John 21:16

"Take care of my sheep."

Adelphicare is prepared by Christadelphians to help people care for and support one another — practically, prayerfully, and personally
— through life's harder seasons.

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Welcome to the Adelphicare website

Adelphicare was founded more than 13 years ago by Laurence Lepherd from Toowoomba. Through his passion for pastoral care, professional experience, and the support of a dedicated team, the site has grown into a rich collection of articles, videos, and practical resources.
The newly revised Pastoral Friend Program is Laurence’s final labour of love for Adelphicare, and we warmly encourage everyone to explore and complete it. We are deeply grateful to Laurence, his team of qualified contributors, and those who have generously and courageously shared reflections from their own experiences over the years.
By God’s continued grace, Adelphicare will keep providing thoughtful, practical, and up-to-date resources grounded in the godly principles of care and compassion. Peter Collins of Brisbane is the site’s new curator and can be contacted using the Contact Us form.

Want to subscribe to our new weekly Carer's Corner Weekly email? Subscribe on the Newsletters page.

Feature Article

When Someone Is Afraid at Home

Domestic abuse is not always visible. A brother or sister may appear capable and composed while living with fear, intimidation, isolation or control at home. If someone speaks to us about abuse, our first task is not to investigate, confront the other person or try to repair the marriage. It is to listen carefully, take what we are told seriously, ask about immediate safety, protect confidentiality and help the person obtain appropriate support. Scripture calls us to “relieve the oppressed” (Isaiah 1:17), while Ezekiel 34 reminds shepherds to strengthen the weak, bind up the injured and seek those needing care. Our feature article, When Someone Is Afraid at Home, explains how friends, family and ecclesial carers can respond wisely, safely and compassionately, with links to further domestic-violence resources.

View the full article and resources →

PFP Launch

Pastoral Friend Program - New!

We are very pleased to announce a revised version of a pastoral care course - “Pastoral Friend Program (PFP)”. This is designed to help anyone from anywhere learn more about how to care spiritually for a friend. PFP can be fully completed online at your own pace. You can start any time!

Learn about the Pastoral Friend Program

two hands grasping each other in support

Carer's Corner

Meaningful Pastoral Care - Effective Communication

Ever wondered what the ultimate secret to meaningful pastoral care is? According to 20-year veteran pastoral carer Laurence Lepherd, it all comes down to three things: listening, listening, and listening. Whether you are chatting with someone in a hospital, an aged care home, or simply catching up with a friend on the bus, the way we communicate can completely change how supported a person feels. In this short guide, Laurence shares invaluable, real-world advice on how to master "active listening" and why you should avoid asking the standard question, "How are you today?"

Discover:

The LACE Model: A simple, 4-step process to show people they are truly heard.
Room-Reading Secrets: How a 20-second walk into a room can give you instant insight into someone's heart.
The "Silhouette" Mistake: Why where you sit in a room matters much more than you think

Read the article..
Effective Communication →

I do hope you can master these simple skills as it will make your communication and your visit with anyone more effective. — Laurence Lepherd

Ways to help and be helped

Find your way in

Whether you're new to pastoral care or looking for a specific resource
these are the best places to start.

Pastoral Friend Program

A free, self-paced online program for anyone wanting to grow in pastoral care skills.

Explore the PFP →

Handbook

The full guide to the program, and a standing reference for pastoral carers.

Videos

A growing library of short videos covering care topics from everyday life.

Watch videos →

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Articles library

Over 100 care articles, searchable by topic.

Search articles →

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Help Someone

20+ essays for specific, real-life caring situations.

Find a topic →

About Adelphicare

Who we are, and other Christadelphian support services.

About us →

Hymn 116 - "As pants the heart for cooling streams""

"As Pants the Heart" draws from Psalm 42 — the cry of someone who feels far from God and aches to be near again. The image is a deer, exhausted from being chased, desperate for water. That's the longing this hymn puts into words: not a comfortable faith, but a soul that genuinely thirsts for God like a parched throat thirsts for a cool stream. What makes this hymn endure is its honesty. It doesn't rush past the hard questions — "why restless, why cast down, my soul?" — it sits with them. Yet each verse turns from ache to hope, ending in quiet, confident praise of the One who is "thy health's eternal spring." If you've ever felt distant from God, or just weary and in need of restoration, let this hymn give voice to that longing — and to the hope that answers it. View more hymns on the organ (played by Laurence Lepherd) and sung by the Adelphian Singers. (www.adelphiansingers.org)

Listen/View now →

Because we care...

In a time of world chaos, our care includes sharing the hope for the future as found in God's Word, the Bible. Visit a Christadelphian Bible Education site, or read the short booklets shown below.

Cover of The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

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