So my grandpa always said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” And he meant what he said, there was plenty of stuff around his old house that looked in need of repair, but he didn’t see the need to mess with it. “Just leave it alone. It works, don’t it?”
Now grandpa’s perspective was definitely different than most of us today. It seems as if people today want whatever the new, bright and shiny gadget or gizmo is at the time. The big new house, or flashy car. They don’t necessarily look to see if something is broken, they just want something new.
I’m not going to be the judge of whether or not that is right. I would personally be more like grandpa when it comes to most things, but I can also see where people can enjoy the newness of stuff. I guess it comes down to preference.
One thing that shouldn’t wait for one’s preference is brokenness within the church. When I mention brokenness and church together it would be easy to come back with the adequate statement, “of course there’s brokenness in the church, we’re all sinners!” That’s not the brokenness I’m referring to here.
What I want to highlight is the brokenness of programs and environments within the church. If we are honest, there are a lot of our churches that have some area of ministry that is in need of repair. Being able to determine if something is broken or not is a necessity in order to address the important issues concerning a ministry.
One area I would like to focus on is the counseling ministry in your church. Maybe you don’t have a counseling ministry in your church. Well, then you can also learn from some of the ideas in this blog. But maybe you’re like me and have one that just hasn’t been very effective, or very fruitful. Maybe you’re also like me and see that it’s more than a ministry problem, it’s a culture problem.
If so, take a minute and ask yourself, “Is the counseling culture in my church in need of repair?” For me, the answer is Yes! In the context in which I pastor, the current counseling culture is broken and in need of repair. So, what’s next?
Recognizing Your Broken Counseling Culture
If you are anything like me and desire to see people impacted with the truths from God, and also have a passion for doing it on a personal level, the culture of counseling within the context of your ministry matters.
Following are four questions to help you better understand, identify and begin to fix what is broken in your counseling ministry.
What is a broken or lacking counseling culture?
Having an understanding of a healthy counseling culture is needed to be able to identify what needs addressed. What often happens is that we have a desire to fix something, but we really don’t know how something is broken.
When talking about a broken counseling culture you must first accept the fact that counseling happens on a cultural level. In other words, there is a normative way in which people think about and pursue counseling. This is all has to do with their beliefs and worldview, but it is also influenced by the attitude and perspective of those people the individual surrounds themselves.
What Does the Bible say when it comes to what a church’s counseling culture need to look like?
A proactive counseling culture provides the best view of a healthy counseling culture. And, if a counseling culture is going to be healthy and proactive it must be grounded in the fundamental principles of Scripture.
One of the most important principles that can be found in Scripture relating to developing a culture in which healthy, proactive counseling can take place is communicated in the book of Acts. Here we find a new community that was figuring out what life together was all about.
Not long after Peter’s Day of Pentecost sermon those who gathered together to worship God in community did so with a heart not set on themselves but one another. “And all who believed were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32).
It was the “common” that set this new community apart from the rest of the society around them. They had been transformed by the Spirit of God, and then acted accordingly. The result of the actions toward God and one another resulted in a culture that what conducive for people to engage one another in life without fear. The outcome was what the local church today should desire to be able to develop a culture that is proactive toward counseling.
The culture God communicates through Scripture can be used as a model for developing a healthy counseling culture. The early church did not only exist to proclaim the truth about the resurrection of Christ, although that was their primary goal. No, the existed to display the glory of God through the way in which they cared for and interacted with one another.
What do you need to do to begin fixing the broken culture in your church?
As you will become familiar with in the blogs that follow, the foundational principles found in Scripture are essential for transformational change. Therefore, identifying principles in Scripture that can be exercised for the development of the culture God designed for effective counseling to take place is key. The one principle that will be the focused tool for fixing and/or developing a culture within the local church to produce a healthy and proactive counseling culture is what I have termed the “Allēlōn Principle.” We’ll be exploring this principle in the following blogs.
Conclusion
Well, grandpa, it’s broke and needs to be fixed! As you can see, understanding that the culture of your church can affect the approach those in your context take toward counseling is paramount. Fixing what is broken or lacking is necessary.
You’ve got to ask yourself the question, “Is it broke or lacking?” If your culture is not healthy and proactive toward counseling, you’re like me and in need of helping change that culture.
So where do you begin the process of change? Begin with one of the most important principles given to the church for the purpose of establishing an environment conducive for a healthy and proactive counseling culture.
Learn and implement the Allēlōn Principle (future blogs).
Allelon Principle 