Bringing Counseling Back into the Church
Bringing Counseling Back into the Church from mhcwestseattle on Vimeo.
When you think of counseling, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most people think of professional counselors, therapists, clinicians, and psychiatrists—not the church. We believe counseling is really the care of one’s soul through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, it is the Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20). We believe that the gospel brings change, real transformation and healing from all types of sin, both the sins we commit and sins committed against us, including but not limited to, addictions, disorders and abuse. These ultimately can be described as distorted worship. We also believe that the qualification to counsel these sin issues comes from God through the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ. All of us have the ability (anointing) to give life-changing biblical counsel.
A few hundred years ago, the church started to give the care of souls over to the scientific movement. In the scientific movement there was a growing knowledge of the brain and brain chemistry. Those in the field of science believed if they could scientifically determine human problems by understanding the brain, they could have a concrete solution to help people behave better. So far, all they have is a great understanding of chemical imbalances, but the only answer to an imbalance is management of the symptoms. Their approach was, “How do we better manage your life through, what appears to be, a defect?” In reality, all of our behavioral and emotional problems stem from a spiritual condition, meaning they are problems in the heart, not a brain. We believe that Scripture is enough to explain our dilemma. We are not bound by scientific reasoning. I am not saying that God may or may not right our chemical imbalance; I am saying that God shows us how to worship in the midst of it. Jesus tells us in Scripture that sin starts in the heart—if we did not behave our way into sin, how can we behave our way out? We worshiped our way into sin, we have to worship our way out.
We, at Mars Hill Church-West Seattle, believe that our community groups are equipped to counsel because we do not have to navigate through the complexities of the science of the brain. We believe through the anointing of the Holy Spirit from God by Jesus Christ that you have the ability (anointing) to give biblical counsel that has the power to change lives.
Pastor James is a Biblical Living Pastor at Mars Hill Church West Seattle. He currently oversees counseling for the campus, and is responsible for equipping and training volunteer biblical counselors and leaders at all levels.
If you are hurting and would like to speak with a counselor, please email westseattlecare@marshillchurch.org
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This was the second post in the series Bringing Counseling Back Into The Church
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