Blog

FEAR. I got into biblical counseling out of fear.

As a 26-year-old soon-to-be seminary graduate, the thought of counseling hurting people within the church absolutely terrified me. Somehow, I managed to reach my final semester of seminary without having taken a single counseling class.

Like most seminary students, I loaded up on the biblical languages, theology, and church history classes; not even considering the role of counseling in future ministry.

As a last-ditch effort, I signed up for a counseling class: Counseling Parents and their Children. Dr. Robert Jones taught the class which turned out to be one of the best classes I took during my tenure at seminary. Biblical counseling fused theology and ministry. I learned about the work of sanctification. I leaned into difficult, real-life situations that would arise in a church.

God masterfully used my ungodly fear to draw me into an unexpected area of ministry.

Since my time at seminary I have pursued biblical counseling by getting a certification through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, as well as going back to get an academic degree in biblical counseling. Biblical counseling, as much as any other training, shapes my everyday work as a pastor. The training in biblical counseling has increased my precision in preaching, grown my compassion for hurting church members, and given me a boldness for confronting conflict.

I would encourage you, whether you're looking for training in biblical counseling or if you want to grow more confident as a disciple-maker to join myself, Elizabeth Allan and Barb Mulvey for the One-to-One Conference Friday, November 9th from 6:30 - 9:30pm and Saturday, November 10th from 8:30am - 3:00pm at MCC!  This weekend conference will help you grow in the care you provide for others!

I look forward to the opportunity to meet you along the journey in biblical counseling. Whether you are brand new to biblical counseling or a seasoned veteran; whether you are looking to grow as a disciple-maker or pursue certification with ACBC, God will use our time together to grow us in our faith and equip us for the work of the ministry.