Pastoral Care & Counseling

Our Goal:

Our goal in providing Christian counseling is to help you meet the challenges of life in a way that will please and honor the Lord Jesus Christ and enable you to fully enjoy His love for you and His plans for your life.

Biblical Basis:

We believe that the Bible provides thorough guidance and instruction for faith and life. Therefore, our counseling is based on scriptural principles rather than those of secular psychology or psychiatry. Neither the pastoral nor the lay counsellors of this church are trained or licensed as psychotherapists or mental health professionals, nor should they be expected to follow the methods of such specialists.

Not Professional Advice:

Some of our counselors work in professional fields outside the church. When serving as counselors within this church, however, they do not provide the same kind of professional advice and services that they do in their professional capacities. Therefore, if you have significant legal, financial, medical, or other technical questions, you should seek advice from an independent professional. Our pastoral and lay counsellors will be happy to help you to consider their counsel in the light of relevant scriptural principles.

Confidentiality:

Confidentiality is an important aspect of the counseling process, and we will carefully guard the information you entrust to us. There are three situations, however, when it may be necessary for us to share certain information with others:

1. When a counsellor is uncertain how to address a particular problem and needs to seek advice from an elder in this church

2. When there is a clear indication that someone may be harmed unless others intervene

3. When a person persistently refuses to renounce a particular sin and it becomes necessary to seek the assistance of others in the church to encourage repentance and reconciliation (see Proverbs 15:22; 24:11; Matthew 18:15-20)

Please be assured that our counsellors strongly prefer not to disclose personal information to others and they will make every effort to help you find ways to resolve a problem as privately as possible. 

Resolution of Conflicts:

On rare occasions, a conflict may develop between a counsellor and a counsellee. To make sure that any such conflicts will be resolved in a biblically faithful manner, we require all of our counsellees to agree that any dispute that arises with a counsellor as a result of counseling will be settled by mediation of one or more elders in the church. 

Having clarified the principles and policies of our counseling ministry, we welcome the opportunity to minister to you in the name of Christ and to be used by Him as He helps you to grow in spiritual maturity and prepares you for usefulness in His body. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please talk with a pastor or elder. 

By clicking on the following link and requesting counsel, you confirm that these guidelines are acceptable to you.