Counseling and Guidance Policy

  • Religious Counseling Only.
    • The Pentecostals of The Woodlands offers pastoral, biblical counseling. It does not offer professional counseling in the secular sense.
    • All counseling is based on biblical principles and Christian experience.
  • Personal Guidance and Advice.
    • Every church member should be a good witness and example to others and should be able to offer biblically based encouragement and exhortation.
    • Similarly, staff members and other workers should be able to give encouragement and advice within their area of experience, responsibility, and expertise.
    • However, such encouragement, exhortation, advice, and guidance are not deemed to be counseling from the church but simply personal advice.
  • Referral to Pastor.
    • Problems that are not quickly resolved by prayer and personal advice should be referred to the pastor.
    • Situations that could be detrimental to an individual attendee, a church-related group, or the entire church should be referred to the pastor.
    • If he is unavailable in an urgent situation, the matter should be referred to the associate pastor.
  • Confidentiality.
    • Staff members, including the pastor and associate pastor, are to keep confidential all matters disclosed in confidence. However, note the following exceptions:
    • Staff members reserve the right to inform the pastor about matters that could adversely affect others in the church or that otherwise need his attention.
    • The law may require staff members to report information about suspected child abuse.
    • Staff members reserve the right to disclose information when it appears that there is an imminent risk of harm to a person or an imminent commission of a crime.
    • Unless the counselee requests otherwise, it is understood that a minister may inform his spouse, in confidence, of the general nature of a problematic situation so that they can jointly assist the counselee in advice and prayer.
  • Avoiding the Appearance of Impropriety.
    • Individual staff members shall not meet in private with a child or a member of the opposite sex.
    • Instead, they shall meet either in the presence of a third person or in an area with visual access to the public.
    • Examples: (1) Meet in the presence of another worker. (2) Meet in an office with an open door with someone else in the vicinity. (3) Meet in a corner of the sanctuary with other people in the room.
  • Marital Counseling should be referred to the pastor or associate pastor.
    • Extensive, repetitive, or in-depth marital counseling should be conducted only in the presence of the counselor’s spouse or the counselee’s spouse.
  • Child Abuse.
    • If a staff member obtains information regarding suspected, alleged, or confessed child abuse, he or she shall immediately notify the pastor, who is to ascertain and fulfill all legal requirements.
    • Church attendees and workers shall likewise report to the pastor any case of suspected child abuse or other suspicious behavior. This includes psychological or physical symptoms of abuse that may have occurred elsewhere. In all cases, the matter shall be kept in confidence pending an analysis of the situation and appropriate action.
    • Any statements to the church, the public, or the media must be coordinated through the pastor.
  • Sexual Harassment or Misconduct.
    • Any case of suspected or alleged sexual harassment or sexual misconduct associated with church activities or involving a staff member shall be reported to the pastor for investigation.
  • Any complaint regarding the pastor shall be reported to the church board.
    • If necessary, the church board can request the assistance of the Board of Elders, the pastor’s Pastor, or as the church bylaws require.
    • In all cases, the matter shall be kept in confidence pending an analysis of the situation and appropriate action.
    • Any statements to the church, the public, or the media must be coordinated through the pastor.