In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Nate & Derah Schellenberg about residential ministry. Nate & Derah have been deeply involved with this type of ministry for years, and they bring their extensive wisdom to our discussion today!
Sometimes, there’s a need to address life-dominating sin through more intensive discipleship and counseling. If a situation requires more resources than a church can offer, residential programs can step in to model discipleship for those in need.
Nate is currently participating in a Biblical Counseling internship at Liberty Bible Church, and Derah shares insights from the time her family spent living on a residential ministry property. Don’t miss their insight in this episode!
Resources:
- Learn more about Liberty Bible Church
- Learn more about our 5-Project Biblical Counseling Customized Blueprint Solution™
- Explore the rest of our website – bcmnational.org
Key Takeaways
1. Life-dominating sin is indeed occurring in our churches. It can manifest as substance abuse, lying, and sexual sins, among others. Counseling and providing appropriate help in these situations requires a great deal of time and energy that many pastors do not have. In such cases, people don’t know how to apply the gospel to everyday decisions. Many pastors cannot integrate this labor-intensive effort into their schedules. That’s where residential ministry can step in.
2. Residential ministry excels at moving individuals from dangerous situations to safe places. When the consequences are severe, residential ministries offer a way for an individual to receive care in conjunction with their relationship with the church. The most successful residential locations are situated away from cities to minimize environmental temptations and distractions.
3. The special life-on-life ministry offered by residential settings is a unique calling. In residential care, people work and live side by side, allowing discipleship to be actively modeled, not merely taught or described.
Meet Nate & Derah
Nate & Derah Schellenberg are deeply committed to residential ministry. Nate is engaged in a Biblical Counseling internship at Liberty Bible Church, while Derah grew up on a ministry property, absorbing vital lessons in transformative community support. Together, they leverage their experiences to guide individuals through significant personal challenges with focused discipleship and counseling.
