About Bethany Biblical Counseling Ministry (BBCM)
Our Purpose:
Our purpose is to strengthen the local church’s pursuit of the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-39) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) by teaching a biblical view of worship and discipleship as a lifestyle for every believer, everywhere, all of the time, with everyone they meet for the glory of God.
Our Mission:
We seek to (1) develop and equip competent and compassionate believers for the ministry of discipleship and (2) provide biblical counsel to help people meet the challenges of life in a way that will please and honor the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Vision:
We desire to see gospel-centered, Christ-exalting discipleship permeate the culture of the local church.
Our Philosophy:
We believe that the Bible provides thorough wisdom and instruction for living a life that is pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 5:9; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, our counseling is based on scriptural principles rather than on those of secular psychology or psychiatry. We understand biblical counseling to be focused discipleship, and we define discipleship as “living and speaking like Christ, in order to help others become more like Christ.”
Our Biblical Counselors:
Our Biblical counselors are committed to sharing the wisdom, truth, hope, comfort, and encouragement of God’s Word to re-shape perspectives, clarify life’s purposes, teach biblical principles, and equip others to rightly respond to circumstances for God’s glory. We are not licensed clinicians or psychotherapists and do not offer advice based on psychological philosophies. If you believe that you would benefit from psychological counseling, psychotherapy, or from other mental health professionals, please consult with your current health-care provider for a referral.
What We Expect of You:
Your ability to address your problems in a way that honors God and glorifies Him depends on the amount of time you invest in completing assignments and your willingness to make serious changes in your life by applying new principles. Therefore, we expect that you will keep your appointments, that you commit to being a learner, that you diligently complete your assignments, and that you patiently give the counseling process time to produce the deep changes God desires. Your counselor may choose to suspend the process if he/she discerns that the counseling isn’t progressing as desired effectively.
Non-Bethany Counselees:
We will minister to anyone outside of our Bethany Community Church family as our resources allow. We respect the authority of your own church and may request permission to communicate with your pastor before beginning the counseling process. We ask that you bring your pastor or a designated representative with you for all of your counseling sessions. Their involvement will facilitate your continued growth in your local church. If you do not have a home church, we ask that you to attend weekly services at Bethany Community Church, or another Bible-believing church.
What To Expect:
Please allow up to 3 hours for your first appointment. Subsequent visits are generally 60-90 minutes. The first session involves reviewing your life-story and discussing your reasons for coming. Your counselor will present a high-level, general outline of the counseling process and will give you some basic homework. You can expect 1-6 hours of homework per week, depending upon your situation and your counselor’s discretion.
Cost:
All counseling is offered free of charge as a ministry of Bethany Community Church; however, you may be asked to purchase relevant homework materials as assigned by your counselor. If you wish to contribute to the counseling ministry’s ongoing expenses, we would be grateful for your support. In such cases, checks should be made payable to Bethany Community Church rather than to any individual.
The Counseling Team:
BBCM is primarily a biblical counseling training ministry, therefore you can expect to have others (i.e. counseling discipler, trainee, observer) in your counseling sessions. We have learned that involving others increases your prayer support, provides greater insights, wisdom, and effective counsel. Be assured that anyone involved is committed to mutual respect and biblical confidentiality. We require male counselors to have another person also present with any female counselee.
Resolution of Conflicts:
On rare occasions, a conflict may develop between a counselor and a counselee. Should this occur, we ask that you help us address any such conflicts in a biblical manner by appealing first to your counselor. If you are unable to resolve the issue, please contact the Biblical Counseling Administrator. If your concerns continue, please contact any Bethany Community Church elder to find a resolution. We commit to making every effort to resolve conflict in a manner according to the principles of Matthew 18:15-20.
Communication and Community:
We believe it is in your best interest and is imperative to our mission for your lead counselor to communicate regularly with the appropriate leadership of your local church and the members of your counseling team. Your signature below gives us permission to discuss the information regarding your situation with any appropriate and concerned parties. Please read the Bethany Biblical Counseling Ministry Consent Form carefully.