The Situation

A great demand on the pastors’ time is counseling of church members. In Mexico it is typical for only the local pastor and his wife counsel the church membership, leaving them with too much responsibility and workload. And usually the pastor has not been trained in counseling.

We have been trained in counseling, as well as trained in how to train others to counsel.  Our goal then is to help the pastors not only become effective counselors themselves, but also help equip members of the laity to counsel others.

Through EPIC we seek to:

• Minister to the pastoral couples of the communities we serve (see Communities);
• Train the pastor in counseling;
• Train lay leaders in counseling;
• Suggest a structure for an on-going peer counseling program.

Our Training

Through the Care Counseling ministry of the Rock Church of San Diego, California, we have both completed training on peer counseling and the setting up of a counseling program.

The lay counseling program includes:

• Key Strategies to Change
• Speaker/Listener Technique of Communication
• Identity in Christ
• Importance of Spiritual Disciplines
• Processing Pain
• Theology of Suffering
• Forgiveness
• Crisis Situations

Training in Progress

We will also soon be certified by the Trauma Healing Institute to teach “Healing the Wounds of Trauma,” and look forward to adding these topics to our ministerial toolbox:

• What happens in grieving?
• Helping children who have experienced trauma
• Caring for the Caregiver
• Taking pain to the Cross
• Living as Christians in the midst of conflict.