Disciplining Though Life’s Struggles

We believe Fellowship Bible Church must equip the church family in the process of discipleship which includes biblical counseling as a way of life (Colossians 1:28-29). We believe that the leaders at FBC should have an understanding of, a commitment to, and an active part in biblical counseling and discipleship. Our confidence in the sufficiency the Bible encourages us to use this most important tool in the intensive kind of discipleship known as biblical counseling. The impact of these principles or lack thereof, will affect other ministries of the church as well. Things like: Teaching, Evangelism, Missions, Small Groups, Women’s, Men’s and Student Ministries, Sunday school and recommended written resources.

The ministry of biblical counseling is growing into a major outreach opportunity as we have attempted to help people in crisis with God’s truth. Hurting people are primed for the Gospel—they are looking for hope in the midst of life’s struggles. As people in our church family reach-out to others; they are encouraging their families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, employees and employers to seek counsel in our church, and those individuals are coming to us. We often think of outreach as going to those who are in need, but now people in crisis are coming to us! We dare not ignore the tremendous opportunity set before us.

It is not our desire to charge for counsel given; thus limiting the scope of our ministry in the community to those with financial means. Nor is it our intention to turn people away when they are in such great need; simply because we do not have the sufficient people resources in place to extend counsel.

Rather, it is our intention to put forth a strategic plan for the preparation and training of our people to extend hope to the hurting through Godly counsel given from God’s Word.

Leaders Leading the Way

Some might say that a church has a counseling ministry. We prefer to say the church is a counseling ministry (Col. 3:16). We believe that our leaders, and various members of the church family should be prepared to discern the cause of one’s struggle, and offer the appropriate biblical answer to those who are in need. Just as we desire for all in our church family to grow to the point where they can open the Bible and lead someone to Christ, so it is our goal that those in our church family would be prepared to engage in the intensive discipleship—that we call biblical counseling (Gal. 6:1-3; 1 Thes. 4:18; 2 Cor. 1:3-4; Heb. 3:13).

The Counseling and Discipleship Training Conference was offered on our church campus on various weekends in the spring of each year. The Fundamentals and Advanced track were well attended, and will be returning annually through 2010. The thirty hours of instruction taught by The National Association of Nouthetic Counselors remains a tremendous preparatory resource for our Elders, and ministry leaders. We strongly encourage attendance.

Opportunities for Service

There are people who come for counseling whose needs at some point would be served by a more informal discipleship relationship; for example spiritually mature married couple mentoring a younger couple in their relationship; or someone who has walked with the Lord longer, being a consistent encouragement to someone who is just getting started.

For those who have been through the Counseling and Discipleship Training we want to encourage them to use what they have learned in ministering to those who are hurting.

There are at least three different levels where counseling/discipleship can take place:

• Level 1: Basic Encouragement — Being available as a friend to pray with, encourage, mentor, and offer accountability.
• Level 2: Intermediate Counsel — Working with those who might be struggling with a life-dominating sin, or unbiblical thought patterns. This involvement might require weekly or bi-weekly meetings.
• Level 3: More Complex Challenges — At times the counseling needs necessitate a more frequent involvement on behalf of the biblical counselor. We want our Pastors, Elders and others who have been trained to be available and engaged with those in the midst of loss, severe marital challenges, depression, addictions, etc.

Beyond extending biblical counsel there are other opportunities for service, when people are facing life-altering situations. Often times there are physical and support needs that are necessary during the counseling process. Perhaps you may be able to be able to use your giftedness to minister in these areas. For example, a single mom’s car needs repair, carpooling kids, childcare etc. Others may have needs such as an accountability partner, specific mentoring, medical help, financial counsel, coaches, employment, or housing. Occasionally some might benefit from actually living in a home with a believing family.

On-Going Training

The Counseling and Discipleship Training offered each spring provides an excellent entry level point for those interested in ministering in this way. The National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC) also provides a certification process for trained counselors. At FBC we are looking to encourage many to move through this process in order that they might be prepared to reach those in crisis in our community with God’s truth.

Additional Opportunities

We are looking to partner with other like-minded churches, and coordinate our efforts to more effectively provide biblical counseling to the community.

We remain committed to developing a Biblical Counseling Resource Library, and making additional resources available to our people as they minister to others. We are also praying that God would raise up a medical doctor that is committed to the sufficiency of the Scriptures willing to be a counseling resource when physical issues are present.