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FEAR. I got into biblical counseling out of fear.

As a 26-year-old soon-to-be seminary graduate, the thought of counseling hurting people within the church absolutely terrified me. Somehow, I managed to reach my final semester of seminary without having taken a single counseling class.

Like most seminary students, I loaded up on the biblical languages, theology, and church history classes; not even considering the role of counseling in future ministry.

As a last-ditch effort, I signed up for a counseling class: Counseling Parents and their Children. Dr. Robert Jones taught the class which turned out to be one of the best classes I took during my tenure at seminary. Biblical counseling fused theology and ministry. I learned about the work of sanctification. I leaned into difficult, real-life situations that would arise in a church.

God masterfully used my ungodly fear to draw me into an unexpected area of ministry.

Since my time at seminary I have pursued biblical counseling by getting a certification through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, as well as going back to get an academic degree in biblical counseling. Biblical counseling, as much as any other training, shapes my everyday work as a pastor. The training in biblical counseling has increased my precision in preaching, grown my compassion for hurting church members, and given me a boldness for confronting conflict.

I would encourage you, whether you're looking for training in biblical counseling or if you want to grow more confident as a disciple-maker to join myself, Elizabeth Allan and Barb Mulvey for the One-to-One Conference Friday, November 9th from 6:30 - 9:30pm and Saturday, November 10th from 8:30am - 3:00pm at MCC!  This weekend conference will help you grow in the care you provide for others!

I look forward to the opportunity to meet you along the journey in biblical counseling. Whether you are brand new to biblical counseling or a seasoned veteran; whether you are looking to grow as a disciple-maker or pursue certification with ACBC, God will use our time together to grow us in our faith and equip us for the work of the ministry.

When I was hired as church secretary I thought it was the best job in the world. I loved it – I loved creating publications, communicating, and editing. I prayed over each bulletin as I folded it, I prayed in the Sanctuary walking up and down the aisles. I was eager for Sunday, eager for worship, eager for God’s people to gather together under His Word.

But there was a part that I wasn’t prepared for.

Although I really liked people, I didn’t realize they would come to me to talk about their problems.

I have to confess that I did a terrible job in this area. I wanted to comfort, I wanted to help, but too often what happened was gossip. I thought I was helpful in allowing someone to “vent”, but the truth is, far more damage was done. Oh, I didn’t tell others what was said to me, but there is more than one kind of gossip. Instead of lovingly pointing a woman to Scripture to bring healing truth and the hope of reconciliation, I would let her talk and affirm her pain.

In turn, I talked about my pain too. Until a precious sister in Christ boldly spoke God’s Truth to me. Not lovingly, not gently, but firmly. “You are in sin,” she told me when I tried to ‘vent’. She reminded me, “God doesn’t talk about His children that way. Why are you? This is wicked!”

Thought it startled me at first, but I am so grateful she was firm with me. The only place she left open to me was repentance.

She gave me the “Peacemaking Woman” book by Tara Barthel & Judy Dabler. Desperate to heal, to learn, and wanting to make things right, I completed the book in a week. Everything changed.

Since that experience five years ago, I’ve spent immeasurable hours spent studying the Word, praying with and for women, days encouraging women through the Word and being trained to become a Biblical Counselor. The morning I was to receive my Biblical Counseling Certification Letter, I woke up with tears streaming down my face. We were in Grapevine Texas for the 2018 ACBC Light in the Darkness Conference, and today I was the day.

It was the reason I woke up crying. Because our God is so good, so forgiving, so powerful to allow me this day. I knew this wasn’t my accomplishment alone – all the time in His sacred and living Scripture was illuminated by the Spirit. Every time I sat with a woman and opened His Word, it was His work that freed her. I simply had the privilege of watching.

I thought about the community who had brought me to this moment through prayer, encouragement, and exhortation.  Pastor Frank, the Elders who hired me as a Biblical Counselor, the Deacons who gave me the time off to attend the training's, my sweet women friends who kept telling me not to give up, my fellow biblical counselors who were in the arena and cheering, my parents, my sister, and my son. This moment was not just for me, it was for all of us to marvel at God’s graciousness and power to take a foolish woman and exchange her foolishness for Holy Spirit Word filled wisdom to encourage and equip others as they have me.

Why did I become a Biblical Counselor? So that I could lead others to Christ’s truths, just as my friend did with me five years ago. Because I KNOW there is hope for you! I don’t know His plans for you, but I KNOW He has them and I want to encourage you with it. Because I KNOW He can do crazy things, things that we never expect and bring beauty out of mourning. Because I KNOW deep pain and that His healing love is the balm that is necessary and I want that for you! Just as others have wanted that for me.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Biblical Counselor consider attending the upcoming One-to-One Conference on where we will discuss biblical counseling and discipleship. Click here to register and learn more. 

Winter is my favorite time of year but Autumn is a very close second... the summer heat is finally behind us, giving way to cooler days and chilly evenings. I'm always on the lookout for migrating birds flying overhead or feeding in a field. Fall colors are bursting through in all their glory, making Sunday drives even more enjoyable.

The cooler weather also means I can start wearing my turtlenecks and sweaters again!  If I feel chilled, I can just give the thermostat a click to turn on the furnace to warm up the house, or put a few logs on the hearth to light a cheery, crackling fire and warm up that way.  But not everyone is as fortunate this time of year. Some people have a daily struggle to stay warm, and that's where the Wood Ministry can help.

This will be my third season helping with the Wood Ministry.  Although I like being out in the fresh air, cutting and stacking logs, I have discovered that my favorite part of the Wood Ministry is being a Sponsor.  As we are outside among the glory of the fall colors, I can take some time to talk about the glory of God.

The first person I spoke with as a Sponsor was a woman who was "down on her luck," as she put it, and who needed a little help to get through the winter.  I was very nervous as to what I would say to her and I tried to collect my thoughts on the drive to her home.  When we arrived, I took a moment before I got out of the car and I closed my eyes and asked God to help me say the right words, to be a comfort to her, and I even asked Him for some sort of ice breaker - and boy, did He send me an ice breaker!

When I opened my eyes, who did I find staring at me, waiting to greet me, but a big, fluffy dog with his tail wagging enthusiastically!  What a sense of relief I felt as God had presented me with the perfect conversation starter because I am such an animal lover, and who doesn't like to talk about their pets?!  The dog stayed right by my side as I went to introduce myself to the homeowner.  While sharing a cup of hot chocolate that she had prepared, with her dog leaning up against me, I truly felt filled with the Spirit as I shared my involvement with our church, the wonderful fellowship I receive from its members, and the love and comfort I feel from God as I continue learning how to fully open my heart to Him.  It was a great experience and I felt very humbled and blessed as I got to know this woman and learn a little more about her and the situation she had found herself in.

Not every experience has been quite the same as that first one, but that is part of what makes Wood Ministry Sponsorship so special... every person is different, so every situation is different.  If Sponsorship sounds like something that you might be interested in contact Paul Brouse for more information.  

There is a bit of chill in the air these days. I will know it is truly fall when I begin to smell pinon smoke from neighboring fireplaces. However, for many it is not just about the smell of the burning pinon but the heat that it produces. For some, this heat is a matter of life or death on the frigid nights in the East Mountains. Unfortunately, many in our community struggle with keeping the firewood bin filled during the long winter.

MCC has a long history of helping locals meet their firewood needs. What a unique opportunity for us to be able to show God’s love through the warmth of a fire on a cold night. But to really show God’s love, we need to be more than a supplier of firewood.  Such calls for help are often a sign of a much deeper problem--broken relationships with friends and family and most importantly with God. The request for firewood to the church is a symptom of a lack of anywhere else to turn.

We apply a “When Helping Hurts” model to not just deal with the symptom but also work to deal with the root cause. This process begins by developing relationships. Nurturing and maintaining a relationship gives the opportunity to really understand the need while also providing the chance for the one in need to contribute to others as well as help themselves.  Helping people help themselves creates a newfound sense of ability, self-worth and dignity. In the same way, this gives us the opportunity to help them see that worth and dignity were always there in the eyes of the Lord.

This process depends on relationship building with the client sponsor being the lynchpin. The sponsor is the one who establishes a relationship with the client and walks them through the process of getting wood.  In this process they help the client reclaim dignity, restore relationships with others and points them to God. Specifically, the sponsor will assist them in building a full team of workers to cut, spit and deliver wood. The team would normally include the client and his friends, family and neighbors. It is the client’s job to build the team; it is the sponsor’s job to help and encourage them in their relationship building.

The clients who have agreed to this process are ready for a change. What an opportunity as a sponsor to enable the client to take constructive steps toward a better way of life. More importantly to walk along side our Lord and Savior as He works to bring real transformation. And in the process, make a new friend.

We are in need of sponsors. Please consider investing in our community in this valuable way. Come learn more about becoming a sponsor at the Wood Ministry Sponsorship Training on Saturday, October 20th from 9:00am-11:30pm at MCC. Contact Don and Ann Moore to RSVP for the training or to learn more.

Meet Demeke!  He is another one of our Hawassa graduates, and one who will be co-teaching with us this week.  Over my visits in the last four years, he has become a friend.
Since I was arriving later than the rest of our TLI training team, Demeke was dispatched to the airport to come and receive me. His was the first friendly face that I had seen in many long, harrowing, and weary hours of traveling.
After a rich welcome, we began the bumpy crawl of a drive back towards Shashemene.  In the front seat of the van, as we sat nearly on top of one another, I learned a new part of his story.

You see, Demeke has a great sense of humor; but also a fierce seriousness about the things of God.  In part, that’s because he used to think that he was serving the Lord, when really he was working on the other side.

Demeke grew up in a family that was Ethiopian Orthodox, a church that has deep roots here.  To this day, his elderly mother is an Orthodox monk. 

Demeke was zealous in his faith as a young man, and even persecuted evangelical Christians.  He led others to do the same, and they followed.  At one time, he was responsible for the burning of the homes of 35 Christian families, and the dispersal of their belongings.

This man has since been won to Christ, and been in his service for many years.  He now pastors, and mentors missionaries.  In fact, he currently supports our four native MCC missionaries - Epheson, Beyene, Tesfaye, and Henoke.

Demeke continues to grow as a faithful teacher of God’s Word.  He is an integral part of God’s church here in Africa.Please pray for Demeke, and all of the Ethiopian graduates who will be co-teaching next week.  They are learning quickly, and we are also learning a great deal from them.