The full guide behind the Pastoral Friend Program, and a standing reference you can return to whenever a specific situation comes up in your caring.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6–7
Pastoral or spiritual care is the work involved when a person assists in promoting the inner well-being of another through the provision of general and spiritual support and comfort, and assistance in times of need.
Every person of any age who cares can benefit by learning more about the skill of caring. Caring spiritually for others is an important element of our service in Christ. People of all ages — including children — face personal challenges, or become ill from time to time. Being able to help these people regain their peace of mind through appropriate emotional and spiritual assistance is an essential activity for Christ's servants.
It's recognised that the well-being of all people involves good spiritual and emotional health as well as physical health. Skilled spiritual carers can assist people in maintaining and developing the spiritual aspects of their lives. This Handbook aims to help younger or older adults who already show their care for others to care more effectively for all people — a benefit for both the carer and the cared-for. The principles it provides can be applied to all ages, and to people who are well as much as to those who are ill or older.
The companion handbook is essentially a resource book, also containing activities that might be used for personal consideration or group discussion. It's intended for use by trained spiritual carers to refresh their skills and reflect on what they're doing, and also for anyone as a basis for training volunteer spiritual carers. It has been recently reviewed to reflect recent developments in thinking about spiritual care, and to give more detailed reference for volunteer pastoral visitors, pastoral friends and professional carers with greater responsibility in spiritual care management.
— Laurence Lepherd, Toowoomba, Queensland, August 2026
77 pages, six modules, one continuous reference source — covering spirituality, communication, loss and grief, spiritual care across every age group, and ageing and aged care.
View the PDF HandbookThe Handbook is the reference; the PFP is the guided path through it, at your own pace, with a short assessment at the end of each module.