2015/2016 RCCC Biblical Intervention Ministry (BIM) Training Syllabus

Pre-training Session Kick-off Meeting:

All prospective counselor candidates are invited to a Training Kick-off meeting on September 21, 2014, at 4:30pm in Room 125, where information about serving in the ministry and pre-training session reading assignment books will be available for sale.

Pre-training Session Reading Assignment:

Prior to December 2014, each prospective counselor candidate is required to read: Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know, by Wayne A. Grudem(146 pages) andCounseling, How to Counsel Biblically, by John Mac Arthur (selected chapters totaling 122 pages).

Prospective counselor candidates will be asked if they affirm the doctrine presented in the Grudem book and to summarize (in less than one page) what they have learned about Biblical Counseling from the MacArthur book. Both the affirmation and the summary must be email to the Director of Biblical Counseling by November 28, 2014.

Pre-training Session Interviews:

In December 2014, each prospective counselor candidate will be interviewed to ensure that this is the ministry he or she wishes to serve in, given the calling into the ministry he/she is sensing, to review the training requirements, and to address any doctrinal issues. Candidates will be approved prior to the class beginning in January.

Classroom Training Sessions:

This course covers up to 17 months of RCCC Sunday Night Discipleship Sessions, including:

  • January 2015 (3 sessions)
  • Spring 2015 (12 sessions)
  • Summer 2015 (11 sessions)
  • Fall 2015 (10 sessions)
  • January 2016 (3 sessions)
  • Spring 2016 (12 sessions) [all 12 sessions may not be necessary]
  • 51 Total sessions

In addition to the potential 51 Sunday night sessions above, there will be one Saturday 1/2 day session, from 8:30am – 12:30pm. The session will be comprised of both lectures and videos. (Alternatively, there may be 48 sessions and two Saturday 1/2 day sessions.)

Cost of the materials: between $160 (minimum) and $300, spread out over the 17 month period.

Requirements for those wishing to be considered for participation in the BIM ministry:

  • Affirm a commitment to live out basic spiritual disciplines of prayer, service, worship, evangelism and giving. Included in worship are Scripture memorization, Bible Study and a goal to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31)– this is done with your application as well as a verbal affirmation when we have the initial and final interviews.
  • Affirm that you thoughtfully and carefully read the assigned books, articles and textbook chapters on a timely basis. Every attempt should be made to stay current with the weekly textbook and article readings; however, it is imperative that all weekly and text readings for a specific discipleship term (Fall, Spring, etc.) be completed prior to the beginning of the next discipleship class term. Not completing the prior term readings will result in not being eligible to serve in the BIM ministry after the current training cycle is finished. Continual failure to stay current within a specific discipleship term may result in not being eligible to serve.
  • Attend discipleship classes. There are no make-up sessions for missed Sunday night classes; however, all reading assignments need to be completed, on a timely basis. No more than 10 sessions in total (excluding Saturday sessions) can be missed to still be eligible to serve in the BIM ministry. Saturday sessions must be made up.
  • Memorize assigned Scriptures (validated by quizzes). More than four significant errors for any one verse will re-quire re-testing.
  • Complete BIM ministry application and submit to Director towards the end of the class
  • Interview with the Ministry Director and/or Associate Pastor (usually occurs near the end of the course)

Note: Completion of all of the requirements above makes a person eligible to participate in the Biblical Intervention Ministry. The Ministry Director and the Associate Pastor will make the final determination.

Annual ongoing required continuing education requirements, after commissioning, include:

Mandatory:

  • A minimum of 15 counseling hours per year, either direct or observed

PLUS, one of the choices below:

  • Teach "Counseling Applicable" Equipping class (excluding J-Term), OR,
  • Attend (reading the required book) approved (Counseling Applicable) Sunday Night Equipping class, excluding J-Term), OR,
  • Attend approved Biblical Counseling Conference (NANC, ABC, CCEF, etc.), OR,
  • Read approved Biblical Counseling Book and write a 2 page paper summarizing the 5 most significant statements or points and why they are significant. Conclude with how this book will help you in counseling, OR,
  • “Audit” or take an approved Biblical Counseling class from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary or another similar school. Class must be pre-approved by the Director of BIM in order to count for continuing education credit.

Note: A “Counseling Applicable” Equipping class would include most classes on marriage, parenting, finances and emotions. Examples of qualifying RCCC equipping classes include, but are not limited to, Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Remarriage, and Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

Required Reading and Viewing:

  • Primary textbook – Equipped to Counsel, by John Henderson ($45)
  • 46 Journal of Biblical Counseling articles assigned with each chapter of the primary textbook. ($15)
  • Christian Beliefs:Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know– Grudem ($10)
  • Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically, by John MacArthur ($20)
  • Up to four of the following key counseling books:
  • How People Change, by Tim Lane and Paul David Tripp ($17)
  • Blame it on the Brain, by Ed Welch ($11)
  • Critical Stages of Biblical Counseling, by Jay Adams ($20)
  • Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God’s Resources in Scripture by Stuart Scott, Heath Lambert and John Macarthur ($24)
  • DVD counseling observation videos

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