Will Standridge is a student pastor and every week he visits people who are in the hospital.
Besides the biblical admonition of the need to care for the sick in James 5:14-15, Standridge offers several reasons why visiting the sick provides practical and spiritual benefits for staff pastors:
First, It creates community with church members.
When staff pastors visit the sick, it helps create a more unified and compassionate church community.
Next, It helps you grow in your pastoral skill set.
Visiting the sick offers an opportunity for non-lead pastors to develop essential pastoral skills, such as active listening, empathy, and offering biblical counsel.
And finally, It allows you to assist other pastors.
Often, one or two pastors make a majority of a church’s hospital visits. In seasons when there are a lot of visits to make, you can serve a friend and co-laborer by helping share that load.
And Standridge offers this advice for pastors visiting those in the hospital; Don’t forget the gospel.
There is no better news when you’ve found out your body is breaking down than being reminded God will one day raise our bodies up. While we pray for people and counsel them in difficult situations in the hospital, never forget the best news we can give them is not getting better in this life, but a glorious resurrection purchased by Christ that is coming for all who believe in Him.