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VISITING FOR MISSION
Brad Hales
“No one wants to be visited anymore...people are too busy to be seen...individuals do not want their personal space violated...visitation is just paying the rent.” These are just a few of the pessimistic comments I have heard over the years about pastoral visitation. Unfortunately, church leaders and members do not always see the great benefits of visiting church members and other people in the community, however, the benefits are numerous. Visiting makes mission the central focus of the congregation, it builds relationships, it allows for the proclamation of the Word and the sharing of the Sacrament, it provides care, support and encouragement to church members, and finally, it sparks congregational renewal.
Scriptural Support for Visiting
Several examples of visitation can be found throughout Holy Scripture and the early Reformation church. In Genesis 18:1-15, the three-in-one God visits Abraham and Sarah to assure them that even in their advanced ages, they would be blessed with a child to continue the covenantal promise which the Lord had instituted. The angel Gabriel visits Mary in Luke 1:26-38, to announce that she would be the mother of the Lord. In Matthew 9:35, scripture clearly tells us that Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages preaching, teaching, and healing. As a part of his visitation ministry, Jesus has an encounter with the tax collector, Zacchaeus, in Luke 19:1-10 and visits his home. In the final judgement account found in Matthew 25:36-40, we are reminded that when we visit the sick and those in prison, we are encountering Christ himself. And in Acts 15:36, Paul and Barnabas go back to visit the believers in every city where they had originally proclaimed the Gospel and planted the church.
Early Reformation Support for Visiting
Still another example of the power of visitation can be found in what was called the “Visitation to the Churches in Saxony.” Between 1528-1531, Luther visited all the congregations in Electoral Saxony to check on their “spiritual temperature.” But sadly, Luther was shocked at what he found. In the introduction to the Small Catechism he writes, “The deplorable, wretched deprivation that I recently encountered while I was a visitor has constrained and compelled me to prepare this catechism, or Christian doctrine, in such a brief, plain, and simple version.”1
The Bread and Butter of Parish Ministry
Pastoral visitation is the “bread and butter” of parish ministry. Along with sharing the sacraments, Lazarus Spengler speaks about this important role of a minister when he writes that, “This [visiting obligation] is the same as their obligation to preach, comfort, absolve, help the poor, visit the sick, as often as these services are needed and demanded.”2
Both lay and pastoral visitation can be done in differing settings depending upon the need and other factors. Home visits provide an opportunity to minister to others in a personal, comfortable setting. There are very few professions where one is invited into someone’s personal space, but pastoring still affords that luxury.
But visits need not only take place in the home. Restaurants are often good places to connect with others over a meal or cup of coffee. Hospital visits are also vitally essential to check on a person’s health condition, and to offer encouragement in the face of difficulties. Offering prayers for strength and healing is usually welcomed in these encounters. Care facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living communities, rehabs, and memory units all offer ample opportunities for pastors to visit those who suffer from serious health issues.
One of the most effective ways to reach out to those with memory issues is by having sing-a-longs with them. The part of the brain which is receptive to music continues intact for a longer period than the memory centers of the brain. I am amazed when I encounter older adults with Alzheimer’s disease, who can’t remember what they ate for breakfast, but who nevertheless can clearly belt out, “You Are My Sunshine” and “Jesus Loves Me.”
Workplace visits can also be effective but can be limited due to time or working conditions. However, meeting someone for a coffee break or lunch may be beneficial, and a way to maximize a member’s time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly learned that outside/doorstep visits were essential in connecting with others, especially for combatting isolation and loneliness. Using devices has become a central aspect of our daily lives, and they can be used in the realm of visitation as well. Telephone/text/face-time visitations can offer instant encouragement, and a quick way to “check in.”
Community Visitation
But what about visiting folks outside of the church? Community visitation may seem unnecessary if we are just focused on connecting with “the flock.” And some falsely believe that if you are going to reach out to the community at large, it is done for the sole purpose of getting new visitors into the church. However, there are so many more benefits to community outreach. First of all, community outreach demonstrates that the parish wants to offer its services to the community. Second, community visiting is an opportunity to build relationships with others, especially non-believers. And third, community visiting opens the door to further ministry when needs arise. In his book entitled, Visiting in an Age of Mission, Kenyon Callahan speaks about visiting in the community when he writes, “God invites us to visit with persons in our community. We are not called to visit members only. We are invited to visit with community persons. The term affirms that we live together in the same community. It affirms that our visiting has to do with more than getting people churched. To be sure, community people are not members of a church. They do not participate in the congregation. That is fine. They are people whom God has given us for mission. God encourages us to help them. As one wise, caring person once said, “We are put on this earth to help others.”3
Relationship Building
While there are various venues to facilitate visitation, what happens in the context of the visit itself will have long-lasting ramifications. One benefit of visiting is the building of relationships. Ministry is relational. In connecting with others, we have the privilege of developing our relationships with Christ, with other believers, and with non-believers. Visitation is evangelistic and has missional implications.
Pastor Dennis Di Mauro of Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenton, Virginia, is an example of just such a relationship builder. When he visits several care facilities in his area every month, always playing his ukulele, he is not just visiting the residents. He has harvested intentional relationships with staff members and families, which have yielded numerous ministry opportunities. As relationships develop, ministry opportunities multiply. Care, concern, and encouragement are the main ingredients for visitation success. I once pastored a church where a long-time minister had retired after forty years of faithful work. While preaching wasn’t necessarily his forte, his visitation and outreach efforts were legendary. Because of that focus, his Jesus-centered church grew and prospered. The intentional visiting of the homebound, those struggling, and periodically every member of the flock, will go a long way to pastoral success and longevity.
Visiting as a New Pastor and Dealing with Conflict
Perhaps one of the most beneficial times to visit is when a pastor first enters a new congregation. This is because when a pastor starts at a new congregation, there is a certain sense of uneasiness among the laity. And while there is some level of respect for the pastoral office, congregants are often uneasy in these early days because they suspect that a new pastor will immediately try to change things. On the day of installation at my current call, a couple of church members were heard saying, “This guy [new pastor] might make us do something.” So visiting members at the beginning helps prevent the sometimes-rampant speculation that the new shepherd is trying “to throw the baby out with the bath water.” In addition, it helps to strengthen trust, calm initial negative perceptions, and developing the needed support for future changes which might be required for the effective sharing of the Gospel.
On the day of installation at my current call, a couple of church members were heard saying, “This guy [new pastor] might make us do something.”
Active visitation also helps with congregational conflict management. Now I realize that it is often easier to “sweep stuff under the rug” and not confront discord. But left unattended, these conflicts may “blow up” into crises that can threaten the very existence of the congregation. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18 that we are to go directly to the person that we have a conflict with and attempt to resolve the disagreement. But if this is unsuccessful, we might need to try again with the consultation of one or two others. During my visits I have also been informed about various incidents and conflicts, which have then assisted me in cutting things off at the pass. Visitation and conflict resolution go hand in hand.
The Cure of Souls
I remember one visit years ago in which an aging Lutheran told me, “I hope I go to heaven.” These words still make the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight, but during our visit I was able to ease her fears. I told her that in fact we are saved by grace through faith alone, and so we can know for sure that through faith, eternal life is ours.
Visitations also allow us to refute commonly held heresies and false teachings. This might include correcting the false belief that we must execute good works to be welcomed into heaven. We might also be called to council a parent whose adult child has been attending “new age” leadership retreats, where he or she is encouraged to keep paying more to become “enlightened.” Or we might have the opportunity to council an individual who has been “love bombed” into a cult and then mind-controlled into believing that his family and the generational church are his enemies. Visitation can shed light on these misconceptions, and many others, and allow us to share the true Christian faith.
Shut-ins
When the church visits, we bring the church to those who cannot attend. This is why sharing the sacrament is paramount in the congregation’s ministry. Along with providing the forgiving body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are literally connecting ourselves with those saints who have faithfully served their parishes for decades. They have the right to be remembered, to be nourished from the table, and to feel a part of the body of Christ. When I start working in a new congregation, the first visits I make are to the homebound, making sure that they receive Holy Communion.
Visiting also includes responding to emergencies. When people are hurting, the church needs to be present. When grief support is needed, a congregation may want to start a Grief Share ministry, or even train Stephen ministers to help people navigate through loss.
When I start working in a new congregation, the first visits I make are to the homebound, making sure that they receive Holy Communion.
If a congregation is serious about renewing itself, then visiting can be a catalyst for that renewal. Renewing a congregation is like a puzzle. Different pieces of the puzzle are needed to create the picture. The puzzle pieces for renewal include a focus on prayer, on knowing the word, on evangelical worship, on confronting darkness, on outreach, on faithfully using our assets/gifts, and, of course, on visitation. By visiting, the vision of renewal can be cast. By visiting, excitement and enthusiasm can be shared. By visiting, existing connections are strengthened and new connections are formed, and by visiting Jesus is continually exalted, as it is Christ who revives His Church.
In the community where I live, I have heard the story of a deceased Baptist pastor who was a teacher, coach, and a preacher. I am not sure where he found the time, but a significant part of his ministry was visiting. One of the phrases that he liked to repeat was, “If I go see them, they will come and see me.” Simply put, visitation can yield worship participation. While I have never seen a study to prove this proposition, it simply makes sense. When we endeavor to spend moments with individuals and families, Christ is present. And when people feel heard and cared for, the Holy Spirit is working in their hearts. If the Church believes that going out and seeing others is an integral aspect of its ministry, then those being visited will respond in kind. I cannot count the number of times that church members have told me I was the first pastor who had ever visited them. Aren’t we missing something by not visiting?
Visitation in the Community
Earlier in the article, we discussed the importance of community visitation. And it has been my experience that community connections and outreach bear much fruit. A couple of times a week, I have coffee or breakfast at one of the diners in town. I am usually there visiting with a church or community member. Through this simple ministry of presence, I cannot tell you all the contacts and relationships which have developed. Through these encounters, prayer has commenced, souls have been soothed, faith is shared, and some are even moved to worship. And that happens just because I am present and available in the community. Whether it is in a diner, sitting on a local community board, being at a local festival, or attending a Friday Night football game, when we are out in the area visiting, the Spirit is providing us with “entry points” for the Gospel. Now, I realize that there are some churches that do not understand this. They think the pastor should attend to their needs only. But sadly, they do not comprehend that this is exactly what the clergy are called to do. They are called to be out in the community, sharing the Good News, and walking along side those also created in God’s image. Isn’t the New Testament always calling us out into the world?
Practical Tips for Visiting
This article has focused on various venues for visitation, and the multitude of benefits received in making these calls. But what might transpire during the encounter itself? Here are some things to consider. First of all, how long should a visit last? While this may be subjective, we certainly do not want to overstay our welcome. A home visit may last up to one hour, and a visit at a hospital or nursing home might hover around thirty minutes. Each situation is different, so use your best judgement. Listen more, talk less. Practice active listening, clarifying what is being said. Listening is more than words, so be cognizant of your body language, tone, and facial expressions. During homebound visits we share information about the congregation and offer the sacrament of Holy Communion. While visiting, we should try to ascertain information about family members and neighbors, to see if there are needs that the church can respond to. Also, if an older adult speaks about someone taking care of his/her finances and personal needs, this may be a “red flag” for an elder abuse issue. Also, identifying things in the house is important. Are there smells? Are the dishes piling up in the sink? Is the individual shabbily dressed? Does there appear to be memory issues? At the end of the call, ask the person visited if there are any things that need to be reported or completed. Visits should end with prayer.
A home visit may last up to one hour, and a visit at a hospital or nursing home might hover around thirty minutes.
Include the Laity
While many visits within the church might be done in the context of pastoral work, a visitation ministry cannot be complete without the laity. They are the backbone of the church. A congregation will only function if the ministry of the laity is uplifted and expected. But what does lay visitation look like? First, we must identify those who are called and have a passion to connect with others. Second, equipping and training is essential, especially about the importance of confidentiality. Third, who will the visitors be accountable to? And fourth, who will be visited?
The need for lay visitation is huge, as the clergy cannot possibly attend to all the needs in the parish. Holy Scripture provides a framework for this ministry. In Galatians 6:2 it is written “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”4 And in I Thessalonians 5:11 it says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
Please do not listen to the naysayers who say that visiting is outdated in a technological society.
Conclusion
Visiting for mission needs to be central to the ministry of Christ’s Church. Even though some devalue its effectiveness, they are sadly ill-informed. When pastoral and lay visitation becomes a priority inside and outside of the body, Jesus is shared, care is given, and outreach happens. Please do not listen to the naysayers who say that visiting is outdated in a technological society. What else can combat loneliness, isolationism, and build relationships for the kingdom? Visiting will strengthen your congregation and promote pastoral effectiveness/longevity. Visit and see God’s Holy Spirit at work.
Rev. Brad Hales is Pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church in Culpeper, VA and he teaches at St. Paul Lutheran Seminary.
Endnotes:
1Martin Luther, The Small Catechism, in The Book of Concord, ed. by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 2000), 347.
2Lazarus Spengler in Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Volume 49, Letters II, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmut T. Lehmann (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1955), 358-359.
3Kennon Callahan, Visiting In an Age of Mission (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994), 5.
4Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008). The ESV version is used throughout this essay.
