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Denis Meacham wrote this book because he realized an important aspect of congregational life could not be adequately met by a lone parish minister. He says, “A well-organized, trained and supervised cadre of lay ministers can ensure that no member of a congregation of any size ever falls through the cracks.” This book covers the important characteristics to look for when choosing lay ministers for this assignment: the competencies of active listening, awareness of the presence of the sacred, and assessment; as well as the overall management of the program within a congregation and how the lay caregivers are trained. He continually circles back to a simple truth: the most fundamental offering of lay ministry is presence – compassionate, nonjudgmental presence, as important to the lay minister as it is to the person being cared for. (from the back cover)