What is Soul Care?

Short answer: It is a cultural philosophy of care that potentially affects every part of a healthy, growing church.

We would most simply define Soul Care (SC) as speaking the truth in love in your circle of influence. It is unique to the local church as it is anchored in the Word of God, dependent on the Spirit of God, and practiced in the community of believers.

More Than a Model of Biblical Counselling

Soul Care is more than a model of biblical counseling. It is intentional and intensive discipleship and deep, authentic fellowship. It is something we all should do at the level we are equipped. It is not a new idea. It is living out the "one another" commands in the Scriptures. It has been practiced since the early church (Acts 2). It can be found in the Puritan community of the 16th and 17th century. It is our mission to restore soul care to the church.

Context: In Community

While all good biblical counseling content is the same (it is based on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible), how and where counseling happens differs. We believe the context is more about community than privacy. While we hold strongly to confidentiality and discretion, we believe in counseling in community. That can look like inviting friends into formal counseling, or doing informal counseling in a small group format.

In other words, Soul Care is not just for pastors or biblical counsellors but it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer. It can take many forms like mentoring, coaching, and advocacy.