Over the last 10 years, I have witnessed that a rising number of pastors are overwhelmed by the demands of soul care ministry and that people’s problems are getting seemingly more serious. The church leaders are not confident to deliver biblical counsel to their flock. As a result, many believers seek help outside the church. We believe the church is the best place and God’s design for believers to find healing and transformation for the burdens of their soul.
Because all the counseling shouldn’t be on the pastor’s shoulders, Biblical Counseling Ministries partners with churches to strengthen discipleship through biblical care and counsel. One of the ways that BCM supports the work of the local church is through the Apprenticeship Program which comes alongside and assists both the individuals who are pursuing ACBC counseling and the churches where they belong.
In this episode, Monica Scheuer and Chad Nightingale share their first-hand experience with BCM’s Apprenticeship Program. They discuss some of the unique elements of the Apprenticeship Program and how they have seen God use this resource to equip believers and churches to minister to counselees.
Listen in!
RESOURCES:
- Episode 37: The Value of the Apprenticeship Program (with Chad Nightingale) | Biblical Counseling Ministries
- Episode 42: Returning SoulCare™ to the Local Church (with Chad Nightingale) | Biblical Counseling Ministries
- Episode 63: A SoulCare Framework (with Chad Nightingale & Kent Kloter) | Biblical Counseling Ministries
- Reach out for more information about the Apprenticeship Program
- Read our Articles
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- Donate to support BCM
- Learn more about our 5-Project Biblical Counseling Blueprint Model™
- Explore the rest of our website – bcmnational.org
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Remember your dependence on the Holy Spirit. Many pastors or church members are hesitant to commit to counseling and ACBC certification because they believe they are not equipped or do not know the Bible well enough. We cannot help people with human wisdom or human power. God’s transformation in the counselee does not depend on our proficient skills and eloquent communication. We need to humbly confess that only God is able to change hearts and submit ourselves as instruments eager to be used as He pleases to help others. Praise God that He uses meager men like us!
- Glorify God with how He has equipped you. One of the strengths of the apprenticeship program is that it exposes the apprentice to many different styles of counseling and many different counseling resources. This exposure encourages the counselor to focus on how God has gifted him or her and use those skills for His glory instead of trying to conform to one specific example.
- Rely on your local church. The apprenticeship program is designed to be carried out within the church context with elder recommendation and oversight. God has designed the elders to be the shepherds of the church and the caretakers of it, and they have a better view of what is going on in the lives of individuals than we do. We are serving the church leaders alongside individuals in the apprenticeship program.
Meet Monica
Monica Scheuer and her husband experienced God’s transforming work in their marriage and individual sanctification through biblical counseling in 2020. She is now a certified biblical counselor serving at Lexington Community Church in Lexington, IL. and is passionate about God’s good design of the church caring for his people.
Meet Chad
Chad Nightingale has been a Church Care Partner with BCM since November 2021. His previous training includes a Bible Certificate from the Word of Life Bible Institute, a B.S. in Bible from Lancaster Bible College, an M.A. in Counseling Practical Theology from Calvary Seminary, and an IABC certification. Chad currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Pekin Bible Church. Chad and his wife, Tracy, have three children.
