By equipping your members to counsel one another, you enable them to do the frontline work of ministry. Here are twenty ways to cultivate a culture of counseling and discipleship in your church: Preach the Bible to the church as a whole. In other words, biblical texts should be applied not just to individuals, but to the church as a whole. Help the congregation see what … [Read more...]
How we organize congregational care
We aren’t a model church by any means, but one of the things we’ve worked on a lot over the past five years is how we do congregational care and oversight. Even though we have a lot to learn, I thought a glimpse at how we do things might help other churches. Obviously, I’m not encouraging you to copy everything we do (though feel free). But maybe some of our trellis work can … [Read more...]
Helping people who feel like impostors
Recently we interviewed Jon Noto, community life pastor at Willow Creek North Shore in the Chicago, IL, area. We took the opportunity to ask him about “impostor syndrome.” 1 What is the “impostor syndrome”? The phrase describes the experience of someone who is unable to internalize or accept his or her accomplishments, and there’s a consistent fear of being exposed. … [Read more...]
Helping a perfectionist paralyzed with a fear of failure
I will never measure up.” “I can’t do this. I won’t be successful!” “I sense impending doom; it’s out there, and it’s coming to get me.” You might think this sounds like the thinking of a procrastinator or someone who won’t take a risk. But these are the common thoughts of perfectionists who fear failure. They often don’t speak with confidence, and more than likely … [Read more...]
When teens struggle with their faith
We asked pastoral counselor Brad Hambrick this question: “What counsel would you give to the parents of a teenage daughter who announces, ‘I don’t think I want to be a Christian anymore’?” We thought his response would be especially valuable to youth pastors or youth leaders who might be having this sort of conversation with a teenager. Be sure to listen to her reasons … [Read more...]