers; emphasis on the auto therapeutic value of games and the use of games in pastoral care; the involvement of the peer group as an effective force in ministering to the ill child; the necessity of treating the ill child as an individual; the importance of answering spiritual and theological questions posed by the child; the appointment of a responsible person to coordinate care of the child and his/her family; the need to continuously equip believers for pastoral care for this ministry; and the need for caretakers to understand their limitations in order to refer to other help professions if necessary.