BIBLE
Counseling Certification
© 2004
by OAIM
Open Arms Internet
Ministry offers a training process, leading to certification as a BIBLE
Counselor. This training is open to any Christian who would like to learn
how to help themselves and others apply biblical truth to their mental
and emotional problems. You do not need to be considering a full-time
ministry in counseling or be a pastor to receive this certification. While
there is no biblical requirement saying you must be certified in order
to help people learn how to "correctly handle the word of truth"
(2 Timothy 2:15), it is a good way of letting people know up front what
type of biblical counseling concepts you are following.
BIBLE Counseling
is an acronym meaning:
Biblical
Insights for
Basic
Living
Everyday
Our type of counseling
focuses on what a person believes about God as the root of his or her
behavior. When we aid the person to line up his or her beliefs about who
God really is to what God says about Himself in the pages of the Bible,
the necessary changes in a person's behavior will begin to appear as a
natural result. Click here to see some
FAQs about the BIBLE Counseling Certification.
If you would like
to pursue BIBLE Counseling Certification, the details are as follows (NOTE:
Steps 1 and 2 may be reversed in order.):
Step 1: Complete
the Christian Essentials Course. This can
be done online for free or by regular mail for a $25 processing fee (you
will also be required to send a SASE for each lesson to be returned to
you). There is no time limit for finishing this course, but the instructor
must be satisfied with your responses. If a lesson is not satisfactory,
it will be returned with ideas on how to improve it. Our goal is not to
"flunk" people out, but to provide a solid foundation in understanding
the Christian faith so the person will be more prepared for counseling
situations. This course may also be taken for purely personal reasons,
totally apart from seeking certification.
Step 2: You
must read the required textbook, BIBLE Counseling: Equipping Christians
for an Evangelistic Counseling Ministry (ISBN: 1594670811), available
through this ministry online or
at a seminar, or through Amazon.com or your local Christian bookstore.
Then choose ONE
of the these three choices:
Option A:
Attend a two-day training seminar (cost: $60, these are located in
Plymouth, Indiana and are during the summer -- if a church shows enough
interest, one can be scheduled in-house).
Option B:
Rent the 8-video training series (cost: $25 + $10 S/H) (These are
to be returned within 6 months of starting rental date. If after renting
these videos you wish to purchase them, there is no problem with that.
We can adjust your option at that time.)
Option C:
Purchase the 8-video training series (cost: $80 + $10 S/H)
Step 3: Take
a general knowledge quiz over each of the 8 subject areas covered in the
videos, with a minimum score of 80% for each. These can be done online
for no charge or can be arranged through regular mail for a $10 scoring/processing
fee. (Check out a practice quiz on our Quia
page.)
Step 4: Submit
5 examples of your application of these concepts in real situations with
real people. This can be done in either audio format or text format. (You
must include signed releases from
the people being counseled for their protection.)
Step 5: Send
to us these items:
- application
fee ($25)
- signed Statement
of Faith
- signed confirmation
of reading required textbook
- signed Statement
of Practice
- 2 evaluations
from other Christians of your character and ability to apply these
principles to your own life, preferably at least one from a pastor
If everything is in
order for your application, you will receive your certificate
after it has been evaluated by the OAIM certification staff.
Click here to begin
the certification process by starting the Christian
Essentials Course.
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