Central Church Pastoral Counseling Ministry

We all have Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits

Weekly Meeting -- Thursday Nights

7pm - Worship/Teaching Time
8pm - Open-Share Group Time
9pm - The Solid Rock Cafe/Dessert - Coffee *(nominal charge, buy tickets at the door)
*(ticket must be purchased at door)

Psychologist Dr. Mark McMinn says in Why Sin Matters, "Part of our mess is not knowing we are a mess. Perhaps you, like me, have never been convicted of a felony, never committed murder or adultery, and never abused a child. Sometimes we don't feel a pressing need for grace because we do not see our sin as particularly troublesome. We feel good about ourselves, content with our choices, pleased with our lifestyle. . . . However, I am like everyone else: broken, longing for love, prone to blame, yearning to be understood, self-deceived, desperate for mercy" (21, 23).

Pastor Rick Warren has said, "The Bible clearly states 'all have sinned.' It is my nature to sin, and it is yours too. None of us is untainted. Because of sin, we've all hurt ourselves, we've all hurt other people, and others have hurt us. This means each of us needs repentance and recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended."

In other words, each of us has hurts, hang-ups, and habits that are carried out in life in a multitude of unhealthy behaviors and attitudes.

Celebrate Recovery is for everyone with any Hurts, Habits and Hang-ups that keep interfering with you being who God wants you to be. These include: worry, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, pornography, chemical dependency, workaholism, gossip, divorce, marriage problems, grief, parenting problems, abuse issues, depression, sexual issues, low self-esteem, compulsive behaviors, and co-dependency.

The purpose of the Celebrate Recovery ministry is to fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives. This experience allows us to "be changed." We open the door by sharing our experiences, strengths and hopes with one another. In addition, we become willing to accept God’s grace in solving our lives' problems. By working and applying these Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy and most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others. As we progress through the program we discover our personal, loving and forgiving Higher Power - Jesus Christ, the one and only true Higher Power.

Contact: 901-255-8123 or celebraterecovery@centralchurch.com
Bill Bellican: counseling@centralchurch.com or 255-8115
Don Johnson: dwjxcpt@yahoo.com. Childcare is available.

We also have ongoing need for new open-share group leaders to be trained. Additionally, we have need for those to help with important tasks. Let us know if you believe the Lord is leading you to help in any of these areas.

Dates/Location:
For MEN: On-going, closed men's group. Call Pastoral Support and Counseling for information - 901-255-8115. Or, contact Bill Berry at 901-754-2148 or willieb13@rocketmail.com.
For WOMEN: Weekly discipleship/support group for women who have male loved ones who have struggled or are struggling with habitual sexual sin. For details contact BPM at the number or email address above.

Format:
For MEN: Battle Plan Ministry offers small group support/accountability and on-line internet support/accountability (www.battleplanministries.org). In addition to small group discussion and God's Word, selected resources dealing with finding freedom from sexual brokenness will be utilized with an emphasis on the word of God.
For WOMEN: BPM offers online information, resources, and forum support for women dealing with the aftermath of sexual brokenness in the life of a male loved one. For those within driving distance of Central Church, the weekly support group allows women to connect with empathy and God’s love with women sharing similar challenge.

Purpose:
For MEN: An ongoing, Christ-centered ministry for men who seek to be sexually pure before God and who desire Godly instruction and accountability concerning any facet of sexual brokenness and destructive lifestyle choices and behaviors.
For WOMEN: A ministry for women who seek answers to the “why” questions about the sexual sin in the life of their male loved one as well as the support of other women dealing with like circumstances.

Dates/Location:   Scheduled several times each year. Sunday Mornings, 9:25am in 209. [maps] Contact Pastoral Support and Counseling Ministry for schedule, 901-255-8115.

Format:   Eight weekly sessions 60-75 minutes each. Participants must attend the class by the 2nd session. Registration is required through the Pastoral Support and Counseling Ministry office. Designed for couples planning or seriously considering marriage/re-marriage. This class is required for those couples who will be marrying at Central Church. The couple-facilitators will lead couples using lecture, group discussion, and couple discussion. Two profiles will be administered to identify couple strengths as well as areas of concern. Completion of this class also satisfies the state requirement for completing a Pre-Marital Preparation Course which affords a $60 discount on the marriage license fee.

Purpose:   This is a pre-marital counseling class with an emphasis on equipping couples with the tools needed prior to entering the marriage relationship. In addition to using couples' profiles, other topics covered include marital oneness, spiritual oneness, conflict resolution, finances, and sexuality/fidelity.

Dates/Location:   Scheduled in the Spring and Fall each year. Call Pastoral Support for Registration, 901-255-8115. Class meets in room 212 on Thursdays at 6:45-8:30 p.m.

Format:   Participants may begin with any weekly session, although it certainly is recommended that an individual begin with session one and complete each subsequent session. A "love offering will be" requested (although not required) to defray the $10 per person materials cost. Open Group - No registration required. Designed for men and women who are experiencing separation and divorce and need a safe place to respond to the healing grace of God and choose a Biblical path of restoration. A Group Facilitator will use videotaped seminar sessions with nationally recognized experts on divorce and restoration topics along with small group discussion.

Purpose:   The goals of Divorce Care are to: 1) identify and acknowledge the losses and the feelings that occur as the result of divorce; 2) acknowledge the realities of life as a single parent or single person; 3) understand the Biblical principles related to separation, divorce, and remarriage; 4) understand when a person is ready to enter a new relationship; 5) guide parents in helping their children through the early days of separation and divorce and to minimize the long term effects; 6) to show how each one can grow closer to God in their divorce experience.

Dates/Location:   Two seven-week seminars are held each year with one scheduled for the Spring and one in the Fall. The Group meets on Thursdays at 6:45pm in the Hospitality Room (off the worship center). Contact Pastoral Counseling for Registration -- 901-255-8115 or counseling@centralchurch.com

Format:   Open Group - No registration fee and no registration required. Appropriate for men and women who have suffered grief and loss. A Group facilitator will incorporate selected speakers and also utilize small group processing. Each session lasts approximately 2 hours. All participants must begin no later than the second session. This group is closed to new participants after the second session. It is very important for all participants to commit to attending all sessions to derive the full benefit the Lord has for all involved.

Purpose:   To provide grief support for those who have suffered loss through the death of a significant person in their lives. (e.g., spouse, young child, adult child, or adult children who have lost a parent). PATH offers a safe place to deal with subjects such as the physical symptoms related to grief, adjustment issues, and how to choose the PATH of hope and love.

Dates/Location:   Scheduled Fall and Spring each year. Call 901-255-8115 for the room locations/Registration.

Format:   Ten weekly sessions lasting 60 minutes each. Children MUST be pre-registered ONE WEEK PRIOR to the first session. A "love offering" of $10 per child will be requested (although not required) to help defray materials costs. Age-specific closed groups are led by facilitators who work with not more than 5 children per group. Children from ages 4 - 12 may attend. The parent/guardian is provided with curriculum support materials to reinforce and supplement at home what the child is covering in each session.

Purpose:   The groups are for children who have had a change in their family structure because of divorce, death of a parent, or living in a single-parent home. The children listen to Bible stories and participate in activities that deal with their particular issues. They are encouraged to talk about their emotions, learn about forgiveness, and look to Jesus for healing.

Dates/Location:   Ongoing Class. Meets each Sunday at 9:25 a.m. in 231.[maps].

Format:   Open Class - No registration required. Appropriate for Men, Women, Singles, Couples, Married, &/or Divorced. Each class will be based on a selected video topic and/or series followed by facilitator-led group discussion, as time permits. Come for one, some, or all of the topics of interest to you or someone you know. These are open to the community and those outside of Central.

Purpose:   Different life events, changes, and problems present the need for one to get trustworthy, godly advice and information. This class is designed for those who need biblical, pertinent information about one or more of the scheduled topics to be covered each Sunday. Individuals may come and go to this class as needed to obtain the desired information. An emphasis will be made to provide information from leading Christian experts via video on a wide range of relevant topics.

Register by contacting Bill Bellican at 255-8115 or Counseling@centralchurch.com.

The series is ongoing and meets in room 210 (Sundays at 9:25am and Wednesdays at 7pm). One may begin the training series at anytime. The training consists of lessons on DVD featuring some of the leading Christian counseling leaders and Bible teachers, complete with course lectures, outlines, study notes, and exams. This is open to those pursuing training in various aspects of Lay Counseling as well as those who could personally benefit from this instruction, even if pursuing Lay Counseling is not a goal. As a ministry of Central Church, this training is open to those interested persons even if they are not members/attendees of Central.

Time Commitment: Attend weekly sessions (approx. 1 hour +) for 30 weeks. One may attend either/both the Sunday or Wednesday class. If a class is missed, an individual make-up time can be arranged by contacting: Kathy Ellison at 255-8299 or kathyellison@centralchurch.com. Unfortunately, we cannot make the DVD's available for make-up outside of Central.

Cost: To receive a Certificate of Completion from the AACC, the cost is $165. This includes the workbook, exams, and a one-year membership in the AACC. Exams are open book/open note and are taken at the end of each unit of 6 lessons. Exams are sent to and scored by the AACC. You can bring a check (made payable to Central Church) to the first session if you plan on the Certificate route. If paying this all at one time presents a problem, let me know, and we will work something out.

If a Certificate of Completion is not desired, one may view the DVD’s, take individual notes, and be involved in the class discussions fully. In this case, there is no cost. However, a workbook/outline is not provided. There are no exams given.

Credentialing: To be credentialed as a Board Certified Biblical Counselor (BCBC) by the AACC, one must take for credit and pass three specified 30 hour courses offered by the AACC. Course series currently available at Central include: Caring for People God's Way - 1; Caring for People God's Way - 2/Breaking Free; Caring for Kids God's Way; Caring for Teens God's Way; Marriage Works, Addiction and Recovery, and Extraordinary Women. These may be taken by arranging a time individually to view the DVD's by contacting Kathy Ellison at 901-255-8299 (kathyellison@centralchurch.com).