BIBLICAL SOUL CARE

Nate de Koning Teaching the Equipped to Counsel Class in 2017

Ministry Leader: Nate de Koning

It is a cultural philosophy of care that potentially affects every part of a healthy, growing church.

We would most simply define Biblical Soul Care (BSC) as speaking the truth in love in your circle of influence. It is unique to the local church as it is anchored in the Word of God, dependent on the Spirit of God, and practiced in the community of believers.

IT’S MORE THAN A MODEL OF BIBLICAL COUNSELING

Biblical Soul Care is more than a model of biblical counseling. It is intentional and intensive discipleship and deep, authentic fellowship. It is something we all should do at the level we are equipped. It is not a new idea. It is living out the one another commands in the Scriptures. It has been practiced since the early church (Acts 2). It can be found in the Puritan community of the 16th and 17th century. It is our mission to restore soul care to the church.

CONTEXT: IN COMMUNITY

While all good biblical counseling content is the same (it is based on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible), how and where counseling happens differs. We believe the context is more about community than privacy. While we hold strongly to confidentiality and discretion, we believe in counseling in community. That can look like inviting friends into formal counseling, or doing informal counseling in a small group format. 

In other words, Biblical Soul Care is not just for pastors or biblical counselors but it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer. It can take many forms like mentoring, coaching, and advocacy. 

MISSION:

Glorify God by making disciples through the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

VISION:

It’s our vision to return soul care to the local church. No more “refer & defer” but carefully stewarding and caring for the people entrusted to the body of Christ.

 

PASSION:

Ministering to the hurting in full dependence on the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the Community of God to experience transforming life change.

CORE VALUES:

  1. Christ Centered (Colossians 1:15-20) – The person of Christ, his preeminance, the gift of his life given to us
  2. Biblically Grounded with Truth & Grace (John 1:14) – We get principles for life and godliness from the Bible and we want to give counsel that is a blend of both truth and grace.
  3. Spirit-led (John 6:63) – The real counselor is God who meets us through his Spirit. We want to be careful to give heed to his guidance and not simply let our experience dominate the direction for our counsel.
  4. Prayer Saturated (Colossians 4:2) – Humility and dependence on God are shown most clearly through prayer. We want to practice and model both humility and dependence throughout the counseling process.
  5. Community Based (Hebrews 10:24-25) – God calls us to live life in the context of his people. Care, encouragement, exhortation, and healing happen most fruitfully in the church community.
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