POLICIES & PROCEDURES AND CONSENT TO COUNSEL

Rod and Staff Ministries (RSM) is committed to the inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of Scripture. We believe that the Bible contains all that is necessary for life and faith. Therefore, our counseling is based on biblical principles rather than those of secular psychology or psychiatry. Our desire is to help people solve life’s problems biblically, in a manner pleasing God.

Given the above commitments, belief, practice, and desire we make the following affirmation and denial:

WE AFFIRM that God created mankind male and female and that this divinely determined distinction is good, proper, and to be celebrated. Maleness and femaleness are biologically determined at conception and are not subject to change. The curse of sin results in sinful, disordered affections that manifest in some people as same-sex attraction. Salvation grants sanctifying power to renounce such dishonorable affections as sinful and to mortify them by the Spirit. We further affirm that God’s design for marriage is that one woman and one man live in a one-flesh, covenantal, sexual relationship until separated by death. Those who lack the desire or opportunity for marriage are called to serve God in singleness and chastity. This is as noble a calling as marriage.

WE DENY that human sexuality is a socially constructed concept. We also deny that one’s sex can be fluid. We reject “gay Christian” as a legitimate biblical category. We further deny that any kind of partnership or union can properly be called marriage other than one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant together. We further deny that people should be identified as “sexual minorities”—which serves as a cultural classification rather than one that honors the image- bearing the character of human sexuality as created by God.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:26-27, 2:24, 4:1, 19:24-28; Matthew 19:3-6; Romans 8:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:10; Jude 7

• I am committed to seeking new insights into a personal, lovingly obedient relationship with Jesus Christ, which may involve new understandings from God’s Word, and to pursuing a transformed life that reflects God’s grace as revealed in His Word.

• I will fulfill the weekly assignments or my sessions may be terminated.

• I will consistently attend a Bible-believing church each Sunday while I am in counseling.

• I will keep the appointment time or will call to cancel 24 hours in advance.

• I understand that Rod and Staff Ministries is a Biblical Counseling and Training Center, and therefore agree to have a trainee(s) and/or an audio taping for training purposes in the counseling sessions with me.

• If I have a dispute with your counselor, the procedure for addressing the concern(s) are as follows: First, speaking truth in love, go to the counselor, as Scripture requires. If reconciliation cannot be accomplished, contact the director in writing, explaining my concern. He, in turn, will contact you regarding your dispute at his earliest convenience. Finally, if necessary, the director would be pleased to meet with your pastor provided the above is pursued.

• I agree to hold any counselor with Rod and Staff harmless from any advice, counsel or suggestions rendered during our counseling sessions. I recognize that his/her role is to assist me in hearing and understanding God’s will in the matters we discuss. We will not, therefore, sue or engage in any type of litigation negatively affecting them or the organization.