Shiloh Counseling Center Beliefs

Shiloh Counseling Center Mission Statement and Doctrinal/Practice Statements of Faith

It is the mission of Shiloh Counseling Center, Inc., to the extent of funds allocated in its annual budgets, to:

Provide skillful and compassionate Christian (evangelically and biblically based) mental health care from a preventative therapeutic approach (i.e. nutritional, exercise, vitamin/mineral and light therapy whenever possible) for eligible children and adults with emotional disabilities ( i.e. clinical depression, anxiety and other behavior disorders ), and without regard as to ability to pay for treatment, race, color, creed, sex or sect; This mission is to be accomplished without seeking or accepting direct or indirect governmental support, but with the financial and participatory support of concerned individuals who would share in this cause.

Statements and Practice of Faith For All Board Members and Staff

1. We believe that the Holy Bible is the only uniquely inspired Word of God, fully authoritative literally in matters of faith and practice, the all sufficient and only reliable source for understanding spiritual problems and for healing.

2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are of one substance and equal in power and glory. THEY alone can heal a person spiritually/emotionally.

3. We believe in the historic virgin birth of Jesus the Messiah, who was both fully God and fully human; that He lived a sinless life and that He died on the cross as a sinner's substitute, shedding His blood for the remission of sin; that He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God to perform the ministry of intercession; and that He shall come again to complete His eternal plan. We believe that Jesus alone is the Way, Truth and the Life - He alone is the way to know God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

4. We believe that man and woman were created in the image of God but through disobedience fell from a sinless state; that through the Fall, all of humanity was sentenced to eternal death; and that men and women can be delivered from this condition by the grace of God, through faith, on the basis of the work of Jesus.

5. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, Who applies the work of Jesus to men and women through justification, regeneration, and sanctification; and that He makes it possible for a person who believes in Jesus to live a Godly life in this present world, which is under satan's dominion.

6. We believe in the spiritual unity of all true believers in Jesus, and that these believers, who are committed to Jesus Christ as Lord, are thus recognized as His church.

7. We believe humans can be influenced by demonic activity, thus resulting in spiritual, emotional and/or a physical problems.

8. We believe that the following psychological practices should not be utilized in treatment of problems, are an abomination to God and detestable in His sight: hypnosis, biofeedback, neurolinguistic programming and other new age techniques.

STATEMENT OF PRACTICE

- Biblical Counseling -

The biblically based counseling ministry of Shiloh Counseling Center, Inc. is a Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-empowered, practical and therapeutic application of biblical truths to a personal maturity and fruitfulness. This counseling is based on the inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of the Word of God. To safeguard against misguided and unbalanced practices of counseling which may be labeled "biblical," some standards of practice are chosen as stimulants for excellence and, at the same time, to be a means of providing some measure of trustworthiness for general referral. Accordingly, our Shiloh board members and staff are dedicated to uphold the ethical guidelines of the International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC) and affirm the following:

1. That the Scripture is sufficient, through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, to address all of people's needs. (II Peter 1:3-4, II Timothy 3:16) Therefore, our counseling methods, practices, and techniques will be based upon clear biblical principles. (I Corinthians 3:19)

2. That people are in need of personal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If those we counsel do not possess this salvation, a primary objective of our counseling must be the clear, Spirit led communication of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (Romans 3:23, 6:23; Matthew 28:19-20)

3. To counsel and teach the lordship of Jesus Christ in order to lead counselees away from a humanistic focus on self to a proper focus on Him. (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1-2)

4. To honor the Scriptural sanctity of life, marriage, and family and to do our utmost in counseling to reinforce these beliefs. (Psalm 139:13-14, Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:16; Proverbs 23:25; Colossians 3:20)

5. That, as God empowers us, we will live our lives and conduct all our relationships in godliness and holiness before Him, with the goal of living out the truths that we are teaching. (Philippians 2:12-13)

6. To promote the Spiritual authority of the local church. We will evidence this by our involvement in a local church and by instructing those whom we counsel to involve themselves in a church also, thus working in concert with it, rather than in competition against it. (Hebrews 10:25)

For further information about the International Association of Biblical Counselors, view their web site: http://www.iabc.net