Central Church Pastoral Counseling Ministry

Format: Eight weekly sessions from 60-90 minutes each. Participants must begin this group by at least the 2nd session. Open Group - No registration required. Appropriate for men, women, and teens. Based on the book and video series, Boundaries. A Group Facilitator utilizes both video and small group discussion.

Purpose: Individuals will learn how and why to set personal boundaries and respect the boundaries of others. By doing so, each one will learn how to allow God to help gain control of his/her life.

Dates/Location:   Sundays 5pm; Wednesdays 7:00pm; Room 215.

Format:   Sixty to 90 minute sessions. No registration required. Open group appropriate for men, women and teens. Facilitator-led discussion follows a Christ-centered, 12-step approach.

Purpose:   Using the Christ-centered, 12-step approach, various chemical dependency behaviors and lifestyle choices are looked at that prevent one from achieving a life of sobriety and serenity. Each participant will be encouraged to select and make use of a sponsor.

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 901-751-1500 or bpm@battleplanministries.org.
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 203 on Wednesdays 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. Mondays 6:45 pm; Call Pastoral Support for Registration, 901-255-8115. Group meets on Mondays in the hospitality room (off the sanctuary).

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.

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 11:00am in room 212.[maps]

Format:   Open Class. Discussion Format. Available to all (single, married, divorced, parents, spouses, teens) who have been adversely affected by life-controlling habits individually and/or in one's family.

Purpose:   Insight from the Pastor's sermons along with other targeted materials will help each one "walk in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:6) and be able to embrace more of the freedom the Lord has available to each.

Dates/Location:   Ongoing Class. Meets each Sunday at 11:00 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.

Schedule:
6/22 - Stress & Anxiety: Overcoming Fear, Phobia, & Panic
6/29 - Aging and Elderly Parents
7/6 - Chronically Troubled Relationships: Everybody Has One
7/13 - Families in Crisis: Hopeless Parents & Angry/Defiant Children
7/20 - Distressed Couples - Anger, Conflict, & Disaffection in Marriage
7/27 - Blended Families: Helping Yours, Mine, & Ours Become a Family
8/3 - Coping With Depression: A Message of Hope For Those Held Captive
8/10 - Escaping the Guilt Trap: Freeing Yourself From Shame and Guilt
8/17 - The Power of Truth: Escaping and Overcoming Our Lies
8/24 - Managing Anger: Not Letting Anger Manage You
8/31 - Forgiveness: Getting Beyond Your Past And Pain

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

Dates/Location:   On-going, closed women's support group which meets on Wednesdays at 6pm. Call Pastoral Support and Counseling for information and room number. Or, contact Stacey Nix at 683-1743/626-4495.

Format:   L.I.F.E. offers small group support, discussion, and accountability. Selected curricula and other resources will be utilized which deal with finding freedom from sexual and relational brokenness and how to find power and fulfillment in Christ.

Purpose:   A compassionate, sensitive, but honest group for women who are seeking wholeness and healing from sexual and relational addiction. The L.I.F.E. support group offers Christ-centered and relationally oriented information incorporating spiritual discipline, small group accountability, and ongoing prayer and support.

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 30 lessons on DVD featuring some of the leading Christian counseling leaders and Bible teachers, complete with course lectures, outlines, study notes, and exams. [click here for an outline of the curriculum.] 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. Other course series currently available at Central include: Caring for People God's Way - 1; Caring for People God's Way - 2 (aka Breaking Free); and CAring For Kids God's Way. 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).