Conversation as ministry : stories and strategies for confident caregiving /
Douglas Purnell ; foreword by Herbert Anderson.
- Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2003.
- xii, 156 p. ; pbk ; 23 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-156)
1. Pastoral Conversation -- 2. Conversation as Care: Sharing What It Is to Be Human -- 3. What Makes Conversation Pastoral -- 4. Preparing for the Conversation -- 5. The Where, When, and Who of Pastoral Conversation -- 6. Moving into the Conversation -- 7. The Space of Sacred Conversation -- 8. The Pastoral Person in the Conversation -- 9. Concluding the Conversation -- 10. After the Conversation -- 11. Preparation and Practice -- 12. Some General Conversations -- 13. Conversation about Faith and Life -- 14. Conversation at the Time of Birth -- 15. Premarital Conversation -- 16. Conversation in Situations of Conflict -- 17. Confession and Forgiveness -- 18. Conversation in Hospitals and with the Dying -- 19. Conversation at the Time of Death -- 20. "Winging It" in Pastoral Conversation.
"Purnell draws upon his experience as a pastor, counselor, and therapist to give both lay and ordained Christians the resources they need to engage conversation intentionally deeply and confidently. In Part One, Purnell shares his reflections on the nature of pastoral conversation, and in Part Two, he presents questions for specific conversations to help people focus on their intentions while engaging in pastoral conversation."--BOOK JACKET.