“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:14
As a church we desire to live out the Great Commission which commands us to make holistic disciples who display the glory of God in all of life. We believe that one must not simply be equipped in how they study the scriptures and proclaim the gospel, but also in how they are cared for and care for others within the local church. Therefore, if we are to truly display the glory of God, we must make disciples who not only know and live out good theology but see counseling as the care component of community. This is where we believe biblical counseling is to play a pivotal role in the life of Center Church.
The Why of Biblical Counseling and its place in the Church
Before we get to the why of Biblical Counseling it is important for us to understand what Biblical Counseling is, how it is different from other forms of counseling, followed by why we believe that it is the care component of community. Biblical Counseling according to John Henderson can be defined, “as a fluid event and process, as part of the Great Commission, when a follower of Jesus Christ in the service of the Holy Spirit provides face-to-face ministry of the Word to others.” To simplify, we believe that biblical counseling is one component of holistic discipleship where Spirit-empowered followers of Jesus, care for one another by applying God’s Word to all matters of life. While other forms of counseling tend to produce methods of self-actualization and self-help, biblical counseling is rooted in God and seeks to exalt Jesus by lovingly calling people to the transformative power of the Word.
The How of Biblical Counseling and its place at Center Church
As a Gospel-Centered Church we seek to make disciples that live out their calling as disciple makers in healthy, holistic ways. This means that we want to be intentional in all aspects of discipleship so that the root of the Gospel produces fruit in the life of every believer. To accomplish this we see the counseling and shepherding at Center Church really happening in 3 main ways: Pastoral Care, Life on Life Care, and when needed through 3rd party professional biblical counseling. Our goal is to be a culture that encourages vulnerability as a community, and leads people through holistic care that is always connected to the life of the church and its leadership. To do this we want to equip every partner with biblical tools so that they might care for one another in better ways.