I was once told, "If something is worth doing, then it is worth doing poorly." In other words, if you feel that something is important enough to do then it is worth moving forward even if it is not fully developed. As someone who struggles with overachieving, perfectionism, and the temptation to overwork every task, this philosophy was hard for me to embrace and honestly even understand. I could not fathom how anything would be worth doing poorly. Yet, in God's perfect sanctifying work, I have understood the wisdom of these words and clung to them during the past 2 years as we have re-launched our Counseling Ministry Team (CMT) at CCC.
In February 2020, (with the approval and support of the Session) a group of CCC members gave lift to the Counseling Ministry team at CCC. The primary objective of the CMT is to coordinate the provision, administration, and growth of counseling care at CCC by equipping congregational members to counsel one another in the context of their everyday relationships.
To say that we have launched this ministry poorly seems like an understatement. In the best of times this is a lofty goal for any ministry and one that requires dedication, prayer, and commitment. Yet, this launch was not made in the best of times. Relaunching a ministry based on care and community when people were isolated and divided seemed at times impossible. When the need to bear each other's burdens was at an all time high, our "best laid" plans changed midstream due to shifting protocols, awkward virtual connections, and the loss of team members. This was not the way that we envisioned relaunching this ministry, yet, this is where God had us.
Through God's provision, this team held connection events, led Sunday School classes, and engaged with training times among our team members. We built and strengthened relationships, discussed hard issues, and asked tough questions of our church leadership. By allowing this ministry to be done "even poorly" meant that we stepped back and allowed God to direct our steps. As a church we seek to connect the riches of Christ to the struggles and blessings of our life, and we desire to do this in the context of relationships. The Bible describes Jesus Christ as the Wonderful Counselor. Jesus himself described his work, saying, “[God] has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). Our Counseling Ministry seeks to equip and train our church family to be an instrument in the hands of this most wise and wonderful counselor. We see this work as worth doing, even poorly.
Looking forward to 2022, we plan to host a 6-week book study on Real Change: Becoming More Like Jesus in Everyday Life by Andrew Nicholls and Helen Thorne, to help equip and train interested CCC members in the foundations of Biblical change. We would love for you to join us. Please contact Lori Stepp if you would like to learn more.
