Sometimes, though, it helps for us to have another human being to talk through what God wishes us to hear. There are four main ways to do this:
- Pastoral Counseling- This combines spirituality with psychology. Counselors have training in psychology and are licensed by local boards.
- Pastoral Meeting/Conference- These are any meeting you set up with your minister to discuss a pastoral issue that may arise in your life. A Meeting/Conference is referred to as a Visitation when your minister meets you at your home as opposed to their office. Ethical practice demands that when the same pastoral issue is brought up in multiple meetings (ex. 3 or more), your minister refer you to a Pastoral Counselor or other trained professional.
- Spiritual Direction- This is an ancient practice where a Director helps a Directee listen to where God is present in their lives. A Director can be lay or ordained. While they have training, Directors don't have an official licensing board. For ethical reasons, your Director would not be anyone who serves as a leader in any ministry you are personally involved in.
- Spiritual Friendship- This is a gathering of two people who trust each other and mutually work together to see where God is present in each others' lives. This is a relationship that typically forms naturally, like all friendships. Of all these methods, this is the only one where both parties are on completely equal footing in service to each other.
More information can be found on each of these roles in the coming weeks.
The Rev. Trey Kennedy has a certificate in Pastoral Counseling and in Spiritual Direction. You can learn more about his practice of Spiritual Direction by clicking here.