Category Archives: Local Church Ministry
Whether you are a church member or ministry leader you might find yourself filled with a sense of compassion when face with parishioners struggling with mental illness, but it is eclipsed by feelings of fear, ignorance, and incompetence. In your head you affirm the gospel is enough for those living with mental illness but in your heart you find yourself tentative, unsure of how the gospel can tangibly make a difference not just for eternity, but here and now. Continue reading
Equipping believers and being equipped is an important aspect of biblical counseling. Primarily from the Ephesians 4, there are several corresponding ways equipping and being equipped correspond and show us the necessity of equipping ministries in the local church. Continue reading
As a pastor or ministry leader, you may clearly recognize the need for church-wide discipleship, but convincing your people is another story. They may not intend to be stubborn; they just pursue their own ideas. And they resist change that doesn’t fulfill their vision of what their church should do. Here are two suggestions for building discipleship in such a church. Continue reading
Many times when people write about equipping, they provide excellent ideas. But often I hear people say: “I love those ideas, but do you have any resources so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel? And, any chance those resources are free!?” In response to questions like that from many educators, equippers, pastors, and biblical counselors, I’ve created the following free resources for Equipping Counselors for Your Church. Continue reading
Several years into this cascade, I was studying through Ephesians and the passage from chapter 4 hit me like a freight train. In the face of this incredibly clear passage I had to admit that I was laboring in the opposite direction to God’s design and purpose. I was dominating the work of service, intentionally or not, and the saints were left on the outside. The body of Christ was not being built up because the very means God had given for the construction had been short-circuited. Beyond the practical problems I cited earlier, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was neglecting a huge and vital task God had clearly assigned. Continue reading
If the church in the western world is really going to move away from the over-professionalized, hyper-therapeutic view of counseling, we need to see counseling more as part of the discipleship continuum rather than placing it on a separate plane altogether. Because the war against our enemies (the flesh, Satan, and the world) is mostly fought at the street level, biblical counseling belongs in our homes, in our small group meetings, and in our friendships. Continue reading
Sadly, in some churches, the people of God are second-class citizens when it comes to the work of the ministry. If a “lay” person makes a hospital visit, that’s okay, but we want to know, “where’s my pastor!” Far too many “lay” people are recruited to fill a position and to fill a need, but not to fulfill a calling. Christ’s vision is so different. Pastors serve the people so God’s people can serve the congregation and community. Continue reading
In Ephesians 4:11-16, the Apostle Paul highlights the Bible’s most powerful, focused vision statement for the Church. This passage offers God’s ministry description both for pastors and for every member. By distilling the essence of God’s call, His vision captures our imagination and motivates the shift in ministry mindset that changes everything. Continue reading
In light of the passing of Matthew Warren, who took his life, and in light of much discussion in the Christian community about suicide and mental illness, we asked one of our BCC Council Board members, Dr. Jeremy Pierre, to share his perspective. As we do, we pray for Rick and Kay Warren as they find Christ’s hope in the midst of their grief. And we pray that Dr. Pierre’s insights would be helpful to the Christian community. Continue reading
This weekend we highlight a resource that first appeared on Desiring God Ministries and is used with permission. In this video, Desiring God interviews Ed Welch on what comes to mind when you hear the phrase “biblical counseling?” Continue reading
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Practical Shepherding
A Blog from a Counselor for the Church
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Justin Holcomb