Cultivating Potential ~ Purposeful Growth ~ A More Abundant Life
An Integrative Approach...
Because Life's Journey is a Marvellous Tapestry (Psalm 139)
Spiritual Direction
Our session typically begins and ends in prayer and lasts about an hour. The session flows from the directee’s life with God as reflected by their prayer life, dreams, responses to God’s workings in daily life, and the believers’ responses to scripture. I support the directee as he engages in historical, time-tested spiritual exercises that facilitate exploring what is most apparent at the present time in their life with our Triune God.
“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16, NRSV).
During our time together, the focus is on the True Director, the Holy Spirit, as we discern His movements (John 16:13). The believer is not only transformed toward wholeness in Christ, but their emotional, spiritual and mental health is fortified and nourished.
Due to the deeply personal and intimate nature spiritual direction, I typically work with men during one-on-one sessions. However, group direction provides an environment that permits working effectively with groups of both men and women.
Pastoral Care and Counseling
Pastoral counseling is as old as the New Testament and the great counselor it points to - the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6). In fact, the New Testament and biblically based soul care or pastoral counseling predates modern psychology by 1800 years!
Historic, Christ centered, pastoral counseling or a “cure of souls” originates from the Latin term cura animarum, from which the noun curate is derived and means pastor, clergy, or priest! For Christ followers, seeking biblically based spiritual guidance is an essential first step (Ephesians 4: 11-13; Hebrews 4:12-13; Romans 12: 1-2).
Pastoral care and counseling (guidance) cares for the immaterial part of your being. From a biblical perspective it involves the interaction of your soul or psuchē (Greek New Testament ψυχή), with biblically based spiritual practices, sound doctrine, the guidance of a qualified spiritual overseer or cure of souls (i.e., qualified pastor / shepherd) and the work of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 9:6; John 14: 26; Acts 20: 28; Hebrews 13: 20-21). This care involves a nouthetic approach noutheteō (Greek νουθετέω) whereby you will be lovingly confronted with biblical truth to facilitate life change (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Life Coaching
Christian coaching is done from a biblical perspective. This means that the coach may integrate biblical principles, draw from scripture, or take time during the session to pray with the client or clients. In Christian coaching, coaches can help individuals find God’s vision for their life.
A coach offers accountability and works with the client to formulate a plan that’s based on that client’s inner revelations, skills, and personality. The client is highly active and involved and coaching is not a process that involves the coach dishing out advice and the client trying to apply that advice. It’s a process of discovery.
“Christian coaching is the art and practice of enabling individuals and groups to move from where they are to where God wants them to be.” ~ Gary Collins
Coaching enables, men and women become more aware of what it is that’s shaping their lives and they learn how to think through and process those things in a structured way to make decisions rather than staying stuck.