Biblical Counseling Ministry
Pastor Tom Doidge is a member in good standing of the International Association of Biblical Counselors.
Facts About Biblical Counseling
1. The biblical counselor is trained in the use of Scripture and the principles of biblical counseling. The biblical counselor is committed to the position that Scripture provides the only authoritative rule for what we are to believe and how we are to live. The biblical counselor does not base counseling on their own opinions, experience, or concepts of behavior, but seeks to marshal the full range of biblical truth into focus on the counselee’s need.
2. The biblical counselor deals with a wide range of problems, including broken marriages, parent-child relationships, fear, anger, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, tension, anxiety, worry and other problems resulting in mental and physical immobility.
3. Biblical counseling is done, usually, in teams. Normally sessions are conducted with a lead counselor and one or two assistant counselors in attendance. You will find them courteous, factual and efficient, confidentiality is respected. A case may be discussed with other counselors or professionals, but only to the degree necessary to find further biblical solutions to the problem. All such consultation is conducted in accord with the highest standards of biblical ethics.
4. Biblical counselors believe in the total health needs of the counselee. Your counselor may recommend that you have a full or specified medical examination. If medical assistance is required, counseling will continue whenever possible.
5. Your counselor will use all their skill in applying biblical principles to help you in whatever problem deprives you of the peace and joy that God has promised to you in His Word. Your counselor will concentrate on three basic foundations from God’s Word:
Hope – because in Jesus Christ we have a great High Priest who has been tempted in all things, yet without sin. Thus, because of Him even though every sin is common to man may be tempting you, God has promised that He will not let you be tempted beyond your endurance, but will provide for you a way of escape from sin so that you can endure it. (1Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:14-16)
Change – because in Christ we can now learn how to lay aside the old selfish ways of living and put on the new ways of living in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 1:10)
Practice – because we need to prove ourselves to be doers of God’s Word, lest we be merely hearers, forgetting and deluding ourselves. Only in effectual practice of the Scriptures shall we be blessed in what we do, and only then will we please the Lord. (James 1:22-25)
6. Normally, counseling sessions will last one to one and one half-hours each week and will continue for eight to ten weeks. If you respond quickly to biblical counsel the number of counseling sessions may be lessened. However, if the counselor does not observe definite change in the first few weeks, he will seek to identify the cause of the failure, discuss it with you and help you correct it.
7. A scheduling supervisor or one of the administrators will arrange your first appointment. Subsequent appointments are to be confirmed with your counselor or counseling team. If you are unable to come to any of the counseling sessions, please notify the counselor of the scheduling administrator at least 24 hours before the session.
8. In order to achieve lasting change it is vital that each person becomes established in a consistent Christian walk. The Lord has provided the local church to help in this process (Hebrews 10:24-25). Therefore, it is important that counseling sessions be accompanied by church activities that encourage discipleship and fellowship. For this reason, the counseling team may contact your church and request assistance. One of your Elders or Deacons may even become part of the counseling team to provide the most effectual help for you. It is your commitment to do what will best bring about the victory you can experience over your problems.
9. You need a notebook and your Bible at all sessions, including the first. Be sure to bring them each time. Come with high expectations! You will find more hope and encouragement even during your first sessions. From then on, with your cooperation, we are confident that you will find the true, good and acceptable answer to the difficulty that prompted you to come to us.
10. Biblical counseling is a ministry of the local church. All counselors are under the supervision of the church leaders. The counseling ministry is neither a business nor a profit oriented activity. Each counselor provides his time and energy to the service of God. Because of the costs involved in providing the counseling ministry, the church does accept offerings from those who have benefited from its services, and those who are committed to the objectives of this ministry.