Biblical Soul Care
Biblical Counseling:
An Advocate is a person who has fulfilled all training requirements and is gifted to serve in the role of an Advocate. An Advocate is someone who loves and listens to the counselee during the counseling experience. An advocate desires to develop a deep accountability type of relationship with the counselee and maintain this friendship throughout counseling. An advocate must be willing to love, speak truth, and walk beside the counselee during the counseling process and help the counselee succeed in counseling. Ideally, this person is part of the counselee’s day-to-day community, calls Mt. Zion Baptist Church their home, and can receive an endorsement from leaders at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The addition of an Advocate/Mentor has shown to increase the effectiveness of counseling significantly.
- The Vital Role of an Advocate
- It’s a privilege to be an Advocate/Mentor and stand in the gap for your friend or loved one during their time of need (Proverbs 17:17).
- One does not need extensive counseling training or schooling to be an Advocate/Mentor (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
- Mutual ministry encourages growth in everyone involved (Hebrews 3:12-13).
- It’s God’s design to counsel in community (Galatians 6:1-2).
- Responsibilities of an Advocate/Mentor During Counseling
During the time as Advocate/Mentor, you will have a variety of opportunities to learn, grow and serve. Below are some specific ways in which we will ask the Advocate/Mentor to serve.
- Offer intercessory prayer (Romans 12:11-12, Jeremiah 33:3)
- Pray for the counselee and care team.
- Provide insights and perspective for the counselor (Proverbs 18:17)
- Witness to what God is doing (Mark 2:1-12, 2 Timothy 2:24-26)
- Help the counselee apply what they are learning in between sessions (Galatians 6:1-2)
- Plan to contact the counselee at least once during the week outside of the counseling session. This is an opportunity for you to pray for them, spend time with them, and show them that you care.
- It is perfectly fine to ask if they've done their homework, help with the homework, or just share your life with them.
- Become a bridge for the counselee to get connected back into community (Hebrews 3:12-13)
- Help to decrease loneliness and isolation of the counselee (Proverbs 18:1, Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Stand as an ambassador for biblical counseling (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 and 5:14-21)
- Privacy and Confidentiality: It is best for the counselee if they trust that ALL information given during the session is not going to be repeated. Remember that it is the counselee's trust in us that enables them to be vulnerable with us. We need that in order to MINISTER to them, not in order to educate others about biblical counseling, give prayer requests, or relieve our own troubled minds/hearts. While the other reasons for sharing details of a case (besides ministry) may SEEM valid:
- Please do not tell others the name of your counselee.
- Do not share with your friends the struggles of your counselee-- even without saying their name. Remember that the purpose is to minister to the counselee.
- Remember that you are part of a care team. We can express freely to each other and take our burdens to the Lord in order to process what we hear and see.
- Advocate/Mentor Expectations
- The Advocate will be expected to attend each counseling session and sit at the table with the counselee and the lead counselor.
- You will observe the actual 1-hour session.
- You will be asked to stay after each session for possibly 15-30 minutes to assist in processing the session.
- During the counseling sessions, you would be encouraged to help the counselor by asking questions to clarify what the counselee or counselor is saying.
- Please Do Not Provide Opposing Counsel To The Counselee in public or private. If at any time you have difficulty with the counsel given, address those concerns with the counselor in private.
- If you have difficulty understanding the counsel given, address this with the counselor alone.
- You may be asked by the lead counselor to pray or read Scripture during the session. However, the majority of your conversation with the counselee will happen outside of the formal session.
- Please bring your Bible and take notes.
- Benefits to the Counselee
- Hope and help as a friend who walks through the valley
- Continuity of counseling and help to the counselee throughout the week.
- Help bring to remembrance key issues and/or remind them of truth gained while in counseling
- Freedom to be attentive without the need to capture every detail
- Benefits to the Advocate/Mentor
- Deeper insight into the life of the person they love
- Weekly direction for conversation and accountability
- An opportunity to ask questions and receive insight
- An opportunity to fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2)A practical way to apply the “one anothers” of Scripture
- An opportunity for further training and equipping
- Personal growth in closing the gaps between knowing Scripture and living it out
- Benefits to the Counselor
- Another perspective into the life of the counselee
- Built-in accountability for homework and application
- Validation or clarification of heart issues
- Help assimilating into the regular flow of discipleship at Mt. Zion Baptist Church
- Benefits to the Local Church
- A person is trained to support a member of the body in a short period of time
- Creates a support network for pastors and ministry leaders
- Built-in accountability for the church’s counseling ministry
- A testimony of love and commitment to one another and a watching world
- Creates a culture of obedience to the 40+ “one anothers” of Scripture
- Additional Guidelines
- If the counselee asks YOU to take a message to the team or counselor for them, lovingly support them by asking them to be present at the conversation with the team/counselor. You do not speak for the team, so you should not relay information to the team. The counselee is to communicate to the team directly. If you need clarification, contact the lead counselor.
- If you disagree with the counseling advice or something said during the session by the counselor or other advocate, use discretion. It is usually best to give the person the benefit of the doubt and immediately ask for clarification as you may have misunderstood. Then, if you still disagree, save the discussion for the care team meeting afterwards. Remember, you are there to walk beside the counselee, not lead the counseling session. If the lead counselor misunderstands something said by the counselee, it is ok to clarify. You may also be asked your opinion or experience by the counselor during the session. If so, share freely!
- The Role of an Advocate/Mentor Outside of the Counseling Session
- Please pray without ceasing--for your love for the hurting to grow, for the counselee to grow and change, and for the Spirit to move and speak through the process.
- To participate actively in the care team meeting after the session. You have the unique perspective of getting to listen during the session without having to respond. You can watch body language and hear words of all the active parties in the room. You are part of this team, and the team needs your prayer and informational support. We welcome you and trust God to use this experience to grow and change you... as it does every member of the care team in every case!