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Plan for Establishing a
Biblical Counseling Ministry in a Local Church
Plan for Establishing a
Biblical Counseling Ministry in a Local Church
by Dr. John Woodward
Grace Fellowship International
The process can be divided in four phases: Pre-planning, Planning, Training, and Ministry
1. Pre-planning phase
Identify and clarify the leader's understanding of the counseling model.
- The doctrine of sanctification
- The role of psychology
- The biblical model for counseling
How does the counseling ministry express the church's values and mission?
- What is this ministry's purpose?
- What are this ministry's goals?
- What is the vision?
- How will this ministry be managed?
- Appoint a director.
- Complete ministry organization worksheet
- Clarify lines of accountability with the church leadership.
- Write a procedures manual.
- Host an Exchanged Life Conference.
- Recruit and train lay counselors.
- Host an Exchanged Life Workshop.
- Send director to the Solomon School of Spirituotherapy.
- Provide ongoing equipping track for counselors.
- Teach a basic counseling skills training course.
- Assemble the counseling resource library.
- Individual counselor(s) begin accepting appointments.
- Advertise the counseling ministry.
- Supervise the counseling ministry.
- Continue the training process for counselors.
- Provide Christian education for the church and community to reduce personal and family problems.
- Evaluate the counseling ministry semiannually
- Role of Counseling Consultant
PLANNING PHASE
A. Strategic planning steps
How does the counseling ministry express the church's values and mission?
The church's values and mission will include the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) and the Great Commandment (Matt. 20:37-40).
What is the counseling ministry's purpose?
to provide remedial discipleship, support, and guidance for needy people
"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." 1 Thessalonians 5:14
"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Romans 15:14
"...of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." Colossians 1:25-29
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants [employees]to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things." Titus 2:1-10
What are the goals of the counseling ministry?
The goals will include targets for the counselors, counselees, and the local church.
Proverbs 16:9 - We plan, but God directs
Nehemiah 2-4 - Strategic planning is required for a new project
What is the vision of the counseling ministry?
The vision embraces the values, mission, strategy, goals, and objectives. Vision looks to how the ministry could and should develop in the future, factoring in that God will guide and produce the results through us.
Ephesians 3:20 - God can do more than we could ask or imagine
What strategy will be used?
Ephesians. 4:12 - equipping the saints for the work of the ministry
2 Timothy 2:15 - study for ministry
Galatians 6:2 - bear one another's burdens
B. Management steps
How will this ministry be managed?
This involves the practicalities of who will lead, what policies will be used, how the ministry is conducted, etc.
Appointment of a director.
The director can be one of the pastors or a layman who report to one of the staff. The director will be the primary one to work through this planning process, help conduct the training, recruit counselors, and manage the ministry.
Complete ministry organization worksheet.
This worksheet addresses the issues of mutual expectations, roles, responsibilities, lines of accountability, conflict resolution, and the evaluation process. Clarify lines of accountability with the church leadership
Write a procedures manual.
This manual should include the counseling , ministry's purpose and strategy, criteria for recruiting counselors, ethics, record keeping, forms, organization worksheet results (management arrangement), policies, internship and training guidelines etc.
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