Biblical Counseling

God calls every Christian to grow to maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:15-16). Every believer, at one time or another, faces suffering and difficulties that require us to trust God and to look to others for help. Within the local church, God has provided a natural relationship among believers that is intended to accomplish that goal. The apostle Paul teaches that as believers we are to be “… full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Rom. 15:14).

If you are interested in receiving Biblical counseling, we would like to help. Please contact our church office for more information. 

Counselor Training & Certification

Each day we are presented with opportunities to counsel one another. The only question is: is that counsel Biblical? Are we offering one another the grace of the gospel?

At Crossway, our desire is to provide every member with a basic ability to apply the truth of the gospel in his or her relationships. We also want to equip interested members to provide more formal care to believers who are struggling. To accomplish these goals, we offer Care and Discipleship Certification through an in-depth curriculum provided by the Institute of Biblical Care and Discipleship (IBCD).

The IBCD Care & Discipleship Certification is a 3-level course that can be “audited” or completed with the required paperwork and payment to receive certification from IBCD. Coursework with IBCD can also be used to fulfill the requirement for certification with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).

See our calendar to find out when the next course is being offered.

 

IBCD Level 1 (20 sessions)

Required Resources:CDC Student handbook or digital version

Course description – This introduction to biblical counseling is designed to acquaint people with an understanding of how the sufficiency of Scripture impacts how we view our struggles, especially in relation to psychology. It also deals with the general principles involved in biblical counseling and how one would use this method in situations involving anger, conflict, depression, fear, temptation, and dealing with trials.

IBCD Level 2 (18 sessions)

Required Resources:CDC Student handbook or digital version

Course description – This material builds on the foundation laid in Level 1, but focuses specifically on biblical views of marriage and parenting and how to deal with common problems in these areas. The intricacies of the mind/body issues in biblical counseling are also explored, especially in regards to the use of psychotropic drugs.

IBCD Level 3 (12 sessions)

Required Resources:Observation Handbook or digital version Required Reading: The Peacemaker and Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

Course description – This final level of certification is aimed at the integration and development of all that has been covered in Levels 1 & 2. Applicants are required to observe 10 hours of counseling with a ACBC Certified biblical counselor. If one is not able to do this live through IBCD, DVDs are available to complete this requirement. Some required reading of essential counseling texts are the final part of this certification process.