Free Articles from the Journal of Biblical Counseling
The mission of the Journal of Biblical Counseling (JBC) is to develop clear thinking and effective practice in biblical counseling. We seek to do this through publishing articles that faithfully bring the God of truth, mercy and power to the issues that face pastoral ministries of counseling and discipleship. Read more about the JBC by clicking here.
CCEF is excited to partner with ELF and provide the following free resources for Christian counsellors.
The Pastor as Counselor
By: David Powlison
This article is written to pastors—but it is for anyone interested in counseling. If you are not a pastor, you will overhear ways of seeing, thinking and conversing that give fresh shape to your counseling, too. Listen in. The dots do connect directly to you. I hope that you find this vision illumining and heartening. If you are a pastor, I hope that the message speaks relevantly, not only to your 1:1 conversations, but with an impact that nourishes your preaching, teaching and leadership as well. All readers will find, along the way, that this article is actually an introduction to biblical counseling philosophy, methodology and process.
Getting Oriented
By: David Powlison
This article aims to orient you to biblical counseling. We will consider three basic perspectives on biblical counseling. First, WHY seek to counsel people according to the purposes of Jesus Christ? This probes the essential logic of biblical counseling. Second, HOW do we help people? This calls for understanding what kinds of help people really need. Third, WHERE are the natural settings for seeking and finding help? This illumines how counseling can happen anywhere that people talk about things that matter. Of course, these three perspectives don’t answer every question or teach every skill. But they orient you.
What is the Place of the Gospel and God's Grace in Biblical Counseling?
By: David Powlison
What then is the place of God’s grace and gospel in biblical counseling? That is rather like asking, “What is the place of water and carbon in human physiology?” The gospel is the fundamental material of biblical counsel- ing. Every part of biblical counseling is made of gospel and grace, from understanding people and their problems to solving those problems.
Why do people wonder whether grace is central to biblical counseling? There are three possible reasons.
Ten Questions to Ask Before Starting a
Counseling Ministry in Your Church
By: David Powlison
Churches often contact us at CCEF asking how to establish a counseling ministry. Naturally they want some step-by-step guidance. But wise advice on the “how to” questions calls for a number of orienting conversations first to think through the “what to” questions. Careful assessment of what you ought to do precedes any decision on the step-by-step implementation of a program for delivering counseling ministry. In what follows, I will propose ten questions to pastors and other church leaders.
Counselors as Missionaries
By: Sam Williams
Since Christianity is “missionary by its very nature,” there are good reasons to view the mental health subculture as a mission field— an unreached people group. I contend that our failure to recognize this particular subculture as a mission field has impaired our impact on a group of people in desperate need of distinctively Christian counseling that reflects the truths and graces of the gospel. Therefore, in this article I will: 1) provide a brief appraisal of the current state of affairs in both the secular and Christian mental health subcultures, 2) propose constructive contextualization as a missional strategy that would increase our impact, and 3) close with a call to action.