Advocacy Form

Advocacy

The next step involves bringing in an advocate to walk alongside you during this time. The addition of a trusted friend, small group member, or mentor has shown to increase the effectiveness of counseling significantly. They will walk alongside you through the counseling process and continue to help you after the counseling is over. Ideally the person is part of your day-to-day community, attends your church, and is known and trusted by the leaders at Harvest.

 

Simply put, the most helpful advocate is someone who loves God, trusts God’s Word and cares about you. You may have questions or may have few people in your life that meet that description. We have made an allowance of up to three sessions to learn more about this role and to find the right person to join you. After three sessions, counseling will be terminated if no advocate has been chosen or assigned.

 

Before giving us information below on who you will be contacting to serve as your advocate, please take some time to read through the following information to gain a better understanding of what we mean by advocacy.

 

The Vital Role of an Advocate in Your Care

  • It’s a privilege to be an advocate and stand in the gap for your friend or loved one during their time of need (Proverbs 17:17)
  • One does not need extensive counseling training or schooling to be an advocate (2 Corinthians 1:35)
  • Mutual ministry encourages growth in everyone involved (Hebrews 3:12-13)
  • It’s God’s design to counsel in community (Galatians 6:12)

 

Responsibilities of an Advocate During Counseling

During the time serving as an advocate, your advocate will have a variety of opportunities to learn, grow and serve. Below are some specific ways in which we will ask the advocate to serve:

  • Offer intercessory prayer (Romans 12:11-12, Jeremiah 33:3)
  • Provides insights and perspective for the counselor (Proverbs 18:17)
  • Witness to what God is doing (Mark 2:1-12, 2 Tim 2:24-26)
  • Help you apply what you are learning in between sessions (Galatians 6:12)
  • Become a bridge for you to get connected into community (Hebrews 3:12-13)
  • Decreases loneliness and isolation for you (Proverbs 18:1, Hebrews 10:24-25)
  • Stand as an ambassador for Biblical Soul Care (2 Corinthians 1:35 and 5:14-21)
  • Review Counselors’s Progress Notes for the benefit of supporting you as the counselee

 

Benefits for You

  • Hope and help as a friend who walks through the valley with you
  • Continuity of counseling and help for you throughout the weeks
  • Help in communicating greater context, to bring to remembrance key issues and/or remind you of truth gained while in counseling
  • Gives you freedom to be attentive without the need to capture every detail discussed in your notes

 

 

Benefits to the Advocate

  • Deeper insight into the life of a person they love
  • Weekly direction for conversation and accountability
  • An opportunity to ask questions and receive insight
  • An opportunity to fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:12)
  • A practical way to apply the “one anothers” of scripture
  • An opportunity for further training and equipping
  • Personal growth in closing the gaps between knowing scripture and living it

 

Benefits to the Counselor

  • Offers another perspective into the life of the counselee
  • Built-in accountability for homework and application Validation or clarification of heart issues
  • Help assimilating into the regular flow of discipleship at Harvest
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 Benefits to the Local Church

  • The advocate is trained to support a church body member in a short period of time
  • Creates a support network for pastors and ministry leaders
  • Built-in accountability for the church’s counseling ministry
  • A testimony of love and commitment to one another and a watching world

Creates a culture of obedience to the 40+ “one anothers” of scripture

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If known, list the person who will be your advocate (otherwise leave blank and submit this form):

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