Welcome to the Christian Life Fellowship Biblical Lay Counseling and Discipleship Ministry. We are grateful that you are inviting us into your life at this time. It is never easy to ask for help. We admire the courage, faith, and humility this first step represents on your part. It is our prayer that God will bless this step and use our time together to build more hope and direction into your life.
Christian Life Fellowship
Biblical Lay Counseling and Discipleship Ministry
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Our goal in the counseling ministry is to make the Gospel paramount by connecting our members and our community friends to the life-transforming power of Jesus Christ. We are confident that through the Scriptures and the power of His Spirit, God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4). It is our joy to help real people with real problems using the Bible.
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Our commitment as a church is to offer counseling services to church members and those in the local community. As a church, we are committed to help others glorify God with their thoughts, words, and actions through the community of faith. This is made possible by the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, the conviction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the instruction of God's Word. Your counseling will be biblical, lay counseling in which the Scriptures are held as the final authority in all matters. If you are not sure that you will be interested in biblical counseling, you will have the option of attending one or two sessions to discover how biblical counseling may help you.
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We are committed to providing a balanced and biblical approach to counseling. By biblical counseling we mean that your counselor is a Christian with special training and experience in applying the truth of the Bible to life. We believe that the Bible speaks to all of life and to all life's problems, but it takes careful thought and prayerful wisdom to know how to make those connections. We don't believe that the Bible is simply a how-to book for happiness.
Most importantly, we believe that the Bible ultimately points us to a person--the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that real change comes when people learn to see themselves and their problems in the context of a loving, vital relationship with Christ. This does not mean that you must be a Christian to profit from our counseling, although we believe that deep and lasting change is brought about only by God Himself. Because of this, we do not use the Bible in either a superficial or heavy-handed way.
When necessary, we will work with your physician or other professionals to ensure you receive the appropriate medical care in conjunction with the counseling services you receive.
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Christian Life Fellowship Biblical Lay Counseling and Discipleship Ministry utilizes the help of both trained lay volunteers and pastors. Our counselors do not know everything about biblical teaching and its application to life; nevertheless, they do know much and will do their utmost to help you. Counselors will honestly tell you if they require additional assistance from another member of the Biblical Lay Counseling Ministry. Please understand that biblical counseling consists of Christians providing scriptural advice and practical application. Yet the counselee is held fully responsible for how he/she implements that advice (James 1:23-25). In addition, our counselors are neither psychologists, nor professional counselors. The counseling team consists of pastors, lay counselors, and trainees under the direction of the church elders who provide guidance and oversight.
The staff of Christian Life Fellowship Biblical Lay Counseling and Discipleship Ministry will supervise the trainees and lay volunteers. A biblical counselor trainee may be present in any counseling session for training and observation.
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We look forward to helping you. Due to the nature of our ministry and that it is funded with support of generous donations from our community, we do have limited hours. If this is an emergency, please call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Once your intake form is received, you will be contacted within 3 business days to schedule an initial intake appointment.
You may reach our counseling office by calling the church office at 541.889.7264. The church office is open 9:00 am-5:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday. If no one answers, please leave a message and we will return your call. (You may leave messages on Mondays & Fridays also.)
We are unable to provide childcare for appointments and children are not allowed to wait in our waiting area. Thank you for your understanding.
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Christian Life Fellowship Biblical Lay Counseling and Discipleship Ministry provides free biblical counseling because we never want cost to hinder those in need of support and encouragement. We do not charge for the counseling services offered, however there is a one-time $35 fee requested to cover all resource materials and provide training to our biblical counselors. (If the $35 fee is a hardship for you, please continue to complete and submit your intake form, and then contact the church office at 541.889.7264.)
Because our counseling sessions are free, we rely on the generous donations of those who desire to partner with us in ministry to help with the cost of providing counseling sessions that would normally cost around $65 per session, for a series of 6-8 appointments.
If our pastors/counselors have been a blessing to you and God has given you the means to do so, then your financial gift towards our counseling ministry is most welcome. In such cases, you can donate here, or give by check made out to Christian Life Fellowship, rather than a particular pastor or counselor. By donating you are joining with the body of Christ to proclaim the Gospel throughout the Treasure Valley and even to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20). (Please note LCD in the online portal or memo line on your check.)