Pastoral Care

PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING

This Ministry department is one of the major Ministry departments of the E.E.Church in Toronto. It was established, two years after the reunification of the three Churches in 2002, when we three pastors got ordained to serve the Lord, Jesus Christ, and His Church.

Counseling in the secular setting is the use of various techniques to help a person solve a conflict or better his life adjustment. However, Biblical Counseling is part of Spiritual support to our Members, and others who seek our help.

Counseling

There are some basic reasons why counseling is so important. One is that it focuses on the needs of individuals. Yes, Pulpit preaching is indeed a blessing, but it may not always meet One’s specific needs

The importance and significance of Counseling is to address human needs; such as loneliness, discouragement, doubt, grief, sadness, envy, violence, poverty, sickness, interpersonal tensions, and variety of other personal problems. The other reason for the need of counseling includes, escalating Family crisis. This is the most exhibited problem in the lives of many immigrant families, who came from a lot of traumatic situations, due to hardship and abuses, they all faced.

Most Pastors realize the importance of the Pulpit ministry but some have not fully considered the significance of counseling ministry. It has been said that a minister who doesn’t place a strong emphasis on counseling is only “ half a minister.” That is why the board of Elders (Pastors and Elders of E.E.C.), being led by the Holy Spirit made a curtail decision to have a counseling department for our Church.

Goals of Biblical Counseling:

1. To provide Abundant Life, in all its fullness to individuals, through having Belief in Jesus Christ, here on Earth.

2. To provide eternal hope, through pointing individuals to the Eternal Life in Heaven. (Jn.3:16).

3. To minister healing or therapy using the principles of the Word of God.

4. Change is the main Goal in all Biblical Counseling

·         Everyone of us know and agree that change in life is not easy and at times very difficult. Stopping any habits such as smoking, overcoming Anger, controlling temper, losing weight and starting new habits are not easy.

·         Eliminating the problem can not be the goal of counseling. Helping the person to personal happiness either is not the goal of counseling.

·         Most Christians are either unwilling or do not know how to make thechange that God requires of them.

5. Changing the past is not the goal either.

·         We need to forget the past, and not even attempt to change it (Philip. 3:13-14).

·         It is the counselee who needs to be changed, and not his/her past. However, the counselor can only deal with the past guilt that is involved in the past.

·         The counselee can be assured a better future by making behaviour and personality change in the present

·         The counsellor must call for repentance, a change of mind that leads to a change of life. True change in life follows true repentance that the Holy Spirit always brings to that life. (2cor.7:10)

6. To be changed to the likeness of Jesus Christ is the Final goal.

We don’t see change that sticks because of the repetition of sin one’s life that becomes habitual. The repetitive, habitual pattern of sin, needs genuine repentance, confession and forgiveness. Then we can say one is justified and through sanctification will continuously grow to the likeness of Jesus Christ.