The Pastor as Counselor: The Call for Soul Care
Overview
A pastor inhabits multiple roles—teacher, preacher, youth leader, and counselor. And yet, many church leaders feel unprepared to counsel church members struggling with any number of difficult, multifaceted problems—whether from a lack of training, inexperience, or both.
This book by David Powlison—an experienced counselor and the former executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation—reminds pastors of their unique role as the shepherds of God’s people, tasked with applying biblical wisdom to the thoughts, values, moods, expectations, and decisions of those under their care.
- Presents Forword by Ed Welch, a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation
- Explores how pastors have a unique responsibility—and opportunities—to counsel
- Includes suggestions for further reading from the CCEF
- Part 1: What Is Counseling?
- Part 2: The Uniqueness of Pastoral Counseling
- You Have a Unique Responsibility to Counsel
- You Have Unique Opportunities to Counsel
- The Way You Do Counseling Is Unique
- You Counsel a Unique Message
- You Counsel in a Unique Community Context
Top Highlights
“God insists on the supreme worth and glory of who he is and what he has done. God insists that self-centered people learn love—not coping skills, not self-actualization, not meeting felt needs, not techniques of managing emotions or thought life, not fulfilling personal goals. God’s morally charged categories heighten human responsibility.” (Page 21)
“The conscious intentions of Christless counselors are kindly, but they do not consider the true welfare and needs of actual human beings. A pastor has a systematically brighter vision for what counseling is all about.” (Page 22)
“Counseling usually starts with immediate, troubling experience, and moves toward the God whose person, words, and actions bring light. In contrast, preaching usually moves from Bible exposition toward life application.” (Pages 36–37)
“Where ministry is strong, pastors practice in private what they preach in public.” (Page 36)
“God has chosen to impose his values on the entire universe.” (Page 21)
- Title: The Pastor as Counselor: The Call for Soul Care
- Author: David Powlison
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2021
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Pages: 76
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Pastoral counseling; Pastoral care; Counseling › Religious aspects--Christianity
- ISBNs: 9781433573019, 9781433573040, 9781433573026, 9781433573033, 1433573016, 1433573040, 1433573024, 1433573032
- Resource ID: LLS:PSTRSCNSLRCSLCR
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:30:10Z
Reviews
1 rating
Floyd Johnson
5/22/2021
I picked up this book hoping to do a quick scan of the book before writing my review. I, instead, ended up reading this 80 page monograph and being pleasantly surprised. The book consists of two chapters, the first details the difference between pastoral counseling and traditional secular counseling. The second chapter outlines the unique elements that Christian counseling has to offer to broken people. As a seminary graduate, I wished I had access to this content as I took my pastoral counseling course; as a pastor, I would have liked to have had this book available to help shape my thoughts as I interacted with my congregants; this book would have been helpful as I completed my Masters in Counseling at a state university (with two committed Christians on the faculty). Even now, 25 years after completing my education, I am glad to have access to this material for reference and review. The author has drawn from saints across the ages: Gregory the Great, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Thomas C. Oden, Richard Baxter, Sally Lloyd-Jones, et al. He is also not afraid from using help from more secular counselors when appropriate (e.g. Freud, Satir, and Ellis). The book concludes with an extensive bibliography and scripture index - both of which add value to the book. I would think every pastor, every Christian counselor, and every believer involved in helping others would find encouraging material in this small book. Even the introduction, written by a friend of the author, contains valuable thoughts. I give the book five stars. ______________ This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
