OVERVIEW OF ADVANCED CLASSES (IN-PERSON AND ON-LINE)
Over the years, BCF has taught in-person advanced classes in Biblical Discipleship / Counseling at three levels beyond the Self-Confrontation (Level 1) class. More recently, certain advanced topics have been taught on-line. The goal of all BCF’s courses after Self-Confrontation is not to develop “professional counselors,” but believers who are able to disciple/counsel others in a variety of settings. Christians should be prepared to provide biblical discipleship to others within the local church, family, work, friendships, and other relationships in either organized training ministries or informal settings.
All these advanced classes link back to one of the biblical bases for the Self-Confrontation course in the first place, to “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). We want to be used by the Lord to come along side our brother, but we need to be able to see clearly to do so. We will never be perfect on this earth, but we want to make sure that we begin assisting those in need with a confidence that comes from God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, not a confidence in ourselves (2 Corinthians 3:5,6). However, the biblical discipler/counselor should be well-trained in the Scriptures and their application in a way that help others in their walk with the Lord.
The descriptions below provide a brief overview of the advanced classes in biblical discipleship/counseling, with additional detail on specific topics for each level of training following this overview. It should be noted that in recent years, the focus of advanced classes has been more on-line than in-person. Overviews are provided of both starting with the online advanced classes.
Descriptions of On-line ADVANCED CLASSES
When held, the on-line classes described below use the on-line Zoom platform, typically scheduled on Tuesday evenings (5:30 – 7:15 Pacific Time) to make it feasible for attendance on both the east and west coasts of the U.S. However, students have also attended internationally. Recordings are available for students who miss a class.
The information below provides basic course outlines. Refer to the Advanced Classes on the MATERIALS page for additional information on the contents of the BCF books used in each of the classes.
- “When a Friend Asks for Counsel, What Do I Do?” – Referred to as Level 2A, this on-line class provides the same training on biblical discipleship/counseling principles as Level 2. However, because the on-line version cannot accommodate role plays with in-person student participation, two recorded role plays are used to illustrate how to disciple/counsel a friend who has come to you with a problem. The texts include the Bible, the Handbook for the ministry of Biblical Discipleship/Counseling, and the Victory Over Failures Plan.
- “Life Is Complicated: Simplifying Counseling through the Scriptures” – Referred to as Level 4A, this on-line class includes most of the same instruction that occurs with the in-person Level 4. It includes no role plays, but explains how some of the problem areas that are thought to be more difficult or complicated can be simplified through using the Scriptures as opposed to the “world’s wisdom.”
In addition, we have periodically conducted “Teacher Training for Self-Confrontation” classes, both in-person and on-line. Going forward, these will typically be on-line live classes to make it easier and less-costly to attend. This is part of BCF’s discipleship strategy that comes out of 2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” The class helps those who want to teach Self-Confrontation to prepare their notes based on the Level 1 Instructor’s Guide: Weekly. The training will help an instructor teach the 24-lesson Self-Confrontation course in a two-hour period once a week. The texts include the Bible, the Self-Confrontation manual, and the Level 1 Instructor’s Guide: Weekly. The Instructor’s Guide contains time-tables that guide an instructor in teaching each lesson. The Level 1 Instructor’s Guide: Intensive is available for situations where the time for your Self-Confrontation class is a bit shorter than the normal 2-hour sessions, or you can just determine where you may need to cut some time from your weekly version.
When a Friend Asks for Counsel, What Do I Do? (Level 2A)
Sometimes family or friends can come to us with a problem or concern. The problem they present could be wide-ranging. Maybe it involves a relationship with another person, financial challenges, difficulties with a job, disharmony in their local church, difficulties with children, overall discouragement, or a struggle with a life-dominating pattern of sin in their lives.
When someone comes to us, we can have a lot of questions about how to handle the situation. For example, we might ask:
- I can listen and pray with the person, but how can I go further to offer hopeful and helpful counsel from God’s Word?
- How can I take the biblical principles I have learned and present them in a clear and logical way to my friend?
- How do I provide the right balance of hope and encouragement but also loving exhortation from the Word where necessary?
This on-line class is based on biblical principles drawn from BCF’s Self-Confrontation course plus 32 additional principles from God’s Word about how to help others through the difficulties of life. It will build a foundation so that you can sit down with your friend for what you might call a “life-application Bible study” on how to have victory in the very situation that brings them to you. In addition to the Bible and the Self-Confrontation manual, the texts for the class include the Handbook for the Ministry of Biblical Discipleship/Counseling and the Victory Over Failures Plan. An overview of the course outline and schedule is provided below:
Course Outline:
Lesson 1 – Introduction and overview
Lesson 2 – Your responsibility and hope when biblically discipling/counseling your friend
Lesson 3 – Preparing to disciple/counsel your friend, and understanding problems biblically
Lesson 4 – Preparing your friend to receive counsel: judging self and biblical hope
Lesson 5 – Role play demonstration No. 1 and questions/answers
Lesson 6 – Introducing the Victory Over Failures Plan and how to use it with your friend
Lesson 7 –Description of the Problem and Judging Self
Lesson 8 – “Put-offs” and “put-ons”
Lesson 9 – Daily Practices and Overcoming Temptations
Lesson 10 – Forgiveness/Reconciliation
Lesson 11 – Role play demonstration No. 2 and questions/answers
Lesson 12 – How to continue on, and benefits of team discipleship/counseling
Lesson 13 – Testimonies and questions/answers
Life Is Complicated: Simplifying Counseling through the Scriptures (Level 4A)
The purpose of this on-line class is to take examples of difficult or complicated life-situations and see what God has to say in His Word about how to help friends, family or others through those times. Jesus is the ultimate example of getting to the root of problems that people posed to Him. Yes, it meant that people needed to make difficult choices, and sometimes they walked away. But the answers were very simple.
The Pharisees made life seem very complicated and had forgotten about the most profound yet simple answer to life, which is to “love the Lord your God” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37- 39). This will be an interactive class, with students bringing in example situations and asking the question “what does the Bible say?” about how to walk through these situations with the peace of Christ (John 14:27). This list of situations will typically be similar to those described for the in-person Advanced Class (Level 4).
Class Subjects
- Review of the discipleship/counseling process (selected topics from the Handbook for the Ministry of Biblical Discipleship/Counseling)
- How Jesus Got to the “Root of the Problem”
- Biblical Homework
- Non-Negotiable Patterns for Life – A “Back to the Basics” Review
- Working through Today’s “Complicated Problems” (a series of work-sessions on the types of situations class participants have identified, keeping it all anonymous)
- What If A Person Seems Not to be Committed?
- Other Advanced Topics
Prerequisites include completion of the Self-Confrontation course and either the in-person course on Fundamentals of Biblical Discipleship/Counseling (Level 2) or the on-line class “When Friends Ask for Counsel, What Do I Do?” (Level 2A).
Teacher Training
DESCRIPTIONS OF In-Person ADVANCED CLASSES
The information below provides basic course outlines. Refer to the Advanced Classes on the MATERIALS page for additional information on the contents of the BCF books used in each of the classes.
When held, in-person, the classes typically are an ‘Intensive” style week-long course at the BCF office or other host church.
OVERVIEW OF ADVANCED CLASSES (In-Person )
- Biblical Discipleship/Counseling (Level 2) – The Level 2 training provides an overview of the process for discipling/counseling others who come to you through either formal appointments through your church or through an informal discipleship process where you help someone through a difficulty in their life, based on the Scriptures. Level 2 then leads you through conducting a set of small-group role-plays. The course includes helps on how to develop biblical plans for discipleship / counseling meetings and how to evaluate the life-application “homework” that the disciple/counselee commits to. It explains how to use the Victory Over Failures Plan (VOFP) to help the disciple/counselee identify the specific problem, have hope, see the biblical basis for change, and put into practice a plan for biblical “put-offs” and “put-ons.”
- The course texts include: the Bible (always the primary text), the Handbook for the Ministry of Biblical Discipleship/Counseling, the Level 2 Syllabus, and the Victory Over Failures Plan. All the levels may refer to the Self-Confrontation manual as well.
- Biblical Discipleship/Counseling (Level 3) – The Level 3 training provides additional instruction on biblical discipleship/counseling principles and contains eight role-plays which require active participation as assistant and lead disciplers/counselors. The role-playing is broadened by dealing with multiple disciples/counselees.
- The course texts include: the Bible, the Handbook for the Ministry of Biblical Discipleship/Counseling, the Level 3 Syllabus, and the Victory Over Failures Plan.
- Advanced Course (Level 4) – The level 4 training provides help on how to deal with more complicated topics and situations. A list of example topics is provided for each of these levels following this overview.
- The Bible, the Handbook and the Victory Over Failures Plan are the primary texts for this course.
More recently, because of the challenge and cost of getting together for in-person training, BCF has developed and taught two live, on-line courses that cover some of the same material as Levels 2 and 4 above. These include:
Biblical Discipleship/Counseling (Level 2, in-person)
Counseling procedures and role‑plays
- Understanding the problem
- Establishing biblical hope
- Encouraging and evaluating commitment
- Laying a foundation for lasting, biblical change
- Assigning biblical homework
Prerequisites – Completion of Level 1 (Self-Confrontation)
Biblical Discipleship/Counseling (Level 3, in-person)
- Role-plays on conducting an entire discipleship/counseling process from beginning to end
B. Developing discipleship / counseling plans
C. Counseling/discipling individuals with problems of:
- Anger/bitterness
- Fear and worry
- Unbiblical communication
- Unbiblical family relationships
Prerequisites – Completion of Level 2
Advanced Course (Level 4, in-person)
A. Helps on complicated cases such as:
- Alcohol, drug, and substance abuse
- Terminal illnesses
- Physical handicaps
- Uncommitted counselees
- Homosexuality
- Spouse and/or child abuse
- Bizarre behavior
- Church restoration / discipline
B Training on:
- Establishing a church discipleship / counseling ministry
- Training disciplers/counselors and supervisors
- Conducting biblical discipleship / counseling courses
Prerequisites – Completion of Level 2 and at least one year of teaching BCF courses and/or biblical counseling experience