Guidance For Churches Seeking Outside Help for Counseling

Last week, I laid out four reasons a church should counsel as part of their ministry to their members and as a result, some of you might think that I am implying that a local church should not seek the assistance of “outside” help. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me nuance my strong commitment for the local church to do counseling with the following qualifications.

Don’t Outsource By Default: There is nothing unbiblical about seeking outside assistance. But just because you feel overwhelmed by a counseling opportunity, don’t immediately think you must outsource your care. When a church immediately out-sources counseling it misses the opportunity to grow both individually and as a community.

Gospel lyrics + music that fits the words = tears…

That has always been the formula that works for me. Old standards such as “And Can it Be” and “Man of Sorrows.” A choir on full tilt singing “Ode to Joy.” Contemporary worship songs such as “Be Ye Glad.” Most anything by the Soweto Gospel choir. And most anything sung at my local church. I hear these songs and I am pointed to Christ. I get glimpses of joy, even when life is hard.

Some of these songs I am sure will be sung in heaven.