HAVE YOU EVER been hurt FROM A SITUATION AT CHURCH?

 If so, you’re not alone.

As a Bishop Overseer and Pastor of several ministries, I’ve heard stories from people who have found church confusing, contrarian, or even damaging. Not every church hurts people, but most churches have hurt someone at some point. Some people are hurt through their own mistakes, others because of sin committed against them, and still others because of failed leadership. This reality can leave them reluctant to re-engage, afraid of being hurt again, wanting to protect themselves, and questioning the place of church in their lives. The good news for the hurting is that God has spoken to your pain in the Bible.

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Most of the writing in the New Testament about how to live in a church exists because the church has never been perfect. Most, if not all, of the letters were written to solve problems in the church

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                              Why Church                 

         will not go away?

          There are several different ways “church hurt” could be understood. As Believers in Christ, we are a people whose faith makes demands of us that are often counter-cultural and cut across what we would naturally want to believe. Sometimes people’s “church hurt” is a quarrel with Jesus.
          However, there’s another side of church hurt that is far uglier to look at and embarrassing to admit exists. In the last few years, the Lord has brought my way many people struggling with significant injuries dealt to them by abusive church leaders and members. Sometimes abusive behavior is restricted to a few individuals; other times, it has become the pervasive culture that dominates the church. For the sake of this writing, I’m further defining “church hurt” to refer to this kind of church hurt—the hurt caused by abusive church leaders, members, and cultures. I am not referring to the still-painful experiences of one-off quarrels or disappointments with other sinners who are part of Christ’s body.

What is Biblical Counseling?

Definition 

Biblical Counseling is the process where the Bible, God’s Word, is related individually to a person or persons who are struggling under the weight of personal sin and/or the difficulties with suffering so that he or she might genuinely change in the inner person to be pleasing to God. 

Three Key Beliefs 

First, we believe that the Bible, given by God, is sufficient for life in that when properly interpreted, it reveals to the believer all the data necessary for one to understand his need for Christ, how he can please the Lord, and how to live in a God-honoring way regardless of the circumstances whether comfortable or oppressive. 

Second, the Bible is also the authoritative source with which all truth claims—including claims made by science and history—must be evaluated. As a result, we reject all counseling theories that use presuppositions, principles, and/or methodologies that are inconsistent with the proper interpretation of the biblical text. 

Third, we believe that genuine heart change is dependent on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thus, our view of counseling practice includes the importance of prayer, dependence on God, a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, and an understanding of ministering to people.