Objectives

​

1. Create an Awareness

2. Reinforce the Need

3. Define the Scope

4. Introduce to the Basics

5. Prepare to do the Work

6. Enlarge your vision of Ministry

7. Empower and Equip Others

 

Introduction

 

Pastoral care is an intentional ministry carried out with sacrificial love and caring concern in the daily encounters, crises, struggles, pains, sorrows, sufferings, mysteries, and decisions of God’s people. It is working together with God in the lives of people. The care of souls leads to the cure of souls. More personal and individual care of believers is of utmost significance in pastoral calling and responsibility. There is pastoral ministry outside the public/pulpit ministrations and pastoral counseling should always be in the high priority list.

​

Six Integrant Components to the Issue of Curing Souls

​

1. Pastoral Intimacy (developing a caring relationship)

2. Pastoral tutelage (providing personal Biblical instruction)

3. Pastoral guidance (offering objective biblical direction)

4. Pastoral consolation (giving spiritual comfort)

5. Pastoral guardianship (watching out and protecting)

6. Pastoral intercession (praying with believers)

​

Reflection

​

• Your awareness of these elements.

• Your intentionality in implementing them.

• Your personal spiritual maturity in practicing them.

• Your conviction and commitment to these truths.

• Your involvement in promoting these ideas.

 

Discussion

​

1. The need to create more awareness of these components among elders/pastors.

2. The dangers and losses to the churches because of a deficient view of these truths.

3. Do you find only practical problems in relation to pastoral ministry in your church, or is it also related to doctrinal issues also?

4. Your recommendations for resolving these deficiencies.

 

“Competent to Counsel” Concept

​

1. A Revolutionary Approach to counseling developed by Jay Adams (Competent to Counsel, Zondervan, 1970).

​

2. Biblical Basis – Rom.15:14: “As far as I am concerned about you, my brothers, I am convinced that you especially are abounding in the highest goodness, richly supplied with perfect knowledge and competent to counsel one another” (Williams).

​

3. The Basic Presupposition – Counseling is the work of the Spirit. Holy Spirit is the source of all genuine transformational personality changes. Holy Spirit works through means. His work is sovereign.

​

4. Theological Basis – the doctrine of sanctification (especially the progressive aspect of sanctification). A “Divine knowledge” approach.

​

5. Christian Ministry – “Cure of souls” is an essential part of “poimenics” (the shepherding work). Counseling is ministerial.

​

6. Emphasis on Positive Change – “Dehabituation” and “Rehabituation” (“Putting off” and “Putting on,” Eph.4:22-24; Col.3:8-10).

​

A Definition of Christian Counseling

 

1. Counsel is advice given as a result of consultation. “Counseling is the process by which one Christian restores another to a place of usefulness to Christ in His Church.”

​

2. My own definition: Counseling is an integral part of Christian ministry that deals with the cure of souls in a personal context, resulting in change and restoration in the mental-emotional-spiritual-behavioral areas of life.

​

Words Related to “Counseling” in the Bible

​

1. Admonition:   Nouthesia and Noutheteo  (Colo.3:16; Rom.15:14; 1 Cor.10:11; 1 Thess.5:12; 2 Thess.3:15; Titus 3:10). “Teaching,” “training,” “warning,” “instructing,” and “reproving.” The motive behind admonition is not punitive, but restorative and correctional.

​

2. Encouragement:  Paramytheomai (Jn.11:19, 31; 1 Thess.2:11; 5:14) and Parakaleo (Acts 11:23; 14:22; 15:32). “Encouraging,” comforting,” “consoling,” “challenging,” and “urging.”

​

3. Help: Antecho conveys the sense of “clinging to,” “taking an interest,” or “”paying attention to” (1 Thess.5:14).

 

The words also describe some of the various functions of Christian Counseling. While the Bible does not define the word “counsel” () in the contemporary terms, we do find the functions of counseling described in several passages.

 

Love is the Goal (1 Tim.1:5)

​

Parangelia is  instruction given authoritatively.

​

• Pure in heart

• To have peaceful conscience

• To trust God sincerely (Growth and maturity).

​

The Four-fold Use of Scripture (2 Tim.3:15-17)

​

1. Teach (Set the norms for faith and life)

2. Reprove (Rebuke to bring conviction)

3. Correct (Restore, “set up straight again’)

4. Discipline (Structured training towards maturity).

 

Six Basic Elements of Biblical Counseling

​

1. Change (transformational)

2. Confrontation (in a positive sense)

3. Concern (caring love)

 

(Change through confrontation out of concern)

​

4. Remedial counseling; not preventive.

5. Directive counseling; not non-directive.

6. Relational (based on trust, confidence and pastoral relationship)

​

The Need & Importance of Confidentiality

 

The counselor should be committed to keeping information confidential except when the welfare of the counselee or some other persons is at stake. At such times the counselee should be encouraged to share information directly with persons involved.

​

Discussion 

​

1. The problem of confidentiality in Indian culture – a real hindrance to counseling ministry in Churches.

2. Lack of trained pastors in counseling ministries.

3. Counseling: A neglected area of pastoral care.

​

Initial & Basic Steps

​

1. Gathering data & basic information (PDI: Personal data Inventory)

2. Comfort level and relational aspect

3. Willingness and confidence

4. Identifying the problem – basic, secondary and derivative, specific, multiple.

5. Persons involved

6. Methodology

7. Investigation

8. Need to enlist help, referral

9. Optimistic – hope and assurance

10. Sustained interest, commitment and action including follow up and homework.

 

Basic Questions

​

1. What is your problem?

2. What have you done about it?

3. Are you genuinely (sincerely, honestly) seeking help?

4. What can I do for you, or what do you expect?

5. Describe yourself and your situation?

6. Do you fear anything in particular?

7. Is there any other information I should know to help you?

​

Always Remember:

 

Chronic or medical problems encountered in the process of counseling need to be handled differently. In such situations multiple helpers may be necessary. But do not abandon the counselee to a therapist or doctor. You must retain your pastoral leadership and caring concern and continue to help. Encourage drastic measures of treatment (e.g. continual use of strong medications, medications for mood alteration) with considerable consultation and prayerfulness.

​

Two Case Studies

​

1. Nathan and David (2 Samuel 12)

2. Christ and Peter (John 21)

 

Lessons from the Counseling of Jesus

​

1. Nicodemus (John 3)

2. The Woman Taken in Adultery (John 8)

3. The Samaritan Woman (John 4)

4. The Disciples: Who is the Greatest (Mark 9:33-37).

 

Group Discussion

​

1. What are the three categories of people mentioned in 1 Thess.5:14?

2. What is the general approach we should take in dealing with each of them?

3. How does this verse help you to evaluate your counselee?

4. Identify some very common areas of counseling needs in your ministry? Give some specific examples of problems people experience? Have you attempted to counsel them? Share your experience – struggles, challenges, hindrances, inadequacies, limitations, and victories.

5. In the light of the answer to Q.4 what are the action plan for the future?

 

For Further Study:

​

1. Introduction to Biblical Counseling by John MacArthur & Wayne Mack (Word Publishing, 1994).

2. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams (Zondervan, 1970).

3. The Christian Counselor’s Manual (Zondervan, 1973).

4. Effective Biblical Counseling by Larry Crabb (Zondervan, 1977).