Previously I was trained in the area of discipleship, mentoring; we helped others develop teams of church ministers. But counselling! We were not taught to do it, and so we did not really do it. There was no time for that and we did not know how to do it anyway.
We thank God for sending me and my wife to “Coram Deo” just when we needed it. The Bible is truly enough to solve all the problems of a man! I am still amazed at how the instruments based on Scripture help diagnose the problem of a counselee and heal a suffering soul effectively. One should just dedicate oneself to this process, building trust with a person, listening and asking questions, applying Scripture in the context of a man’s problem appropriately and in God’s appointed time, and – oh what a miracle – it works!! The counselee changes, no matter how big his problem might have seemed!
I am happy that our church team includes Biblical counsellors. Without that we do not see the effective functioning and development of our church.
I would like to add a few words about the influence of counselling at school. Our church has founded a Christian school. The School Board has asked me to be an instructor and counsellor of the school team. I can’t imagine how I could have taught them without such a valuable resource – top-quality, rich materials of “Coram Deo” which harmonize theology and practice!
Igor Levtsenyuk, Pastor of Evangelical Baptist Church “Viphaniya” in the city of Dubno.