We are talking to small group leaders for today’s conversation. Have you ever wondered what your role is as a small group leader? Is it to lead discussions about the latest sermons or to be hospitable and make sure there are good snacks? And just how does small groups intersect with SoulCare™?

To help guide us through this discussion and provide wisdom is my guest, Scott Mehl. Scott is the Managing Director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBCD) and a Fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). He is also the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone church in West Los Angeles. Scott is also the author of two books: Loving Messy People and Redeeming Sex in Marriage.

In this episode, Scott shares practical ways to show love for people, why many small group leaders experience a lack of confidence, how Scripture contains wisdom for whatever issues we may be facing, and much more.

Listen in!

Show Notes: bcmnational.org/scott-mehl-61

We are bringing you this conversation live from the ACBC Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Each conference has been so encouraging and insightful; however, there is one thing I’ve noticed – not as many pastors are involved enough in their counseling ministry to attend a biblical counseling conference.

Joining me to help answer the question, “Why aren’t more pastors coming or taking an active role in biblical counseling?” is a fellow pastor from Illinois. Jonathan Chadbourn is the teaching pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Morton, Illinois. He carries a great burden to see people conformed to Christ through teaching, discipleship, and biblical counseling.

In this episode, Jonathan shares the different reasons some pastors may not invest in an ACBC Conference, the personal benefits of a training like an ACBC Conference, a challenge to all pastors who long to shepherd their flock well, and much more.

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Show Notes: bcmnational.org/jonathan-chadbourn-60

What do we do when dark events sweep across our nation and affect us close to home? How do we respond as pastors and leaders when current events affect our congregation so deeply? 

Often, when events like the assassination of Charlie Kirk occur, it can leave our sheep feeling confused, hurt, and looking for direction on how they should respond.

Helping me wade into this discussion on how we should react when we come face-to-face with darkness is my friend, Andrew Gerber. Andrew is an Associate Pastor who oversees Family Ministry and Discipleship at Lexington Community Church in Central Illinois. 

In this episode, Andrew shares what a biblical response to tragedy looks like, how the church can offer care to its sheep, why horrible things occur in this world, and much more.

Show Notes: bcmnational.org/andrew-gerber-59

The biblical counseling movement is ever-growing, and yet, not everyone who goes by the title of “biblical counselor” adheres to the same ideals and beliefs. There are those who claim to be biblical counselors but still turn to outside sources, additional therapies, and specialized training they feel is necessary to be able to adequately address what may come into the counseling room.

However, is this man-centered wisdom really necessary to be able to counsel well? Should those who rely on it have the title of a biblical counselor? We are addressing these questions and more. Helping me do this is my guest, Joshua Greiner.

Joshua is shepherding as the Lead Pastor at Berean Baptist Church in Michigan, and is an ACBC-Certified Counselor and a Fellow. He has been a voice in the biblical counseling movement for a long time.

In this episode, Joshua shares a definition of a true biblical counselor, what role other therapies or specializations have in biblical counseling, questions you should be asking of your local biblical counselors, and much more.

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Show Notes: bcmnational.org/joshua-greiner-58

In the counseling room, you will come across a wide range of issues and problems that people are seeking counseling for. There are few that are more daunting than issues of addiction, whether that be drugs, alcohol, pornography, or something else.

Chad Nightingale is filling in as the guest host for this episode. Joining him for this vital conversation are two men, Mark Shaw and Andrew Held, who live in the thick of addiction counseling every day with teens and adults going through residential treatment.

In this episode, you’ll hear the ways biblical soul care varies from traditional addiction treatments, ways to discern issues of the heart, how addiction can impact anyone, and much more.

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Show Notes: bcmnational.org/shaw-held-57

It’s Kari Gross again, and I’m back with Henry Nightingale and Christian Martin, the co-hosts of a Christian gaming podcast called Courage Wisdom Power. If you missed our first episode with them, you’ll want to be sure to go back and listen to it here.

Many pastors and elders can experience discouragement and doubt in their counseling, especially when they come face-to-face with challenging topics that cut to the foundation of faith. For this conversation, Christian is sharing one scenario counselors may face from his personal experience of deconstructing his faith and how it was restored.

In this episode, Christian and Henry discuss their personal experience with deconstruction, what it means when someone deconstructs their faith, ways we can minister to those who are deconstructing, and much more.

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Show Notes: bcmnational.org/nightingale-martin-56

Many pastors and elders experience discouragement in counseling and even doubt they have the time, training, and resources to do it well. We firmly believe that people should be able to go to their church for help when they are faced with life problems.

However, when it comes to the youth of our church or even the teens in our own household, it can be challenging to instill a strong faith that will withstand the opposing views they will encounter.

For this conversation, I am joined by a couple of guests to help us understand more about teens, faith, and video games. Henry Nightingale and Christian Martin are the co-hosts of a Christian gaming podcast called Courage Wisdom Power. Through this podcast, they encourage listeners to consider how they consume and play video games from a biblical worldview.

In this episode, you’ll hear how parents and pastors can help teens grow in their faith, some of the ways we can engage secular culture, the importance of integrating youth into the church community, and much more.

Listen in!

Show Notes: bcmnational.org/nightingale-martin-55

Where do you send your sheep to get outside help? Who can be trusted? It’s normal to feel nervous and wonder if the advice they receive will be biblically sound. 

In a past episode, we shared some behind-the-scenes of what intensive counseling was like from the perspective of the counselees and their advocate couple. Today, we are going to show you what it’s like from the counselor’s perspective.

I have the privilege of welcoming Mark Schuitema. Mark is the Executive Director of Faithful Shepherds, which specializes in providing coaching, counseling, and care for the people who are pouring their lives out in the service of others. He is also a counselor at Twelve Stones, a non-profit Biblical Counseling Ministry.

In this episode, we discuss what happens in intensive counseling, the value of intensive counseling alongside your church's biblical counseling ministry, some of the characteristics of a biblically based program, and much more.

Show Notes: bcmnational.org/mark-schuitema-54

Does a thriving biblical counseling ministry really need to be championed by the lead pastor? What if they are too busy or have too much on their plate already? These are just some of the questions we are going to be tackling in this conversation.

You might recognize the name of my guest for this conversation, as he’s been around the biblical counseling movement for a long time. Brad Bigney is a speaker, author, leader in the biblical counseling movement, and serves as the Lead Pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Kentucky.

In this episode, you’ll hear some of the best practices for establishing a biblical counseling ministry, how counseling will positively impact your preaching, the importance of getting buy-in from the entire leadership team, and much more.

Show Notes: bcmnational.org/brad-bigney-53

Kari Gross is filling in as the host for this episode, where we are giving you a peek inside the counseling room. A few of our teammates have joined us for this conversation and have graciously agreed to give a glimpse into their counseling relationship. Christi Thach, our process manager, and Kent Kloter, our biblical SoulCare™ coach, also have a counselee and counselor relationship.

Christi and Kent give us a glance into their relationship throughout the years and how utilizing biblical SoulCare™ can lead a person to a place of empowerment and hope. While every counseling relationship will vary, this look at what counseling can look like should provide valuable insight for you and your members providing SoulCare™.

In this episode, you’ll learn a bit more about the counseling relationship, the value of having multiple people in the counseling room, why we should model the discipleship relationship, and much more.

Show Notes: bcmnational.org/thach-kloter-52