Often in church ministry, pastors are faced with numerous needs and heart-breaking situations in their congregations. One question we hear often from them is: “When do I refer out? When do I know that a person in the church needs a level of care or a type of expertise or skill that I don’t have?” Perhaps the church member needs a professional counselor, someone skilled in a particular struggle such as addiction, pornography, or an eating disorder. Maybe the level of care that is required means considering an intensive program or there is a crisis that takes a team of wise people to guide the person through a complex situation.
When such a problem arises, pastors often struggle to know how, when, and to what degree to come alongside a person. When it seems the person needs more than they have to offer, there are likely resources outside the church that can give skillful guidance, however, this raises other concerns. Can I trust the care this person will receive? What if we disagree with the advice given? These concerns can make some pastors hesitant to refer out.
For others, it may be easier to refer out but then they
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