A practical guide to the law and practice of parish, town and community councils in England and Wales, this text is presented in an alphabetical classification. It assists the reader through the complications of the law, while avoiding jargon.

Making Parish Councils Pastoral traces the historical development of the ôpastoralö style of council and shows how councils can more effectively embrace the church's vision of studying and reflecting on parish matters and recommending their conclusions to the pastor.

This all-in-one guide is designed to better equip clergy and the church leaders to meet their congregations' needs in a spiritually grounded and scientifically sound manner. Succinct, easy-to-read chapters summarize all a pastor needs to know about a given problem area, including its signs or symptoms, questions to ask, effective helping skills, and, most importantly, when to refer to a mental health professional. Synthesizing what research says about treatment approaches for mental health issues, this user-friendly reference is filled with guidelines, case scenarios, key points to remember, resources for further help, advice on integrating scripture and theology with the best available research, and tips on partnering with others to provide the best possible care for each church member. Each chapter is designed for quick lookup by problem area, empowering church leaders to understand and help meet the challenges facing the children, adults, families, and communities that they serve.

A new revised edition of the authoritative handbook for both newly elected and existing churchwardens.

"As Christians, we aspire to live our lives with jesus Christ as our model. This lifelong process of studying Jesus is especially important for those who are leaders in the Christian Community........" [from back cover]