Caring for the Caregivers

Why one church sees counseling as an essential part of ministry

The Counseling Center at Christ Community Church is leveraging its expertise in counseling to care for the lost, the broken, and the hurting. It also serves as a resource for the church’s pastors and staff. Casey Cramer is pastor of connection and care at the Franklin, Tennessee, church. He explained, “counseling allows us to care for and be in relationship with members of our church, but it’s also a way for us to share the grace and mercy of Christ with others living in our community who might not necessarily want to come to church.”

Counseling and the Church

Caring for those wading through deep spiritual and emotional needs can be draining for a pastor. “Church is not a place where people have their act together; it’s a hospital for sinners,” explained Cramer. Learning how to best care for people in all the areas of brokenness in their lives can help pastors understand their limits. “My role is to give pastoral care, but there are times when I need to pass the care to someone who is professionally trained in mental health counseling,” said Cramer.

Having an established relationship with local counseling resources can benefit both leaders and congregants. There is a perspective that counseling is something you get only when you’re broken. Instead, pastors can use counseling to develop good techniques for dealing with things like trauma, relational confrontation, or peacemaking. Counselors can help pastors understand the difference between a ministry opportunity or something that might be beyond the scope and training of a minister. “I see counseling as an essential aspect of ministry. We need to be cared for because hurting people hurt people. If I’m not in a healthy place, it will affect the way I’m ministering to people,” said Cramer.

When developing a relationship with a local counseling resource, Dr. Bruce McCurdy, director of the Counseling Center, advises that it’s important that they mesh with the ministry vision of your church to provide guidance, advice, and specific services when necessary. Take some time to get to know the counselor and their staff to determine if they’re a good fit. “You can find out about how they understand church discipline, marriage, and other church issues,” said Dr. McCurdy. These are great conversations to have up front, and they can help you determine how effective your church is at pulling people toward healing.

“Pastors will get completely burned out if they don’t have a way to refer people to specialized counseling. People don’t mean to hurt others, but when they’re struggling through complex issues that may include mental illness, and there isn’t an avenue for the person to get help, it can destroy the unity of the body,” said Dr. McCurdy.

Sharing the Love of Christ

For Christ Community Church, counseling is a practical way to reach people and to show care. It’s a way for the church to be a fragrant aroma to those around them who might not have a relationship with Jesus. Cramer remarked, “we want to help people who might say: ‘I don’t know your Jesus, but the way I’ve been cared for by your counseling center makes me want to learn more about Him.’ What a wonderful way for us to testify about His love for others.”

Posted November 19, 2019