By valuing we seek to know, to relish, to hope with, to rejoice with, to suffer with, to believe in and to love each person with whom we work. For some, especially those who have been certified by a pastoral care organization and endorsed by a denomination or religious group, highlighting the theme may mean articulating and recapturing their commitment to loving holistic care. For others, Pastoral Care Week may serve as a vehicle for informing their communities about how pastoral caregivers regularly strive to appreciate and embrace the person wholly, in each person s spiritual, physical, psychological and social reality. The pastoral caregiver crosses institutional, economic, cultural and ecclesiastical boundaries to present a God who demonstrates a desire for healing and wholeness in human life. Because they have access to the entire community, pastoral caregivers are in a unique position to embody that healing spiritual environment for those serving and those being served.
Nothing distinguishes institutions as much as the quality of the depth of their care.