Pastoral Care and Counseling Lead to Growth

I just read some statistics that anyone with a heart for ministry will find disturbing. http://churchrelevance.com/category/research/demographics/ reports the following from a survey:

One out of every 12 full-time workers in the United States admit illegal drug use in the past month according to a new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Among those who admitted using illegal drugs in the past month:

19.0% were ages 18 to 25
10.3% were ages 26 to 34
7.0% were ages 35 to 49
2.6% were ages 50 to 64

Based on these numbers, 1 out of every 5 students that a college ministry wants to reach has a problem with illegal drugs.

The writer says, ...despite the “everything’s okay” appearance that people project on the outside, people often have hidden problems that need God’s help.

Any church that does not have an active and well designed ministry to hurting people it is committing "Spiritual Malpractice". We have had the resources to minister growth and healing for many years but a majority of churches have closed their eyes to the needs of people and their own considerable resources to minister effectively.

I admit it is very frustrating to know so much about training churches to expand their Pastoral Care and Counseling and still see so many people in the pews have their most basic needs ignored. I just read another research paper on the effectiveness of Professional Counselors and it said essentially the same things I have read about since the Sixties.

This journal article focused on Family Therapy but we have known for decades that the "Therapy Brand" is rather meaningless to a good outcome. Counseling has its "Denominational Advocates" just as we Christians but the "Counseling Brand" has little to do with whether counseling works or not.

What makes a Helper effective in meeting the needs of hurting people is available to every church in the land. One does not need a degree in psychology or social work and certainly does not need a seminary education. Medicine is not effective for most people than talk and advanced degrees be dangerous to the client's health.

Let me sum up the key components to the most successful Helpers: Love, kindness, compassion, gentleness, patience and humility. (Researchers call these "The core conditions of a Helping relationship.") They are:

Genuineness (Humility and Self Awareness)
Respect (Belief in the Seeker)
Empathy (Understanding the Seeker)
Warmth (Liking the Seeker)

People can be trained in these skills and any congregation that is not doing so is remiss.

These are essentially what scripture calls, "The fruit of the Holy Spirit" and are essential to a healthy church. Why do solid churches fail to train each and every one of its members in realting to each other with love?

do so few churches.schools and businesses fail to train their people in how to get along by listening with Genuine interest, Respect and Warmth?

Ps I started an organization in 1978 called EMI that is still training churches how to love and grow. Write them at equipmin@equipmin.org or go to http://www.equippingministries.org/
to find out how to equip your people.

Just do it!