Pastoral Care and Counselling

About the Ministry

The focus of Pastoral Care and Counselling at Christ Church Westlands is to build a community of believers who care for one another, support each other in spiritual growth, and reach out and walk with one another in their experiences in life. The ministry is divided into two: cell groups and counseling.

Introduction

The Pastoral Care and Counselling ministry are one of the four pillars of the church which together with the leadership emulates the fivefold ministry of the church of Corinth. It is the provision of emotional, social, and spiritual support to individuals, groups, and the community. It is the ministry of shepherding God’s people with Jesus as the focus. This done through giving/showing care, love, and concern for one another in times of celebration, need, and grief. Pastoral care is most effective if there is a relationship between the caregiver and the one being given the care.

Pastoral care and counseling is very broad and is therefore divided into two groups: cell groups and counseling.

  • Since the congregation is too large for the few clergy to provide pastoral service effectively, Cell Groups are the driving units for providing care and love to the group members and for building each other’s faith through Bible study. The cell groups strive to build relationships through which the love of Christ is spread.
  • Counseling is provided by trained counselors and includes general counseling at the individual level through walk-in clinics and at the group level through the GriefShare program and premarital counseling. 

Objectives of Pastoral Care and Counselling

  1. Strengthen cell groups as the core avenue for pastoral care for every member of the congregation. 
      • Provide social support in times of need (deaths, illness, etc.) and celebration (weddings, births)
      •  Fellowship amongst members 
      • Spiritual nourishment through prayer, Bible study, and Holy Communion
  1. Provide psycho-social support through:
      • Individual counseling
      • Group counseling
        1. GriefShare:  is a grief recovery support group where you can find help and healing for the hurt of losing a loved one.
        2. Premarital
  • Talks on life issues