Challenges of Caring 1

Abstract

Congregational expectations for care in the last third of life create challenges for church professionals. The last third of life is typically long and complex as people are living long and dying sicker. Current social and church demographics create new demands for and limits on caring; for some church professionals, the personal demands for caring pose a particular challenge. Four strategies may help: conversations sustained over time, shared congregational rituals and experiences, living “as if,” and political hospitality.