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Christian Counselling Service
Ralph Penno describes how his parish went about setting one up and what they have learnt.
For the past five years we have offered a Christian counselling service from the Wairau Parish. When I first came to the parish seven years ago, I found myself accumulating a portfolio of what can only be described as chronic counselling cases. While having an interest and some experience in counselling, I have no formal training and rapidly found myself in a busy parish, with little time to adequately meet the needs. In a previous life while serving on the Board, I had been involved in encouraging Presbyterian Support Central to provide a Christian Counselling component to their existing service.
Session looked closely at the situation and following advice, contracted with a qualified Christian Counsellor to provide a professional service from within the parish precincts. The service has been operating successfully for the past five years. Initially the clients were predominantly from the parish or parish pastoral contacts, but the work of our counsellor was so effective, that within the first year the majority of clients were coming from the community around us. Today three quarters of our clients would come from the wider Marlborough community.
The number of clients we see each week fluctuates between about four to eight, so it is not a full-time service. We try to ensure that our counsellor sees no more than five clients a day and find that the contract system works well for both the counsellor and us. Currently, in consultation with our present counsellor, we are interviewing with the intention of contracting with a second person with differing skills, so that the service we offer can be extended.
We have been gratified to find that providing the service has not been a financial burden on the parish. About two thirds of the clientele are eligible for welfare assistance for counselling and about half of the remainder are able to pay in full for the service. To date we have been able to source sufficient money from grants to subsidise others in need and to finance supervision etc.
This has been an extremely successful venture. It has relieved the pressure on the Pastoral Team, especially with those who require special care at some period of their life. It has helped stabilise young people with emerging difficulties while at the same time provided a service to the wider community that has won considerable respect. We have found that providing this service has been totally consistent with our parish Mission stance that is both Biblical and Evangelical.
We would stress the importance of contracting with a counsellor that has the highest professional standards and is a member of the New Zealand Counselling Association or the New Zealand Association of Christian Counsellors. The professional training and association of your staff is essential to enable your service to receive both peer acceptance and welfare assistance, as well as giving you the assurance that a professional service is being provided. It is better not to venture into this territory unless this standard is maintained.
Retreats, quiet days, walks, journeying and Spiritual Gardening
Have you seen the huge range of resources for the spiritual journey which Spiritual Growth Ministries has in their latest programme. The 2004 Programme is divided into the different regions and offers a wide diversity of resources-picnics, walks, silent and directed retreats, Myers Briggs Personality Type studies, walking the Labyrinth, reflections for the seasons, and looking at films, books and issues plus much more. There is also information about how to have one to one spiritual direction and where regular quiet days are held. As well as different locations there is a variety of lengths in the time involved.
You can see the full programme on Spiritual Growth Ministries’ web site-www.sgm.org.nz or you can contact the Administrator Carole Hunt Phone 04 233 0714 or email sgm@clear.net.nz and she can tell you who the contacts are in your area.
Resources for Worship and Study
Lent and Holy Week Preaching Notes
This set of preaching notes and prayers covers the period February 29-April 10 2004 and has been written by the Very Rev Lawrie Hampton. As with all the preaching notes which cover every Sunday and special day of the Church year the notes are based on the 3 year Common Lectionary readings. They are suitable for both lay and ordained preachers or can be used by groups either preparing worship or wanting to do some Bible study. $4 plus postage.
The notes contain exegetical material on each of the lectionary readings, preaching suggestions and prayers.
Lent and Holy Week Preaching Notes
Preaching Notes and Prayer Kits
Preaching Notes and Prayers Kits for the whole lectionary year may be pre-ordered and sent as they become available. We prefer people to down load them from the web site when ever possible. The whole lectionary year of 8 sets of preaching notes is available at $32
Lent and Easter Kit
This kit of resources for the season contains:
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A Pilgrimage for Good Friday
A Good Friday Service
A Passionate Journey- Passion Sunday
Hymns for the Season
Holy Week
A Maundy Thursday Service
A Service for Good Friday- Words from the Cross
Ideas for Lent
An Ash Wednesday Retreat
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The kit is $9 plus postage.
Lenten Studies 2004
A series of four studies for a New Zealand Lent by Graham Millar of Ngaio Union Parish in Wellington. The studies are $4 plus postage.
Please note that studies and kits of resources from other Lent and Easter periods are also available for $4 for the studies or $9 for the kits. They are by a wide range of authors with resources that have worked well in their areas. If you are seeking a resource for a particular occasion please feel free to ask. Verity Doak is in the office on Tuesdays and can help- phone 04 381 8294 or email
verityd(at)presbyterian.org.nz
Other Resources for Ministry on the website
Order form for printed resources - PDF format
Order form for printed resources - RTF format
Order form for printed resources - Word format