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P. Barnes

Approaching Pastoral Difficulties

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  • P. Barnes

This article is about a few basic principles for the ministry: teaching, priorities, visitations, and a loving and gentle attitude.

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      • Article 11
      • Article 12
      • Article 13
      • Article 14
      • Article 15
      • Article 16
      • Article 17
      • Article 18
      • Article 19
      • Article 20
      • Article 21
      • Article 22
      • Article 23
      • Article 24
      • Article 25
      • Article 26
      • Article 27
      • Article 28
      • Article 29
      • Article 30
      • Article 31
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      • Article 35
      • Article 36
      • Article 37
    • Westminster Confession
      • General
      • Chapter 1
      • Chapter 2
      • Chapter 3
      • Chapter 4
      • Chapter 5
      • Chapter 6
      • Chapter 7
      • Chapter 8
      • Chapter 9
      • Chapter 10
      • Chapter 11
      • Chapter 12
      • Chapter 13
      • Chapter 14
      • Chapter 15
      • Chapter 16
      • Chapter 17
      • Chapter 18
      • Chapter 19
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      • Chapter 22
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      • Chapter 25
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      • Chapter 33
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      • General
      • Lord's Day 1
      • Lord's Day 2
      • Lord's Day 3
      • Lord's Day 4
      • Lord's Day 5
      • Lord's Day 6
      • Lord's Day 7
      • Lord's Day 8
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      • Lord's Day 10
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      • Lord's Day 30
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      • Lord's Day 35
      • Lord's Day 36
      • Lord's Day 37
      • Lord's Day 38
      • Lord's Day 39
      • Lord's Day 40
      • Lord's Day 41
      • Lord's Day 42
      • Lord's Day 43
      • Lord's Day 44
      • Lord's Day 45
      • Lord's Day 46
      • Lord's Day 47
      • Lord's Day 48
      • Lord's Day 49
      • Lord's Day 50
      • Lord's Day 51
      • Lord's Day 52
    • Canons of Dordt
      • General
      • Chapter 1
      • Chapter 2
      • Chapter 3/4
      • Chapter 5
    • Thirty Nine Articles of Religion
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  • Doctrine of life - Ethical principles
    • Christ and the Christian life
    • Purpose of Christian life
    • Discovering the will of God - General
    • Use of Scripture in ethics
    • Seeking the kingdom of heaven
    • Christian freedom
    • Discipleship
    • Following and Imitation of Christ
    • Old Testament Ethics
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      • Ten Commandments (General)
      • First commandment
      • Second commandment
      • Third commandment
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      • Tenth commandment
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    • Guidance of the Spirit
    • Identity of God's people
    • Love and hate
    • Common good
    • Authority
    • Position of the Christian in this world
    • Christian mind
    • Conviction and tolerance
    • Discernment
    • Christian lifestyle
    • Responsibility & Collective Responsibility
    • Compromise
    • Conflicting obligation
    • Conscience
    • Impartiality
    • Justice
    • Tradition and accomodation
    • Wisdom and prudence
    • Ethics of Christian Community
    • Submission
    • Indifferent things (Adiaphora)
    • Self-denial and Hedonism
    • Virtue
    • Temperance and Abstinence
    • Worldview
    • Vocation
    • Truth and lying
  • Doctrine of life - Ethical themes
    • Gender - Role of manhood and womanhood
    • Sexual Ethics
      • Sexual Ethics - General
      • Premarital Sex
      • Homosexuality
      • Sex Education
      • Lustfulness and Chastity
      • Pornography
    • Dating and Singleness
    • Marriage and Family
      • Marriage (General)
      • Family (General)
      • Adoption
      • Procreation and Family Planning
      • Adultery
      • Celibacy
      • Childhood
      • Adolescence
      • Young Adulthood (Twenties and Thirties)
      • Middle-Age (Forties and Fifties)
    • Divorce and remarriage
    • Education (General)
      • Christian education
      • Purpose of Education
      • Discipline
      • The child
      • Theories of Education
      • Child development
      • History of Christian Education
    • Parenting
    • Schooling
      • Teaching and Learning (General)
      • The Christian school
      • Home schooling
      • Teaching methods
      • The Curriculum and Evaluation
      • The Teacher
      • The School Board
      • Parents and the School
      • Church and the School
      • Place of Government in Education
    • Friendship
    • Hospitality
    • Economics
      • Economics (General)
      • Code of ethics for economists
      • Economic Theories
      • Development
      • Sustainability
      • Scarcity
      • Inequality
      • Income Distribution
    • Work & Employment
    • Business Ethics
      • Business Ethics (General)
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Labour Standards
      • Minimum Wages
      • Prices
      • Trade Unions and Strikes
      • Wages and Salaries
    • Wealth & Poverty
      • Money and Possessions
      • Tithing
      • Generosity
      • Borrowing and Lending
      • Poverty
      • Consumerism
      • Gambling
      • Taxes
      • Prosperity gospel
    • Environmental Ethics
      • Environmental Ethics (General)
      • Energy and Energy Consumption
      • Global Warming
    • Public Ethics
      • Public Ethics (General)
      • Human Rights
      • Equality and Discrimination
      • Race and Racism
      • Nationalism and Patriotism
      • Judicial System
      • Capital Punishment
      • Crime and Punishment
      • Social welfare
      • Social gospel
    • Political Ethics
      • Government - Role and Responsibility
      • Democracy
      • Civil Disobedience and Revolution
      • State and Church Relationship
      • War and Peace
      • Terrorism
      • Pacifism
      • Genocide
      • Nuclear Weapons
      • Interrogation and Torture
      • Refugees and Genocide
      • Political involvement
    • Christ and Culture
    • Bioethics
      • Bioethics (General)
      • Genetic Engineering
      • Cloning
      • Reproductive Technologies
      • Prenatal Diagnosis
      • Contraception
      • Surrogate Father/Mother
    • Medical ethics
      • Medical Ethics (General)
      • Health
      • Illness
      • Disabilities
      • Health Care
      • Forgoing and Withdrawing Treatment
      • Organ Donation and Transplantation
      • Definition of Death
      • Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Letting Die
      • Abortion
      • Sterilization
      • Late Miscarriage & Stillbirth
      • Epidemics
    • Beauty and Arts (General)
    • Appearance
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Drama and Cinema
    • Food and Food Consumption
    • Media and Censorship
    • Recreation and entertainment
    • Sabbath and Sunday
    • Speech and Communication
    • Sport
    • Time Consumption and Priorities
    • Other topics
  • Spirituality & Godliness
    • Fear of the Lord & Godliness
    • Spiritual exercises
    • Means of grace
    • Prayer
      • Prayer - General
      • Intercession
      • God answering prayers
      • Practice of prayer
      • Bodily posture in prayer
      • Private prayer
    • The Lord's Prayer
      • Lord's prayer - General
      • Beginning and Conclusion of Lord's prayer
      • First petition - Hallowed your Name
      • Second petition - Your Kingdom come
      • Third petition - Your will be done
      • Fourth petition - Give us today our daily bread
      • Fifth petition - Forgive us our debts
      • Sixth petition - And lead us not into temptation
    • Fasting
    • Meditation
    • Singing
    • Listening to sermons
    • Personal Devotions (General)
    • Reading of Spiritual Literature
    • Family worship
    • Preparation for home visitation
    • Christ and the new life
    • Personal relationship with God
    • Walking with God
    • Spiritual warfare & struggle against sin
      • Spiritual warfare (General)
      • Struggle against Temptation
      • Living with Hope
      • Desertion by God
      • Place of sin in the believer's life
      • Spiritual growth and backsliding
    • Sanctification of the whole life
    • Spirituality and experience
    • Gratitude
    • Different Fruit of the Holy Spirit
    • Blessedness
    • Different Fruit of the flesh
    • Heavenly mindedness
    • Joy in the Lord
    • History of Spirituality
  • Worship & Liturgy
    • Principles of Worship
      • Principles of Worship (General)
      • Worship as Communion with the Triune God
      • Worship as Communion with the People of God (General)
      • Worship as Gathering and Communion of the Local Church
      • Worship as Communion with Young and Old
      • Worship as Communion with the Church of all Ages and Places
    • Elements of the worship service
      • Liturgy - General
      • Call to worship and Salutation
      • Confessing of sin and assurance of pardon
      • Praise in music and song (General)
      • Public Prayer
      • Scripture reading
      • Preaching (place in worship service)
      • Gifts and offerings
      • Corporate confession of faith
      • The Amen
      • Sacraments in the worship service
      • Benediction
    • Different Liturgies
    • Church music
      • Character and principles of church music
      • Musical instruments
      • Musicians
      • Psalms as songs
      • Hymns
      • Church choir
      • History of church music
    • Liturgical year
      • Liturgical year (General)
      • Christmas
      • Good Friday
      • Easter Sunday
      • Ascension Day
      • Pentecost
    • Church architecture
  • Church Leadership and Offices
    • Church leadership (General)
    • Offices - General
    • Pastor/Preacher - General
    • Pastor/Preacher - Qualifications
    • Pastor/Preacher - Task
    • Pastor and his wife and family
    • Theological Training
    • Elder - General
    • Elder - Qualifications
    • Elder - Task
    • Deacon - General
    • Deacon - Qualifications
    • Deacon - Task
  • Preaching
    • Principles of Preaching
    • Preaching (General)
      • Preaching, election and the free offer of the gospel
    • Purpose and Function of Preaching
    • Types of Preaching
    • Preaching Method and Sermon Preparation Process
    • Sermon Evaluation
    • History of Preaching
    • Preaching style and delivery
    • Steps for making a sermon
  • Pastoral care
    • Principles of Pastorate
    • House Visitation
    • Confidentiality
    • Psychology
    • Care in Abuse and Neglect
      • Spiritual Abuse
      • Abuse - General
      • Sexual Abuse - General
      • Child Sexual Abuse
      • Clergy Sexual Abuse
      • Spousal Abuse
      • Elder Abuse
      • Emotional and Verbal Abuse
      • Ministry to Abusers
    • Care in Addictions
    • Care in Conflict and Bad Relations
    • Care in Depression
    • Care in Self-Esteem and Inferiority
    • Care in Anger
    • Care in Anxiety
    • Care in Crisis
    • Care in Psychological illnesses
    • Care in Autism
    • Care in Loneliness
    • Care in Aging
    • Care in the Dying Process
    • Care in Grief
    • Care in Burial Practices
    • Care in Honouring and Grieving the Dead
    • Care with Last Will and Testament
    • Care in Suicide
    • Other themes of Pastorate
  • Youth ministry and catechism
    • Principles of Youth ministry
    • Material for Youth ministry and catechism
      • In Thy Hands Children Material
        • In Thy Hands Part 2
        • In Thy Hands Part 1
    • Public profession of faith
  • Church Government
    • General Principles of Church government
    • Church Order
      • Purpose and observance of the Church order
      • Offices
      • Church Assemblies - General
      • Church Assemblies - Consistory
      • Oversight of doctrine and worship
      • Church Discipline
      • No Lording
    • Different systems of Church government
    • Church government and civil government
  • History & Church History
    • Church history - General
      • Historical writing
    • Church history - Early Church
      • Cyprian
      • Constantine the Great
      • Council of Nicea
      • Basil the Great
      • Cyril of Alexandria
      • Didache
      • Gregory of Nazianzus
      • Ignatius of Antioch
      • Irenaeus of Lyons
      • Clement of Alexandria
      • John Chrysostom
      • Athanasius
      • Augustine
      • Jerome
      • Early Church (general)
      • John of Damascus
      • Justin Martyr
      • Marcion
      • Melito of Sardis
      • Origen
      • Patrick of Ireland
      • Polycarp
      • Tertullian
    • Church history - Middle Ages
    • Church history - Reformation
      • Theodore Beza
      • Renaissance
      • Reformation in The Netherlands
      • Ulrich Zwingli
      • Zacharius Ursinus
      • William Tyndale
      • Reformation in Germany
      • Reformation in France
      • Hugh Latimer
      • John a Lasco
      • Reformation (General)
      • John Calvin
      • Philipp Melanchthon
      • John Knox
      • Martin Luther
      • Reformation in Eastern Europe
      • Heinrich Bullinger
      • Peter Vermigli
      • Reformation in England
      • Guido de Bres
    • Modern Church History
      • Church history - North America
      • Church history - Oceania
      • Church history - South America
      • Church history - Asia
      • Church history - Africa
      • Church history - Europe
    • Different theologies
      • Roman Catholic
      • Evangelical
      • Charismatic theology
      • Reformed
      • Five points of Calvinism
  • Defending the faith (Apologetics)
  • Mission & Evangelism
    • Biblical Basis of Missions
    • Missions and Evangelism
    • God as Missionary God
    • Missions as Work of God
    • Missions and the Glory of God
    • The Great Commission
    • Missions and local church
    • Missions and every believer
    • Church growth
    • The Missionary
    • The Mission Board
    • The Sending Church
    • Missions and Money
    • Short-term Missions
    • Mission Training
    • Missions to Children and Youth
    • Different Mission Approaches
    • Trends in Missions
    • History of Missions
    • Missionary and Culture
    • Missionary and Politics
    • Missions - Word and Deed
    • Missions and the Social Gospel
    • Mission, election and the free offer of the gospel
    • The Message in Missions
    • Mission and the Point of Contact
    • Prayer and Missions
    • The Mission Encounter
    • Boldness in Missions
    • Material to use in Missions
    • Missions and the New Convert
    • Worship in the Mission Field
  • Other religions
    • Relationship between Christianity and other religions
    • Jehovah's Witnesses
    • Islam
    • Judaism
    • Cults
    • New Age
    • Atheism
    • African Traditional Religions
    • Other religions (General)
    • Sects (General)
  • Faith & Science
    • Faith & Science (General)
    • Evolution
  • Philosophy & Culture
Faith rests upon the character of God, not upon the demonstration of Laboratory or logic A. W. Tozer
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