Counseling & Care Philosophy
We believe that the care and cure of souls belongs to the church of Jesus Christ. The shepherding of souls, based as it is on Jesus' own description of Himself as the Good Shepherd, must offer words of redemption. This is the calling of the church - the called-out ones of God - with whom we at Covenant Presbyterian Church align ourselves. We believe that congregational care, acting upon the principles found in 1 Corinthians 12, presents a unique opportunity to shepherd hearts in a specific way to a specific individual and actively cares for souls in a congregational environment. Our role is to understand and to minister from a biblical perspective to souls, both saved and lost. Our ministry is to serve God and be His witness in the world.
We strive to glorify God in our ministry of counseling, consulting and mediation by attempting to bring every thought captive to Christ. We believe the Bible and psychology complement each other; both are descriptive of the human condition and behavior, while the Bible is prescriptive, holding the true answers to human problems.
Connecting to Covenant’s Counseling & Care Network
Contact our Director of Congregational Care and Counseling, Greg Becker (L.P.C. M.Ed., M.A) to setup an appointment, 540-433-3051 ext. 115.
The goal of the first meeting (intake) is to determine options for care, some of which are listed below:
- Pastor/Elder (shepherding, theological questions, etc.)
- Diaconal Support (practical needs, physical or financial help, etc.)
- Stephen Ministry (lay care-giving)
- Counseling with Greg Becker (professional counseling; pre-marriage, marriage, family, individual, etc.)
- Referral (Mentor, MD, Journey Counseling Ministries*, Psychologist, etc.)
*Journey Counseling Ministries, Inc. was created with the understanding that Christians should have their spiritual and relational needs met within their congregation and that the responsibility for the care and cure of souls rest primarily on the local church body. It is the goal of Journey Counseling Ministries to be interdependent, not independent, of the churches whose members are served by this ministry. Covenant will often make referrals to Journey and members of Covenant may be able to receive financial assistance for this fee-based counseling.