If you have church insurance through GuideStone, you may be covered for:

• Counseling acts liability
• Sexual acts liability
• General liability

Check with your P&C agent to make sure you're covered for pastoral and lay counseling programs.

A crisis can leave people hurting and looking for help. The community knows your church as a safe and welcoming place. Pastoral counseling is a key part of your ministry, particularly in times of tragedy or crisis.

During a major community crisis, a pastor may need help and more hands on deck. Trained lay counselors can be your reinforcements during times of great need. Lay counselors primarily listen, encourage in Christ, root advice in Scripture and pray with the afflicted.

A group of lay counselors can be particularly helpful when:

• A natural disaster strikes your hometown.
• An act of violence shakes the community to the core.
• You open your church doors as a temporary shelter.
• You aid in disaster relief in other cities.

Before you decide to provide pastoral or lay counseling, you need to make sure you have a plan in place to protect all involved and manage risk to your ministry. Here are a few guidelines to get you started:

• Put your procedures in writing
• Perform a background check on everyone who will provide counseling.
• Match the gender of the counselor to the one seeking counsel.