Pastoral
CARING
At the Barn, we'd like to think that caring is what defines our relationships with one another, and often with total strangers as well. We have a network of people who are gifted in being able to express love through practical caring. Usually, people expect a pastor to visit during times of crisis or in times of need. This happens at the Barn. What people don't expect though, is for the loving care to continue in authentic and practical ways, long after the trauma. Caring isn't rocket science, but so often in this sophisticated techno world, it just doesn't happen as it should - as it could.
COUNSELLING
While we all have opportunity to give our opinion or even ‘advice' to loved one's and friends, there comes a time where objective outside intervention could really help. At the Barn, we have a team of counselors who have been professionally trained to assist as counsellors. Sometimes, all that's needed is a chat to bounce ideas off of someone else outside of our situation. Sometimes, God "dredges stuff up" that needs some more detailed attention. If we can't deal with it here, we refer out to qualified spiritual professionals. It's amazing how the Holy Spirit counsels through the gifts and abilities of praying teams who lovingly care. Most of us are like the rest of us and so we experience God's love as people in the midst of the process of life, sometime's giving biblical perspective, sometime's receiving biblical perspective. Training courses are facilitated for those who are suitably gifted and available. All this in addition to the counseling necessary for marriage preparation, marriage enrichment, marriage restoration, individual and family interventions. Retreating is also a discipline that we hold dear. We facilitate a number of healing retreats a year.
LIFE GROUPS
Each church has it's own culture, and so, where you may be familiar with the concept of small groups, cell's or home group's in churches - we have Life Groups at the Barn. These function on a similar basis to home group's, except the defining distinction is that "Barnies" meet around what activities and interests give the group an experience of Spiritual Life! For some group's, this could mean meeting at Cinema Noveau bi-weekly and discussing the movie over a cup of coffee. For others, meeting to consider the interface of faith at work, and how this defines their spiritual life. Others meet for times of worship and quiet reflection while other's are defined by deep interactive study of the Bible. The idea is that relationships are forged at a meaningful level in Life Groups, where faith and practice are experienced and expressed as Christ followers. For all it is the necessity to "Turn Inside Out", it is from the inside that we are able to be outward focused. The church leadership is committed to ensure this very necessary experience for all in the church, through Life groups. The ideal is to have everyone in The Barn meaningfully involved in the Life Groups - we're focused on this value.