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christian counseling today
Vol. 21 no. 2
K
King Solomon understood the power of connection when he wrote, “Two
are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if
either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one
who falls when there is not another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
The term, “On Belay,” is commonly used among climbers and signifies
that a person is now securely tied into a safety system and can, therefore,
proceed with the task of ascending the mountain before them. Crises often
feel just like that mountain—looming as a formidable object—even though
most dissipate within six to eight weeks. The question that often deter-
mines the outcome has more to do with
how
the crisis is managed. Lay
caregivers provide the
lifeline
that assists others in overcoming the obstacles
before them. The goal is to draw people closer to God in genuine rela-
tionship and provide support, encouragement, spiritual care and referral
services on a short-term basis during times of significant need.
Countless people today are hurting and the Body of Christ is not
exempt from the stress and pressures of life, especially when we are
surrounded, and often consumed, by such a fast-paced, push-button,
instant-everything world. Sunday morning pews have their fair share of
pain, with too many suffering needlessly in silence and personal torment.
The Apostle Paul said, “… if one member suffers, all the members suffer
with it…” (1 Corinthians 12:26a). As such, pastors frequently wonder
if they should develop and offer direct counseling-related services and
S i ang- Yang Tan and Er i c Scal i se
ministries or whether these are more the purview
of formally trained Christian professionals. The
answer may not be an “either/or,” but a “both/
and” response. The continuum of care can
include self-help and other small group environ-
ments, lay helping ministries, therapy with a
licensed mental health clinician, medical/medi-
cation management, acute psychiatric treatment
in a hospital setting and long-term residential
programs.
The Church often is—and should rightly
be—a first line of defense whenever a believer
is in crisis or experiencing profound broken-
ness, grief and loss. We are called to love one
another (John 13:34-35) and bear each other’s
burdens (Galatians 6:2). The research shows
that most people of faith want to initially meet
with their pastor, priest or rabbi in such times.
Mental health practitioners typically see clients
once a week for an hour, perhaps once every two
weeks. There are 168 hours in a week, and when
a person’s life has been unexpectedly shaken and
turned upside down, he or she will undoubt-
edly need multiple support systems in place to
On
Belay
the role of theChurch
in lay helping ministry