Counseling Guidelines:

Our Goal:  The goal of Empowerment Church in providing Christian counseling is to help the people it serves meet the challenges of life in a way that will please and honor Our Lord Jesus Christ and enable each person to enjoy fully His love for us and His plans for our lives.

Biblical Basis: Counseling services provided by Empowerment Church are based on scriptural principles rather than those of secular psychology or psychiatry.  Neither the pastoral nor the lay counselors of this church are trained or licensed as psychotherapists or mental health professionals, nor should they be expected to follow the methods of such specialists.

Spiritual Advice: Some of our counselors work in various professional fields outside the church. When serving as counselors within this church, however, they do not provide the same kind of professional advice and services that they do in their professional capacities.

Therefore, if a person seeking counseling has significant legal, financial, medical, or other technical questions, our counselors shall advise that individual to seek advice from an independent professional. Our pastoral and lay counselors will be happy to cooperate with such advisors and help you to consider their counsel in the light of relevant scriptural principles.

Schedule: Most counseling sessions will be one hour long, per session, but can be adjusted as agreed upon between the counselor and counselee.   Dates and times of the sessions are scheduled according to the availability of all involved parties.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an important aspect of the counseling process, and we will carefully guard the information entrusted to us by the person seeking counseling services. There are, at minimum, three situations, however, when it may be necessary for us to share certain information with others:

when a counselor is uncertain how to address a particular problem and needs to seek advice from another pastor or elder in this church;

when a counselee attends another church and it is necessary to talk with his or her pastor or elders;

when there is a clear indication that a crime has been committed of someone may be harmed unless others intervene;

Please be assured that our counselors strongly prefer not to disclose personal information to others, and they will make every effort to help you find ways to resolve a problem as privately as possible.

Resolution of Conflicts: On rare occasions a conflict may develop between a counselor and a counselee. In order to make sure that any such conflicts will be resolved in a biblically faithful manner, we require all of our counselees to agree that any dispute that arises with a counselor or with this church as a result of counseling will be settled by mediation and, if necessary, legally binding arbitration in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the State of Michigan.   Judgment upon an arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

Agreement: By participating in Empowerment Church’s counseling program, participants agree that they will not attempt to subpoena or require any counselor to appear in any legal proceeding related to any matters discussed during counseling; nor will they attempt to subpoena any notes or records related to this counseling.

Having clarified the principles and policies of our counseling ministry, we welcome the opportunity to minister to you in the name of Christ and to be used by Him as He helps you to grow in spiritual maturity and prepares you for usefulness in His body. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please talk with a pastor or elder. If these guidelines are acceptable to you, please sign the below acknowledgement & registration form.

Consent to Counseling and Acknowledgement Form

“Follow GOD’s example, therefore as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to GOD.”  Ephesians 5

For and in consideration of Empowerment Church (“Empowerment”) provision of ministerial and counseling services, the undersigned, being legally competent and fully authorized and empowered to do so, does hereby release, acquit, and forever discharge Empowerment and all participating counselors connected with said ministry, from any and all actions, courses of action, claims, demands, damages, costs, loss of service, expenses and compensation, on account of any and all known and unknown personal injuries, mental anguish or agitation, and damage claims to person or property resulting from or arising out of or related to counseling services and ministerial services provided by Empowerment and/or its agents, representatives and/or employees in any way affecting the undersigned parties.

The undersigned also understands that by law, there are certain situations in which information about individuals undergoing counseling may be released with or without permission. These situations are as follows:

when a counselor is uncertain how to address a particular problem and needs to seek advice from another pastor or elder in this church;

when a counselee attends another church and it is necessary to talk with his or her pastor or elders;

when there is a clear indication that a crime has been committed of someone may be harmed unless others intervene

The undersigned party has had the nature of the ministerial and counseling services to be provided fully explained to them prior to receiving such services, and they freely enter into such counseling and ministerial services with full knowledge of the nature of the treatment, ministerial services or counseling they are about to receive.

The undersigned fully understand(s) the nature of a deliverance ministry such as that offered by Empowerment, and, nevertheless, waive and release all claims for damages to their person or property arising out of or in any way related to the psychological, spiritual, and/or mental problems and the counseling directed at such problems which have brought the undersigned to Empowerment.

The undersigned further agree(s) to indemnity, have and hold harmless Empowerment, its Board of Governors, other ministry leaders, its pastors, and its agents and employees from any and all claims and damages of every kind to person or property arising out of or attributed to the spiritual, psychological, and/or mental problems which brought the undersigned to Empowerment, or the undersigned at any point after the date of this release.

It is further understood and agreed that this waiver and release constitutes an admission and acknowledgment by this undersigned that they have received no warranty, guarantee, or promise of any particular result either expressed or implied, from Empowerment,  or its pastors, agents, representatives, employees or governing bodies.

The undersigned parties acknowledge and agree that the very nature of their problem(s) is necessarily such that no specific result(s) can be promised or warranted by any such ministry or counseling service.

This release contains the entire agreement between the parties hereto, and the terms of this waiver and release are contractual and not mere recital.

The undersigned further states they have carefully read the foregoing release, know the contents thereof, and sign the same of their own free act and deed.