Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries hopes the following testimonies encourage you to not lose hope or faith in Christ and His Gospel. The comments on this page are from people that Grace Harbor has helped or from organization representatives that we have partnered with. If we could help you in similar ways, that would be our privilege and joy.

Through Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries, Jon Hagen serves our congregation with the truth, wisdom and love of Christ. Pastors often stand in need of assistance with difficult counseling and discipleship; sometimes they just need help carrying the load. It remains a great joy to have a partner like Jon who is as committed to biblical growth and change as we are. I know that when I recommend Jon to one of our people or families, they will receive the compassionate, Christ-centered ministry of the Word. It is our privilege not only to utilize the resources Jon provides, but also to support him as one of our stateside mission efforts. Jon is providing a place for ordinary people with real problems to experience the lasting change of the Gospel. And that’s the kind of ministry we’re grateful to know.

- Dan Brooks, Sr. Pastor, Heritage Bible Church

Let me add a few evidences of grace and turns of Providence that explain my presence [at Sovereign Grace Church in Greenville]. Years ago, the founder and leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries, of which Sovereign Grace Church is a part, C.J. Mahaney, came into my life and I into his. Then Jon Hagen, counselor here in Greenville, came into my life. And then C.J. Mahaney and Jon Hagen came into the life of this church. And that web of relationship causes me to give thanks for webs of relationships. It causes me to give thanks to the sovereign providence of God because the people you meet are, by and large, not choices of your own; they are ultimately God’s choice. And they shape our lives profoundly. So every time they are shaped for good our hearts should go to God in thanksgiving [from sermon preached 21 August 2005].

- John Piper, Pastor of Preaching, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

Over the last four years we have found Jon Hagen to be a great friend and valuable partner for our local church. Jon has come alongside our pastors and leaders to help us meet the challenge of growing mature followers of Jesus Christ. I am especially grateful that Grace Harbor does not see itself as a substitute for the local church, but as a helper and support to the church. Jon has provided gospel centered instruction for our staff as well as counseling for our members while involving their small group leaders in the entire process. Not only have many individuals been helped but our leaders have been better equipped to shepherd those under their care. Grace Harbor is a true friend of the local church.

- Bill White, Pastor, Grace Church

Having known Jon for several years now, I highly recommend Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries. The pastoral staff at Southside consistently refer people to Jon because of his Gospel-centered, heart-focused approach to counseling. I’m confident you will benefit from Grace Harbor’s counsel the way others at Southside have.]

- Dr. Charles F, Boyd, Sr., Pastor, Southside Fellowship

Grace Harbor Ministries has been a wonderful blessing to Summit Church. We desire to give every man, woman, and child in the Upstate the repeated opportunity to see, hear, and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ without them coming or going anywhere. We believe wholeheartedly that Jesus and the Gospel transform all of life, and it is a great joy of ours to partner with other churches and ministries who share this heartbeat for the 1.3 million people in the Upstate. Grace Harbor Ministries is a great partner for the sake of the Gospel and has been overwhelmingly supportive to our ministry and the individuals and families walking through various challenges of life. Jon’s commitment to the local church is intentional, practical, and extremely refreshing. The distinctive characteristic of the counseling ministry here is that every phase is Biblically-based and Gospel-centered. It is a great joy and privilege to have a partner in ministry walk alongside you as you see God transform your people with the Gospel. For us, Grace Harbor is one of those partners!

- Jason Malone & Kyle Estepp, Pastors, Summit Church

The Lord has used Jon Hagen in many life-transforming ways! He skillfully handles the Word and compassionately ministers to the hurting. Our church’s counseling ministry confidently partners with Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries. We praise God for the way He is using GHCM.

- Peter Hubbard, Teaching Pastor, North Hills Community Church

Jon Hagen has been a great asset to me personally, and to Palmetto Hills Presbyterian Church. There comes a time when excellent biblical counseling is needed outside the walls of the local church, and Jon has been such a trusted counselor. I thank the Lord for the gifts and abilities given to Jon, for he is a co-worker in Christ and a gift to our church. I highly recommend him!

- Joe Franks, Jr., Palmetto Hills Presbyterian Church

Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries has partnered with the pastors and elders at Second Presbyterian Church for over 10 years. This ministry has been an invaluable resource for us when ministering to our members and others. When a counseling opportunity exceeds our experience or expertise, we often turn to Jon Hagen to meet that need. We appreciate his fully Biblical approach to counseling and his commitment to work with the church rather than outside the church. We highly recommend Grace Harbor to individuals but especially to churches that need Godly, Christ-centered, Bible-based counseling.

-Robert Spears, Associate Minister for Congregation Care, Second Presbyterian Church

It has been more than a month since we were renewed and refreshed through your faithful, Christ-exalting, God-centered, Gospel-saturated teaching at Bethlehem’s marriage retreat. Not only was our marriage enriched, but I am confident others were as well. I am certain your labors saved us hours counseling some of the couples who were there. Just before the first session in the retreat you prayed that people would see Christ. On the Monday morning following the retreat, I received an e-mail which is a testimony that the Lord heard that prayer:

. . . it was a truly blessed weekend. I would highly recommend this to anyone in any marital situation and believe we should have Jon Hagen back to do it again. Oh, how we need to be brought back again and again squarely to the real issue in our lives—our own heart. As for my wife and I, we maybe had a little blip the first evening (not too major) of the conference, but our communication became more and more open as the weekend progressed. The discussion we had on the way back to pick up the kids was probably the most open, honest talk we have had in I don’t know how long. So the retreat was really a gift to us and provides a real foundation to build upon. It encouraged me to forge ahead by faith, all the while looking at that great cross which has secured His many benefits for us.

What has been especially encouraging to Sally and me is the fruit that we continue to see coming from your investment in us that weekend. The wife met with Sally this afternoon. She said she went to the retreat “kicking and screaming” and came away very glad she went. I spoke to one small group leader who said that one of the couples in his small group attended the retreat and there has been noticeable improvement in their marriage. Another small group leader said that three couples in their small group attended the retreat and the couple who probably needed it the most stayed home. This leader said that it has been a joy to see the couples using what they learned from you to challenge and encourage this other couple. He was also encouraged that the husbands are taking much more initiative in their marriages.

There is no doubt that the Lord’s hand was on your teaching and that we will be enjoying the fruit from your labors for many months and years to come.

- David Michael, Pastor for Parenting & Family Discipleship, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

I met Jon Hagen a number of years ago and have been encouraged and blessed through his relationship ever since. His passion to embrace the gospel in his own life fuels his ministry to help all of us embrace and live the gospel in our own lives.

Jon has capably led two Community Group leader’s conferences at Southside focused on understanding the heart as the primary place where our relationship with God and others is shaped. He’s also taught a course in our equipping center with this same focus. Feedback has been outstanding from both conference and class participants. His focus on how the gospel penetrates our heart is a much needed resource in the church today and many at Southside have benefited. I highly recommend Jon as a teacher/trainer for church-wide leadership development.

Not only has Southside benefited with having Jon as a partner for training leaders but also as a counselor for families. He brings the same skill of integrating the gospel into everyday life in the counseling ministry of Grace Harbor as he does in his teaching ministry. Numbers from Southside have experienced real growth and healing through regular meetings with Jon.

Thanks for your friendship and ministry, Jon. Greenville is blessed to have Grace Harbor Ministries!

- Mark Moody, Pastor for Small Groups, Southside Fellowship

I became familiar with Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries by attending their ‘Introduction to Biblical Counseling Seminar’. I don’t think it would be an understatement to say that it has been one of the most significant things to happen in my life in the past three years. Grace Harbor has since then given that same seminar in [the church I formerly pastured] and Jon has ministered to individuals and couples in our church family through counseling. I have had the privilege of sitting in on a number of meetings as Jon has counseled people in our church, and I can honestly say that being around Jon Hagen these past few years has been life changing because he is Christ-like and he models the truth of the Word of God in his own life. God has used him and Grace Harbor to encourage me as a pastor in overcoming misconceptions and even fears of counseling. I am very grateful to the Lord for my brother and his service to the body of Christ.

- Randall Morton, Area Director for Latin America, Go International, Wilmore, KY