Many families in churches suffer in silence as children rebel, husbands and wives struggle to stay together, and families face trauma such as job loss, unexpected illness or sudden tragedy.  Churches struggle with how to help their members at difficult times like these.  Often a referral to a counseling professional is made.  Occasionally someone will ask the family how things are going but it is pretty easy to move on and lose track of how the family is holding up.

Wouldn’t it be great if, when a church’s leadership becomes aware of a troubled family’s situation, they were able to introduce them to a Marriage and Family Therapist at their own church building.  What if that Therapist was devoted to engaging the leadership and the congregation in the healing process for the family based upon decades of ministry and counseling experience?

Stephen Pylkas, owner of Southshore Counseling, LLC, offers to come to your church and to help you help your families from a wholistic paradigm that believes that the church should be functioning fully as the body of Christ when its members struggle and suffer.  Simultaneously, Steve begins the process of 1) becoming familiar with the elders and/or pastors of the congregation, 2) conducting gifts assessments with the members and gathering membership information and 3) counseling with families who are hurting or struggling in the congregation.  The goal of his efforts is to coordinate all three aspects of congregational life together so that the body of Christ can truly function as the body of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 12:7 Paul tells the church in Corinth: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”  By bringing together the body of Christ and initiating a support system for hurting families that goes beyond a simple referral, the church is able to fulfill one of it’s most important functions: caring for the common good of God’s people.

If you would like more information on considering this innovative approach to ministry click HERE to go to Southshore Ministry’s website devoted to helping churches help their people manage transitions, overcome obstacles, and reach their potential.