How FIC Can Equip Your Church

We've seen many deeply hurting Christians walk completely free from the most traumatic pasts imaginable. When local churches have cared enough to sit down with them and help them get hold of basic truths, acting on the authority they have in Christ using our biblically based tools and approach, freedom comes. The main barrier we face is simply convincing leaders that the Gospel really works and that they really can trust Jesus to "turn up" and set the captives free! They don't have to do it, He does.

So perhaps the main problem we have in the church with hurting people is not so much with those people themselves but with leaders who don't know how to apply the Gospel. If that's you, don't worry - we're here to help.

It doesn't take qualifications and experience to set the captives free, because we can't actually set anyone free - only Jesus can. It's much more to do with having a heart of compassion, a biblical understanding of what it means to be a Christian and how the spiritual world works, and a healthy dependence on Jesus.

If you, with your church family, want to walk with a hurting person into freedom and fruitfulness with our support, the first thing you can do is contact the freedom office. You will be sent some information with a form for you or your church leader to fill in and return to us. Then someone from the "Walking with the Wounded" Team will contact you or your church leader and talk over the problems you face.

We will help you form a small and committed team around the hurting person, will suggest resources that may help, and can visit you and your team if that seems a good way forward. We will then be on the end of a phone or email to help you through any difficulties you may face on the journey. We will stay with you for as long as you want us to.

In Summary

We equip local churches to help people with deep needs and damaged emotions by:

1. Assuring leaders that, no matter how small your church or your team, you already have the essentials to help Christians claim their freedom.

2. Equipping you with biblical tools to use.

3. Providing advice to church leaders on areas such as abuse, sexual issues, mental illness, demonic issues, and pastoring needy people.

4. Being available to church leaders for follow-up support and ongoing advice via e-mail and phone calls.

We firmly believe that the work of ministry should be carried out in the local church. We do not, therefore, have facilities to work with hurting people ourselves. If you yourself are a hurting person, we would encourage you to talk to your church leaders or get into a church with a sympathetic leadership team - we may be able to recommend such a church in your area. See section: If you are a hurting person.