Today, we are very aware that people experience many problems such as depression, anger, conflict, fear & worry, marriage conflict, parenting trials, or enslavement to pornography or alcohol. These difficult problems are not only hard for the individual, but they can also wreak havoc on relationships.
The purpose of the Biblical Counseling Ministry is to extend the hope of Jesus Christ to the lives of hurting people in our church and community. We seek to keep the gospel of Jesus Christ central to our work. This is done by the counselor sharing the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and His offer of new life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and by entering into a personal discipleship relationship with the counselee in which he or she will seek to offer biblical solutions to the counselee’s problems. It is our genuine hope that those who receive counsel will consequently desire to live for the glory of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and experience peace, hope and joy in the midst of their circumstances.
What to expect
Your counselor will seek to use his or her skill in applying Biblical principles to help you please God and as a result gain victory over the problems that are depriving you of the peace and joy that God has promised in the Bible to those who love Jesus Christ. During your counseling, your counselor will concentrate in three areas:
GIVING HOPE – God says the Bible is sufficient to handle the problems of life, and your counselor is equipped to come along side you to help you find those answers in the Bible. You can receive great hope and encouragement when you discover that God has provided answers to your problems in the Bible (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:3).
CHANGE – As much as a person may want his circumstances to change, the reality is that a change in circumstances may not always be possible, nor does God promise to change our circumstances. In counseling, your counselor will help you see from the Bible how your thinking and goals should change. The Bible says that when our prayers, thinking and actions are pleasing to God, then we experience the peace of God (See Ephesians 4:22-24 and Philippians 4:6-9).
PRACTICE – The Bible promises blessings if we prove to be doers of God’s Word (the Bible) and not merely hearers of the Word. Therefore, your counselor will assign you weekly assignments designed to give you help and hope in making the Scriptures practical to your specific challenges. These assignments are designed to establish new God-pleasing habits of thinking and behavior that result in the blessings promised by God (See James 1:22-25; Romans 2:9-10).
How the counselors are trained
Our Biblical Counselors are trained in the use of Scripture and the principles of biblical counseling. Our counselors do not base their counsel on man’s wisdom, opinions, experience, or concepts of behavior, (Isaiah 55:8-11) but seek to bring the full range of Biblical truth to focus on the counselee’s need (Hebrews 4:12). Ours counselors are spiritually mature men and women who are trained to counsel, based on truth found in the Word of God. All of CFC’s counselors are either certified or in the final stage of being certified by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). Neither the pastoral, nor the lay counselors of this ministry are licensed as psychotherapists or mental health professionals. All our counselors are under the authority of the elders of Christian Family Chapel.
CONCERNING MEDICATIONS: As a Biblical counseling ministry it is not within our scope to recommend using, not using, or discontinuing legally prescribed medications. As a church we view taking legally prescribed medications as a personal decision to be governed by the principals found in Romans 14.
Cost of counseling
The counseling itself is a free gift of Christian Family Chapel to our community. We do ask that you pay for the published materials given to you to read between sessions. The total costs of all such materials rarely exceed $50.00. Also, out of respect for our counselors, a $25.00 cancellation deposit is required. The deposit is forfeited if an appointment is canceled on less than 24 hours prior notice. If the counselee graduates from counseling or leaves counseling without a last minute cancellation, the deposit is returned.
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