The counseling ministry at Calvary Bible Church is an extension of our church focus on exalting Christ by making disciples who know, love, and serve Him.
In discipleship and counseling, CBC seeks to direct believers in our church body to apply biblical solutions to their problems, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word (Rom. 15:14, Gal. 6:1, 1 Thess. 5:14).
All believers at CBC are called to counsel each other in the normal life-on-life relationships that we enjoy through fellowship, as commanded in scripture.
All believers at CBC are called to counsel each other through discipleship by seeking out other believers who are more mature or experienced in applying biblical solutions to specific circumstances.
Those in need are encouraged to seek counsel from appointed CBC counselors who are specifically gifted and equipped to provide intensive discipleship to those who are struggling through trials, temptations, sin, and suffering. This is free ministry provided by the church.
If you call Calvary Bible Church "home," and would like to meet with someone for counseling, contact the church office (x200) or the counseling office (x218) to make an appointment or receive a referral.
If you are not a part of Calvary Bible Church, the following links can help you find biblical counselors: ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors), CCEF (Christian Counseling and Education Foundation), ABC (Association of Biblical Counselors), BCC (Biblical Counseling Coalition), One-Eighty Ministries
What should I expect in Biblical Counseling?
Learn more about the Biblical Counseling process and read responses to some common questions we get.
Who will I meet with?
You will meet with a same-gender counselor. Couples who come for pre-engagement, pre-marital, and marriage counseling will be counseled by a male counselor, often in tandem with a female counselor. When you request counseling, a counselor will be recommended and assigned to you.
What qualifications will my counselor have?
Counselors at CBC have various levels of training. ACBC Certified Counselors have completed classroom training, observation hours, reading requirements, a comprehensive theology exam, a comprehensive counseling exam, and 50 hours of supervised counseling by an ACBC Fellow. IBCD Certified Counselors have completed classroom training, observation hours, reading requirements, and exit interviews. Lay Counselors have completed classroom training and have ongoing accountability to our ACBC counselors.
Where will we meet?
You will meet wherever you and your counselor agree to meet! You will usually meet on the church campus (most often in a pastor's office or the counseling office), but you also might meet up in a coffee shop, in a home, or on Zoom.
What will happen during our meeting?
Every counselor is different, but usually, after praying together, the counselor will listen carefully to you as you explain your struggles. Then, the counselor will ask questions, provide encouragement, and help you discern how God's Word applies to your situation. You will also receive "homework," which might include listening to or reading material, journaling, practicing skills, or anything else your counselor deems prudent.
How often and for how long do we meet?
Each counseling situation is different. You might come for just one meeting, or you might meet weekly. Most counseling sessions last an hour, but that is adjusted based on the needs of the counselor(s) and counselee(s).
How much does it cost?
It's free! This is a ministry of CBC to our church body. Counselors are volunteers who donate their time.
What issues do the counselors at CBC deal with?
EVERYTHING! God's Word speaks into every area of our lives. Counselors are equipped to deal with any issue, including theological questions, family issues, loss and grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse and neglect, PTS(D), marriage troubles, parenting troubles, eating disorders, self-harm, habitual sin, addiction, mental illness, aging, etc.
Do the counselors tell other people at church about my problems?
No. The counselors maintain privacy unless they are mandated to report by law, become of aware of a threat to life or harm, or reach a level of concern where they need to consult with an Elder, Pastor, or other counselor.
I've heard that Christian counselors don't believe in mental illness and/or won't allow me to take medicine. Is that true?
CBC counselors are not medical professionals and do not advise on the use of medications, either for or against. As biblical counselors, our focus is on your spiritual response to whatever you are going through. For a more thorough treatment of this, see the ACBC guidelines on this matter.
I've heard that Christian counselors make women stay in abusive marriages. Is that true?
CBC counselors affirm ACBC guidelines on abuse. Our counselors stand firm upon the enduring doctrines of Scripture for proper action which confronts abusers and protects the abused consistent with the character of our God in his redemptive and restorative work.
Becoming an Appointed Counselor at CBC
CBC counselors are mature believers who are willing to engage in intensive discipleship with those who are in need. Counselors at CBC seek to live out the love of Christ to those who are hurting – to call to repentance, to walk through trials with empathy and compassion, and to restore hurting members of our Body to growing fellowship and biblical relationships.
The counseling ministry adheres to the policies and standards of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and encourages counselors to pursue training and certification both through the church’s discipleship training program, IBCD, and ACBC.
If you are a member of CBC and are interested in receiving training in discipleship and/or counseling, contact Jay Underwood or Laurena Townsend to schedule an interview and begin the process of training to serve in the counseling ministry.
Recommended Reading for Common Counseling Issues
(This is a work in progress. Please be patient as we build this list.)
If you are looking for further recommendations, contact Laurena in the counseling office (x218).
Addiction
Proverbs 20:1, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Peter 5:8
The Addiction Connection | Freedom That Lasts | Teen Challenge
Cross Talking: A Daily Gospel for Transforming Addicts
by Mark Shaw
A 45-Day devotional book designed to transform your thoughts that lead to addiction of many types into gospel thinking that brings glory to God. We are too easily conformed to this world, and these daily readings will transform your thinking and direct you away from the temporary pleasures of self to victorious living in Christ.
(See Shaw's Heart of Addiction books and Divine Intervention for families of addicts for more help.)
Crossroads: A Step-By-Step Guide Away from Addiction (Study Guide)
by Edward T. Welch
No matter the object - drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, or sex, just to name a few-addictions lure us. Addiction is a voluntary slavery. Change doesn't come easily. But change is possible! God's Word offers hope, and that hope is the basis of this study. (Leader Guide available)
Addictive Habits: Changing For Good
by David R. Dunham
It begins with a choice . . . but soon that choice overpowers and traps you. You both love and hate your habit, and it begins to define you. Addiction is a blend of choice and enslavement—but change is possible through God and his Word. These daily devotionals remind us of God's truth and help us apply it to our lives, addressing our responsibility for addiction, our relationship with the God who can free us, and techniques for first restructuring our lives and then remaining faithful long-term.
Anger
James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:8
Uprooting Anger: Biblical Help For a Common Problem
by Robert D. Jones
Grandma was right. You've got to get the weeds by the roots, or they'll just grow back. So too with deep-rooted anger. Moralistic efforts to be patient with your coworkers won't cut it. Regret-riddled resolutions to stop yelling at your kids won't last. You must rip out those angry roots.
But is uprooting sinful anger a realistic goal? Can it happen? God's answer in the Bible is "Yes!" Whether you tend to simmer or strike out, whether you implode or explode, there is biblical help for you. Robert Jones shows us how to effect godly change in our lives in this practical Christ-centered resource.
Good and Angry: Letting Go of Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness
by David Powlison
We know anger affects us negatively, but we think that there isn't any other way to respond when life goes wrong. Anger is our complex human response to things we perceive as wrong in a complex world, thus we must learn how to fruitfully and honestly deal with it. Powlison undertakes an in-depth exploration of the roots of anger, moral judgment, and righteous response by looking in a surprising place: God’s own anger.
A Small Book about a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace
by Edward T. Welch
The wounds we inflict on others when we are angry -- the loss of intimacy, trust, security, and enjoyment in our closest relationships -- give us compelling reasons to look closely at our anger and think carefully about how to grow in patience and peace. If you have just gotten irritated for the umpteenth time today, you might wonder if change is possible. Can anyone grow in patience and peace? Yes. But you need a plan. Ed Welch invites readers to take a 50-day journey that unpacks anger and encourages readers to become more skillful at responding with patience to life's difficulties. Along the way, readers will be introduced to Jesus, the Prince of Peace the only one who can empower his people to grow in patience, peace, and wholeness.
Anxiety and Fear
Matthew 6:25-34, 10:28-31; Philippians 4:7-9
Courage: Fighting Fear with Fear
by Wayne Mack
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells us to fear God, but our lives show where our true fears lie. Warping the shape of our lives from day to day, sinful, controlling fear also paralyzes us spiritually: we’re afraid to obey or trust God in the circumstances that scare us, and we care more about what others think of us than what God thinks.
When People Are Big and God Is Small, Second Edition Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man
by Edward T. Welch
Do you crave people’s love and approval? Do you dread their rejection or mistreatment? Although we don’t always realize it, many of our lives—and identities—are dangerously contorted around such longings and fears.
Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety
by Elyse Fitzpatrick
You’re not alone in your struggles with anxiety. Christian women in all seasons of life battle worries about their family, work, health, faith, and more. Yet God has compassion for your weary heart, and when you turn to Him, He’ll guide you to freedom from your fears.
Conflict
Matthew 18:15-17, Romans 12:18, Colossians 3:12-15
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict
by Ken Sande
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." But it often seems like conflict and disagreement are unavoidable. Serious, divisive conflict is everywhere-within families, in the church, and out in the world. And it can seem impossible to overcome its negative force in our lives. In The Peacemaker, Ken Sande presents a comprehensive and practical theology for conflict resolution designed to bring about not only a cease-fire but also unity and harmony. Sande takes readers beyond resolving conflicts to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers. Biblically based, The Peacemaker is full of godly wisdom and useful suggestions that are easily applied to any relationship needing reconciliation. Sande's years of experience as an attorney and as president of Peacemaker Ministries will strengthen readers' confidence as they stand in the gap as peacemakers.
(All Peacemaking books by Ken Sande are recommended.)
Pursuing Peace: A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts
by Robert D. Jones
You have conflict in your life—we all do. You encounter it in your home, your workplace, your school, or even your church. All around us tensions exist and disputes persist. Offered here is a step-by-step process for pursuing peace in ALL your relationships and a tool you can use to help others
Relationships: A Mess Worth Making
by Timothy S. Lane & Paul David Tripp
A book about relationships, written within the context of their own friendship, Tim and Paul's new offering is straightforward about the relational disappointments that we all suffer. But they are also optimistic about the power of grace to redeem and restore our relationships. Rather than presenting new or sophisticated techniques to make relationships flourish, the authors instead focus on the basic character qualities that can only be formed in the heart by the gospel. "We are called to be people of great character so that when we do come in contact with the world our character shapes and influences those around us. Even though relationships are messy, they are also what God uses to rescue us from ourselves," say Tim and Paul.