What’s your response when someone’s concerning behavior becomes known? How does your church or church leadership respond? Consider the following scenarios that churches may encounter in their congregation. A church board member laughs about trying marijuana gummies on the golf course with his friends on their annual golf trip to San Diego. A youth worker confesses they needed a designated … Read More
It’s Good to Grieve
Death causes us to be angry because it comes into our world like an unexpected slap in the face. As one researcher said, “Death is a social disease, like V.D. It is not polite, not well-mannered.”[1] King Solomon concurred: “No man has authority to restrain the wind…or authority over the day of death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). When death enters our social circles or … Read More
[Testimony] From a BCC Training Class to BCC Staff
Something many people don’t realize about Biblical Counseling Center is that most of our staff counselors were first students in our online school, or interns as they finished advanced graduate level training in counseling. Recently, we added Mark Johnson to our Indiana Counseling team. As a church elder, Mark took BCC Training nearly 20 years ago to improve his ability to … Read More
Churches, Don’t Miss This Moment
At the end of each March Madness NCAA Basketball tourney, there is a powerful tradition called “One Shining Moment” where the unbelievable plays, dramatic storylines, and tournament surprises are combined into a video recap to the delight of college basketball fans everywhere. The video montage captures the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, the elation of victorious teams … Read More
The Power of Encouragement
In a culture of soundbites and sarcasm, the power of an authentic encouraging word has never been greater. Within our larger culture and sadly even within many church contexts, we have lost sight of the importance of being people of encouragement. We can tell the world what we think in 140 characters or less, post mocking memes, and spout self-righteous … Read More
A New Normal: Conversations That Matter
Church as we know it has changed drastically over the last few years. Churches have also recently seen more and more people dealing with marriages under stress, increasing addictions, growing anxiety, and loneliness. Many have experienced job loss and financial distress; students are uncertain in school; graduates are wondering when they’ll be able to find a job. How can churches … Read More
Racial Reconciliation: Addressing the Sting of Racism
Over the past few weeks, racism has been brought into focus both in the church and the culture at large. Within both Christian and secular counseling organizations, there has been an increasing awareness of the need for racial diversity, sensitivity, and cross-cultural awareness in the ways we counsel and understand the human condition. How Can We Help Those Stung by … Read More
A PLAN for Times of Crisis
We never know when times of crisis will come. No one could have ever predicted what 2020 would hold for us. However, most times of crisis don’t come in the form of a global pandemic. They are more often experienced more locally. Think about these fairly common crisis situations that you may face as a leader. A church building experiences … Read More
4 Things to Evaluate in Conflict
As a counselor, I get to observe my share of conflicts. Frankly as a parent and church member, I get a close up view of conflict as well. Conflict seems to be a constant in our culture, homes, churches, and relationships. We may go through seasons of peace, but we never seem to completely outrun the long arm of conflict. … Read More
