NAME: PETRONELLA KABULO

LECTURERS NAME: REV.C LUPIYA

COURSE: CHRISTIAN COUSELING

DUE DATE 30TH JUNE 2023

QUESION 1

Counselling needs in the church and highlighting advantages and

disadvantaged faced within counselling process

INTRODUCTION

Christian counsellors encourages Christ to apply the guiding principles of truth of God’s
hand.. Christian counsellors will help you practice and achieve desired changes in your life
against the backdrop of biblical truth.

Christian counselling has a higher goal while many other counsellors help their clients in
pursuit of happiness. Christian counsellors will help client in the pursuit of God and a
meaningful and purposeful life. God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace and forgiveness are
free both in our lives and also extending them to others.

What does it mean for a church to have a “counselling ministry”? It is one thing to say “we
all do counselling every day when we hear each other’s struggles and seek to offer comfort or
guidance from the Bible” and another thing to say “our church has a counselling ministry and
we would be happy to help you schedule an appointment with a member of our counselling
team.” Most churches and pastors can intuitively sense a difference in these two statements,
but have a hard time articulating the difference… and an even harder time understanding the
implications. This is a primary reason why churches most often avoid doing anything that is
called “counselling.”

A significant transition does occur when we move from one-another ministry to formal
Counselling. One another ministry happens organic, helping conversations emerging from a
naturally-paired relationship.

• People get to know one another because they are in the same small group, serve on
the same ministry team, or have kids the same age.
• Conversation begins with the day-to-day events of life and moves towards confiding
the Struggles of life.
• Trust is established on the basis of shared-life and respect for how each other
approaches life.

Formal counselling, by contrast, occurs as a result of an “artificial pairing.” A struggle in life

causes an individual to seek out a helper with particular qualifications. Key markers for a
church to be aware of (both for liability and good member-care reasons) about this change
are:

• A request for counselling is made by the helpee.

• The church assigns or recommends a helper who would not otherwise be a part of the
helpees life.
• The helpee comes to the helper with the expectation that counsel will be provided on
the Basis of helper’s training, role, or experience. When a church facilitates a
counselling-related artificial pairing it has a responsibility to both the helper and the
helpee. To the helper (those they enlist as volunteer lay counsellors or those they
refer to for professional counselling) the church should ensure:

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 1. There is a reasonable opportunity for success on the part of the helper and
2. That the helpee comes with accurate expectations of type of help being provided.

A church should know the scope of care possible by a given ministry or individual and only
refer individuals to that ministry who are a good-fit for what that ministry provides. To the
helpee the church should provide clear information about:

1. The type of care a given ministry or counsellor provides;

2. The level of training a counsellor or ministry leader has completed;
3. The type of curriculum or activity that will be involved in the counselling process;
and
4. An estimate of the duration of the helping relationship.

When these ministries are provided through the church, this requires clear information on a

Church’s website, a well-informed receptionist who fields call about counselling inquiries,
and

Quality intake forms. The question could be raised, “If one-another ministry is counselling,
then why treat formal counselling more stringently?” A parallel with missions is helpful.
Every Christian should live mission ally by seeking opportunities to share the gospel and
advance the cause of Christ. However, almost every church or missions agency screens
formal missionary candidates to make sure they are a good fit and properly equipped before
sending them to do mid-term or career mission work. In this sense, the words of Stephen Neil
about missions would be applicable to counselling,

“When everything is mission, nothing is mission.” Passing out communion or being a

positive influence in a community sports league is different from taking the gospel to an
unreached people group. Similarly, when everything is counselling, nothing is counselling;
the word “counselling” loses any meaning as an activity distinct from “doing life together.”
The immensely beneficial interaction of a small group to provide an experience of safe
relationships is different from someone understanding how to guide another through the
traumatic effects of childhood sexual abuse. A friend listening to the chaos of a marital
argument is different from guiding a couple through a decision about separation during an
ongoing affair when children are “taking sides” in order not to lose contact with the less

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involved parent. But that does not in any way downplay that essential nature of one another
ministry.

The sexual Abuse survivor needs a small group in which to experience healthy relationships
while learning How to cultivate them. The couple recovering from adultery needs friends to
call when they’re discouraged, tempted, or confused. However, without the training and
formality of higher levels of competence, these situations could overwhelm the small group
and friends to the point that the one-another ministers withdraw. When counselling does
involve an artificial pairing, the counsellor should seek to return or Involve care from natural
pairings as early as possible.

2. The advantages, disadvantages and challenges faced within counselling

process.

1. A counselling ministry will not “do everything” so you will still make referrals and
say
“no” to some requests.
The pastoral leadership must be willing to support these referrals and “no’s.” Otherwise, the
struggles a given individual faces will be forced into the categories or techniques of training
the counsellor has received (resulting in less effective care) and/or the church will incur
liability for promising a type of care it is not equipped to provide. This first point can also
create a sense of partiality helping some people directly and not others which can result in
hurt feelings within a congregation.
Advantage: If administrated and networked well with other resources in the community, a
Counselling ministry can serve as a connection point for those in need of care to ensure that
those who seek help through the church are connected with the best-fit, available resource. 2.
A counseling ministry becomes a lightning rod for hard cases and interpersonal

conflicts.

Often those challenges that are not resolved in one’s natural relationships either have a level
of

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Complexity or non-compliance by key participants which prevent the ideal outcome. When a
Church has a counselling ministry the leadership can be drawn into more of these cases than
they would be otherwise. The church’s authority (by way of membership and fellowship) can
be sought as a leveraging point to coerce these changes for matters which do not necessarily
warrant church discipline.
Advantage: These situations already exist. Having a counselling ministry does not create
them.
With a counselling ministry the church has more opportunity to guide its members through
the Process of determining who bears the personal responsibility for the changes necessary in
difficult situations.
3. A counselling ministry will be misrepresented and caricatured by those who dislike
the Counsel they receive.
No counselling ministry bats 1.000 (for non-baseball readers that means no counselling
ministry helps everyone it sees). Those who do not benefit from counselling are prone to
blame the counsellor; sometimes rightly, but other times by presenting the counsel they
received in a Reductionist way or by minimizing the context to which the counsel was given.
Due to the Constraints of confidentiality, the counsellor and church are severely limited in
their ability to Defend themselves against these claims.
Advantage: With time, wise counsel is validated. If the church’s counsel was good, then
those Who hear the misrepresentation will have opportunity to see this. However, this can
also be a time of refining for a counsellor or a church’s leadership. If the perceived
“misrepresentation” Proves accurate, then the counsellor or church will have gained an
opportunity to identify a gap in their approach to pastoral care and counselling.
4. A counselling ministry will attract situations where liability is at the forefront of
decision making.
Mandated reporting cases are not the only liability cases a church will face, but they are some
of the most significant (because they involve the lives of children) and represent well many of
the tensions that lead to other liabilities. So they will be the representative example used here.
When mandated reporting cases are in play, a church can feel like Matthew 18 (internal
church Discipline process) is in conflict with Romans 13 (honouring the requirements of the
state).
Also, church members may be tempted to refer mandated reporting cases to the church’s
counselling ministry as a way to get around the uncomfortable step of reporting to the

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appropriate legal authority. This can result in a liability for the church member who did not
fulfil their responsibility to report.
Advantage: Having a counselling ministry forces a church to think through issues of liability
and mandated reporting prior to a crisis event. This learning process allows church leaders to
Understand and navigate these incidences much better when they arise in the life of a church
(and they will).
5. A counselling ministry will attract situations where your elders may not be the
experts. Decisions regarding the usage of psychotropic medications, the process of
restoring a marriage after instances of domestic violence, or when in the process of
overcoming a severe addiction it is wise to expect someone to begin engaging more with
their child who is failing out of school. These are just a few examples of situations that are
regular occurrences in counselling but likely not areas that most elders would speak to with
confidence.
Advantage: This is a healthy recognition for church leaders, or any other type of leader.
Being a student of life can make one a much better teacher-leader. Navigating these difficult
situations Can be an excellent way of bringing refinement and tender-humble tones to how
difficult subjects are addressed in a church’s preaching-teaching.
6. A counselling ministry will attract situations on which your church does not have an
“Official position.”
Is there a biblical “statute of limitations” on when a spouse can opt for divorce after
infidelity? what areas of leadership or volunteering are biblically-viable for someone who
comes to faith after transgender surgery, or can a church “require” someone to pursue
counselling if it’s needed but not wanted? The fundamental instinct of a church to lead from
its official positions becomes more difficult to maintain the deeper a church delves into the
brokenness of human experience.
Advantage: New skills of care and influence are developed when our confidence about the
“right answer” or “proper application of the right answer” is in doubt. These skills are still
applicable when the right answer is clear and can make our ministering of these
answerapplications more effective.
7. Counselling does not have a population group like other ministry areas
(communications challenges).
Most ministry areas have a “population” – children, youth, young professionals, etc… People
know whether they belong to the group based upon demographic information and are not

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offended by the designation. The church can create communication databases based upon
these Distinctions that prevent communication clutter within the church. These groups
typically have gatherings which allow for dissemination of group-specific information.
However a counselling ministry is largely devoid of these advantages.
Advantage: Your church will be challenged to think creatively about communication. The
larger the church is and the more there is to communicate to the church as whole, the more
“creative” and refined your communication systems will need to be in order to effectively
maintain awareness of the counselling ministry.
8. Having a counselling ministry will attract “new ministries” you may not want to
be a part of your church.
Everyone is extremely excited about whatever has helped them. There are many counselling
Related curriculums or ministries which may not fit with the doctrine or structures of your
church. Navigating a conversation where you decline to offer a ministry that was “so helpful”
to them can be difficult. Having a counselling ministry will increase the number of these
conversations.
Advantage: You will become aware of many good ministry initiatives you did not know
existed. You will become aware of subject areas that your members feel are under-served in
the church. Your sense of “status quo” will be regularly challenged by practical solutions,
even if some of them do not fit the doctrine of your church.
9. A counselling ministry will create confusion for what pastors do as counsellors.
This happens whenever you create a formal ministry for anything. “If there is a [blank]
ministry, does that mean the other pastors don’t do [blank] anymore? Is the [blank] ministry
where we’re supposed to direct anyone with who [meets blank criteria]?” Put “youth” in the
blanks above. Church life is too organic to be as segmented as the job titles of its leaders.
This can be particularly unhelpful for a ministry area that can be as stigmatizing as
counselling. Advantage: This can force a church to consider how ministry leaders (staff or
lay) and ministry Programs catalyse ministry in their area instead of doing all the ministry
under that heading.
Because the distinctions between formal and informal ministry in counselling are more
defined Than other areas of ministry, it can be a fruitful area to begin thinking through these
distinctions.
10. A counselling ministry in a small to mid-sized church can change the personality
of your church.

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If counselling or recovery ministry is more authentic than a church’s small groups, then a
Competition over who is “really doing church” can emerge. 10 people in a 100 member
church Create more culture change than the same number in a 1,000 member church. The
more niche oriented a counselling ministry is (i.e., addiction, divorce, grief, etc…) the more
commonality There will be in the people it attracts (i.e., age, key elements of life story,
persistent life challenges, etc…).
Advantage: “Authenticity” should be a part of body-life in a church. To the degree that a
Counselling ministry challenges a lack of authenticity in a church serves the discipleship
process well. As long as niche ministries do not hamper a sense that “this church exists to
reach our entire community,” the de-stigmatizing message they bring that the “gospel is for
everyone and God wants to begin a relationship with you where you are” is beneficial.

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QUETION 2

Counselling without scripture can only be counselling without the Holy Spirit. Discuss the
importance of the Holy Spirit in Christian counselling.

INTRODUCTION
We can and should live our lives full of the Holy Spirit. Our work should be His work and
our efforts to help people with the various problems of life should be anointed and guided by
the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in us.
He is our Teacher, and if He does not teach us, we will not understand the things of God. He
is our Illuminator, and without His light we will never see. He is the Healer of our deaf ears,
and without His touch we will never hear. He is our comfort and strength. We, as counsellors,
must be still before Him, prostrate in His presence, and worship Him inwardly.
The Holy Spirit is among us to do His work in and through us. We must not resist His help,
disobey His commands, quench His moving, or compromise our passions. He is our Teacher
and Guide.
When we as Christian counsellors sit before people as role models and helpers, we must be in
tune with the Holy Spirit and pure in our hearts before God.
In this session, we will look at a Biblical role model for counsellors, a guide to personal and
spiritual growth, and the relationship between psychology and theology from a Pentecostal
perspective.

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According to the dictionary. Org. UK. Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a
training therapist listening to someone and helping them find way to deal with emotions. It is
talking therapies that allows people to discuss their problems and any difficult feelings they
encounter in life.
According to Coltharp Brian 2012. P16. “People do not care how much you know until they
know how much you care”.
Gary R. Collins 2007.P 5 Says Jesus who is the Christian’s example, spent many hours
talking to needy people in groups and in face-to-face contact. The postal Paul, who was very
sensitive to the needs of hurting individuals, wrote that we who are strong must bear the
weaknesses and help carry the burdens of those who are weaker. Paul probably was writing
about those who had doubts, fear, and sinful lifestyles , but his compassionate concern
extended to many of the problems that counselors encounter today. It is a responsibility for
every believer, including church leaders to help in the work of counseling.
Lawrence J. Crabb Jr quotes Larry Crabb 2013. P14 effective counseling requires both a
caring relationship and an understanding of human functioning. Churches need to find mature
believers who are filled with the love of Christ and train them in counseling insight and skills.

I. A MODEL FOR COUNSELORS

Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit, our helper, our "paraclete," would abide with us to
help us in a variety of ways. It is God's will that we as Christian counsellors be effective in
bringing people to God and to life-styles of victory and power.
We must never be concerned only with the happiness, adjustment or success of those with
whom we counsel. We fail as counsellors if we do not somehow make people aware of their
need for Christ and aware of what God can do in their lives. Jesus Christ is still the answer
through the work of the Holy Spirit, can bring fulfilment to our confused and broken lives.
"But I tell you the truth; it is good for you that I am going away. Unless I go away, the
Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7, NIV).
The most wonderful gift Jesus could have given His disciples was the Holy Spirit. The love
of God is expressed not only by the incarnation and sacrificial death of Christ, but also by the
sending of the Holy Spirit. Just as Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke

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19:10), so the Holy Spirit has been given to help us in our infirmities (Romans 8:26). The
counsellor is called upon to be a special kind of missionary, reaching out to those who hurt.
The Holy Spirit is gentle. He is love in action, reaching out, drawing men and women to
Christ. God the Spirit ministers by gentle persuasion, not compulsion (John 16:8-11). He is
grieved by people's persistent resistance to His tender call. Thus, the Holy Spirit is the
Christian counsellor’s model.
We can be effective only as we are not coercive, accepting, and empathetic. We cannot force
ministry on an unwilling individual; indeed, one must be supportive and helpful, not ruthless
and domineering. The Holy Spirit will not force Himself on anyone.
Counsellors should continually seek to model their lives after the Holy Spirit. Because He is
personal, we should expect it necessary to seek His counsel and blessing in the fulfilment of
the counselling ministry, expecting the dynamic involvement of the Holy Spirit as we depend
upon Him.
Counsellors do well to acknowledge that training in psychological theory and clinical
techniques offers no guarantee of adequate strength or wisdom to give help to the individuals.
The counsellor should be a catalyst in the healing process, pointing the
Individuals to God who alone has the power to deal with all our problems.
A. A Model of Wholeness
God intends that we be fully alive and whole in Christ. The love of God and the fruit of the
Spirit must be manifested in the counsellor’s life.
B. A Model of Prayer
Counsellors face many baffling circumstances and problems in working with people. Our
resources and our skills are challenged along with our faith at times. We rest assured in the
power of God to answer prayer.
Paul's admonition is a model for every counsellor, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God"
(Philippians 4:6, NIV). Keeping the channel open to Heaven is an important part of effective
counselling.
Jesus placed a high priority on prayer. We need to model lives of prayer as spirit-baptized
believers who know that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us according
to the will of God.

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Baptism in the Holy Spirit opens the door to a new level of prayer. Praying in tongues,
energized and enabled by the Spirit allows us to intercede and worship on a new level.
The entire counselling enterprise should be bathed in prayer.
C. A Model of Power
"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and ... He went around
doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with
Him" (Acts 10:38). With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we can expect to do great things
for God. His power is available to us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christian
counsellors can believe God and see miracles of recovery, change, healing, restoration and
growth like the secular world could only dream about.
Christian counsellors, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are moving forcefully against the
forces of darkness in this world. We are seeing the hand of God move, lives changed, and
many miracles taking place.
2. PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
The existentialist talks as though the problems of earth will be solved, but live as though there
is no tomorrow, no eternity. Instead, we should live for eternity and not worry about
tomorrow.
With no future, there is no hope. With no hope, there is no reason to change. A belief in
eternity does not result in a lack of Responsible motivation. What it does is that it frees us to
consider our alternatives and to make wise choices.

3. PERSONALITIES PERMEATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit can influence the mind and change the will of any who allow His
intervention. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that produces such positive character traits as
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit is capable of working in individuals to accomplish
everything that could be desired by a counsellor who has genuine concern for the growth and
maturity of those who come to him with problems.
It is impossible for the Christian counsellor to separate psychology and theology as they
relate to the counselling process. The truths of who people are and what they are like is a part

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of God's Word and God's plan. The object of counselling is helping a human being created in
God's image; wholeness is achieved only when life is lived in a manner pleasing to God.
Jesus Christ is a superb example of a whole, complete, actualized life. Jesus possessed a
capacity for spontaneity,
There is the proper blend and understanding of growth, self-actualization and self-realization
in Christian counselling. Psychology and theology blend and can be integrated. Assumption
and conflicting ideas taught in secular, Godless fashion must be rejected. The result can be a
powerful, life-changing, Spirit anointed approach to working with and understanding people.
The essence of psychotherapy and counselling is growth; growth, which eventually leads to
maturity and an ability to fulfil one's individual and interpersonal needs. Therefore, the goal
is wholeness.
Emotional honesty and self-trust that awed and inspired the people He met. He was flexible
and authentic in expressing Himself.
Psychology and theology both agree that not coming to grips with basic anxiety and fear
blocks growth and fragments relationships. Counsellors have a unique opportunity to inspire
the broken-hearted, impart courage to the hopeless, and give direction to those who feel lost
in life.
God desires for each person to realize his/her greatest potential. Understanding ourselves and
others is a prerequisite for reaching our God-given potential.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul instructs the believers in how to minister to the needs of people
who are different. Paul wrote, "And we urge you, brother, warn those who are idle, encourage
the timid, help the weak, be patient with everybody." The Holy Spirit wants to permeate our
personalities and make us effective in dealing with people, in spite of our different needs and
desires. We must urge, warn, encourage, help and be patient with people as we are used of the
Holy Spirit in counselling.

CONCLUSION
Without Christ in our lives, we can only depend on our sheer will power to change our
weaknesses and overcome our fears and hurts. But in Christ and with a Spirit-filled life, we
can experience the divine power of the Spirit transforming us and enabling us to increase in
maturity, wholeness, holiness and the fruit of the Spirit.

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The Holy Spirit can and will be an active part of our counselling ministry if we truly make
Him our partner and helper.
The counsellor must maintain spiritual disciplines and keep under the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. With His help, we can understand ourselves and others. We can be used of the Spirit to
guide individuals into a dynamic, transforming relationship with Christ through the power of
the Holy Spirit.
The Pentecostal fire of the Spirit will change us and keep us from being carnal, conceited,
depressed, or defeated. We can walk humbly before God and be used mightily of the Spirit in
many ways, including in counselling.

Reference

Org. UK. Dictionary

Coltharp Brian 2012 Pastoral Counseling watch and learn

Gary R. Collins 2007 Christian counseling

Taxes USA.

Lawrence J. Crabb Jr 2013 effective Biblical Counseling

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Zondervan, Grand Rapid
Michigan.