Counseling Services in Urban China

Job Description

Counseling is an area which lacks resources and training in China. In urban China, in particular, people have come from all over the country to find 'a better life'. Along the way, some bad decisions may lead people into life situations that leave them feeling helpless. Others have difficulty dealing with the circumstances that they have found themselves in. All of these people need, not only someone to turn to, but Jesus.

As a trained counselor, you would be an excellent resource, not only to counsel people in various life situations, but also in providing training to locals who work with these people in the long-term. With a vision to reach all sectors of society, there are opportunities to counsel people in various marginalized communities.

Giving people your time, and good counsel, will be a huge step in blessing them, but also be a great opportunity to love them, and, in the right context, give them glimpses of the God who made them and loves them. Helping local believers also be involved in these ministries, and equipping them to love and serve will grow the influence of the body of Christ in these communities.

China's cities will hold 1 billion people by 2030, and have lately seen migration of unprecedented proportions. In this city of over 10 million people, you will be living in one of China's second tier cities, and as people pour into cities such as this one, they become not only homes to massive communities of people from all parts of China, but also mixing pots of all levels of society. The result: chaotic, traffic-filled, polluted cities, that are filled with people who need to, and long to, know that they have been created and have value. With this longing, these cities of the urban billion become home to people who are very open to the gospel, and want to know what it is that fills Jesus-followers with such certain hope.

Responsibilities

- Helping various projects develop a plan for training local staff in counseling
- Working with local believers to raise up people to be involved in this ministry, and to welcome marginalized people into the body of Christ
- Providing counseling support to specific projects that serve people from marginalized backgrounds
- Providing training to long term local workers in order to help them provide longer-term counseling support for these projects
- Co-ordinate short-termers coming to assist in a range of counseling projects.

Qualifications

- Counseling training and relevant experience
- Mandarin speakers would be able to begin several months after arriving on the field, after becoming familiar with the different projects. Non-mandarin speakers, however, would begin by doing language studies in a different city before beginning in this ministry.

Living Situations

Other useful qualities:
- Attitude of flexibility
- Initiative and creativity in thinking of solutions
- Desire to partner with locals in seeing long-term change
- Humility and prayerfulness