NACPF UNITE 2012 Counseling in Church Planting

What is Biblical Counseling? ▪ Affirmations and Denials of Biblical Counseling by David Powlison ▪ “Helping Real People with Real Problems Using the Bible” ▪ Goal 1: To please God. ▪ Goal 2: To build the Church.

Benefits of BC in CP? ▪ Benefit 1: It promotes in the church a love for the Gospel. ▪ Benefit 2: It sets the church on a course toward maturity. ▪ Benefit 3: It restores to the church the privilege and responsibility to care for souls. ▪ Benefit 4: It enriches the church with resources for fulfilling the Great Commission.

What does it look like? ▪ Formal Counseling: Problem Specific – More Structured ▪ Elders, Trained Lay Counselors, etc. ▪ Informal Counseling: Life General - Less Structured ▪ General Membership, Small Groups, Mutual Ministry of the Word, etc.

How do we get there? ▪ Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Equipping the Church to Counsel ▪ Structures for Counseling Carefully

Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Preaching ▪ Small Groups ▪ Counseling

Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Preaching (Key Doctrines/Themes) 1. The Great Commission 2. The Ongoing Work of Christ 3. Biblical Anthropology  4. Sufficiency of Scripture 5. Progressive Sanctification Transformational vs. Propositional

Biblical Anthropology – The Study of Man -Man as Body and Soul -The Heart as the Wellspring of Life -The Sinfulness of Man Prevents Him from Changing Himself -True Cures are Found in Christ Who is Outside of Us. -God’s solutions are inextricably linked to Scripture -Change is a community project.

Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Small Groups 1. Culture of Care 2. Mutual Ministry of the Word 3. Gospel-centered Brotherhood

How do we get there? ▪ Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Preaching ▪ Small Groups ▪ Counseling ▪ Equipping the Church to Counsel ▪ Structures for Counseling Safely

How do we get there? ▪ Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Equipping the Church to Counsel ▪ Five Stages of BC Commitment ▪ Resources ▪ Team Counseling ▪ Structures for Counseling Carefully

Five Stage of BC Commitment (Powlison) Stages in the Journey of BC Leadership 1. We hear that the church has a significant counseling calling. 2. We agree that the vision is desirable. 3. We personally embrace and embody the vision. 4. We seek out training, teaching, mentoring, supervision. 5. We become good at counseling. 6. We develop leaders.

How do we get there? ▪ Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Equipping the Church to Counsel ▪ Five Stages of BC Commitment ▪ Resources ▪ Team Counseling ▪ Structures for Counseling Carefully

Resources for General Equipping 1. The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context by David Powlison 2. How People Change by Paul Tripp and Tim Lane 3. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp 4. Seeing with New Eyes by David Powlison 5. Speaking Truth in Love by David Powlison 6. Pursuing Peace by Robert D. Jones

How do we get there? ▪ Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Equipping the Church to Counsel ▪ Five Stages of BC Commitment ▪ Resources ▪ Team Counseling ▪ Structures for Counseling Carefully

How do we get there? ▪ Cultivating a Culture of Change ▪ Equipping the Church to Counsel ▪ Five Stages of BC Commitment ▪ Resources ▪ Team Counseling ▪ Structures for Counseling Carefully

Structures for Counseling Carefully - Intake Form / Counseling Agreement - Counseling Record Form - Benefits of Certification by a BC Organization +Growing Capability for Counseling +Protection through Affiliation with Larger Organization -Bylaw Reference to Counseling Policies and Procedures - Incorporation for BC Ministry

Evangelism and Discipleship As Evangelism: - No Change Apart from Christ - In-depth Evangelism - Required Involvement in the Counseling Agreement As Discipleship: - Trials and Temptations are Fertile Ground for Growth - BC is central to church life. All of life is counseling. - BC assists believers in one-anothering.

Evangelism and Discipleship

Prevailing Views about Counseling and Planting V - The church planter’s job is to be an evangelist, not a pastor or counselor (for at least the first three years). V - Churches (plants) that are serious about evangelism don’t have time for counseling. V - You can’t build a church on people who need counseling. V - I’m not a counselor. V - Strong expository preaching will solve most counseling questions and problems.

Paramount Church Columbus, Ohio Churches and Resources Biblical Counseling at Open Door Baptist (Raleigh, NC) Biblical Counseling at Faith Baptist (Lafayette, IN) Biblical Counseling at Grace Fellowship (Florence, KY) Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation The Biblical Counseling Coalition

Discussion Categories Culture of Change Equipping the Church to Counsel Structures for Counseling Carefully Myths

1. Where do we start? What resources should we look to first? 2. What is another church we could look to as a strong model of biblical counseling in the local church? 3. Isn’t biblical counseling just discipleship? 4. Are there legal ramifications when we adopt the counseling title? 5. What if I get stuck in counseling, without knowing what else to say? 6. Case studies: Frank the Frantic Member (schizophrenic; marital separation) 7. What issues should young planters equip for most? Discussion Starters