Equipped to Counsel

This is a study of practical counseling methodology that can be used in an informal and formal counseling contexts and information about specific areas of struggle such.

“Equipped to Counsel” written by John Henderson, Ph.D is being used by Soul Care broad sense to equip everyday Christians who want to help others as they interact with them in a casual setting, but also in a specific way to train lay counselors and group leaders. This material is also being used at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington and the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas for a variety of ministry goals.

One of the foundational premises of this curriculum is that the Great Commission calls believers to baptize, teach, and make disciples. This material shows believers how to disciple those that are suffering so that they may one day help others. The hope is that this material will encourage believers to live out the Great Commission within the Body of Christ as well as the Church without walls.

John Henderson, the author of the material, from Denton Bible Church, states that,

When I think about the purpose of the Equipped to Counsel Curriculum, I remember Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12) It is my conviction that counseling ministry belongs under the banner, “a work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” And if so, then counseling belongs in the body of Christ and equipping followers of Jesus Christ to counsel one another in love and truth belongs under the job description of pastors and teachers in the Church. Equipped to Counsel was written to provide a curriculum to help pastors and teachers equip the saints in face-to-face gospel ministry, to train, prepare, and encourage their people in the vital ministry of biblical counseling. From all my interactions with the Soul Care pastor and ministers at Christ Chapel, it is evident to me that they are implementing Equipped to Counsel for this very purpose, and it excites my heart beyond measure. May the Lord be exalted and His church edified as we labor together!

One participant who took this section said, "Counseling has seemed to me in the category of Computer Programming ... beyond my comprehension or capability. I have been convinced for many years that the Bible could address all of our problems but believed those who aver that the college trained secular psycholigist has skills necessary in many if not most cases. The equipped to counsel class has been an eye opener and given my wife and I the expectation that even we can counsel."

Soul care is offering this class in three units:

Part I: Foundations of Biblical Counseling: Offered in the fall*

Part II: Biblical Counseling and Specific Troubles: Offered in the spring*

Part III: Biblical Counseling and the Family: offered in the summer

If you would like to make up the material from Part I and join in the spring please contact Leigh Ann Stull at leighanns@christchapelbc.org or 817-546-0882.

Audio Files

The audio for the current class has moved to our new Resources page. To visit this page, click here.