Specialized Ministries
Counseling
Faith’s pastors counsel our members on a variety of practical issues as they relate to the Christian life. Such counseling is entirely confidential. We focus on the spiritual issues. In some cases, problems facing people go far beyond the expertise of the pastors into medical issues or issues requiring ongoing counseling or therapy. In those cases the pastors refer people to Christians with expertise in those areas.
Grief Counseling
The “grief group,” also called “Life Goes On” meets once a month and is often led by Rev. Art Callesen, pastor emeritus of nearby Our Savior Lutheran Church and current chaplain of Aurora hospital. Faith’s pastors also occasionally lead the group. The group helps those who have lost loved ones or undergone other potentially traumatic life changes to “mourn with those who mourn” in the context of God’s love. While in many ways this group takes the format of a support group, offering the mutual consolation and shared experience, the group also incorporates God’s Word as the underlying source of meaning, context, and comfort for those who mourn.
Helping Hands
Christians have always been known for works of charity, both among strangers and among their own. Here at Faith we have a fund called Helping Hands, distributed at the discretion of the pastors. In the case of non-members we do not hand out cash or anything redeemable for cash, but generally seek to help people with specific needs such as groceries or gas on a limited and not ongoing basis. In the case of our members, we are of course a family, and treat all genuine need and hardship as a family matter worthy or our mutual attention.
Issues in Sexuality
The issue of homosexuality has thrown Christian churches into confusion. On one hand there is the effort to redefine sin and simply accept and celebrate what was formerly and universally condemned by all Christian churches. On the other hand, those churches that remain true to Biblical, historic teaching on homosexuality often fall prey to an attitude of judgmentalism that alienates people struggling with this problem (in themselves or in their circle of family and friends) and simply cuts off genuine, evangelical contact between them and the church. As a result, people affected by this issue simply deny the problem by finding a church that tells them it isn’t a problem, or else stay away from church altogether.
The homosexuality group at Faith is geared towards homosexuals or those with close relationships with people whose self-understanding is homosexual. We maintain Biblical, historic teaching regarding the sin involved, but also recognize the humanity of those involved in it and the need for the church to reach out in concrete ways to all people. Not a place of easy answers, this group examines down-to-earth, practical issues—what to do in this or that situation, how best to talk to so-and-so, “I want her to know I love her, but also that I don’t approve of that; what should I do?” type of issues.
Currently the group does not have a regular meeting schedule, but meets several times a year on days and times announced a few weeks in advance. Pastor Speckhard leads the group.