BIBLE
Counseling
Certification
FAQs
Why should I get this certification? In today's world, there are
many who have been trained to use secular psychology. Most universities,
not only secular but unfortunately Christian as well, have courses where
you can gain a degree in psychology, indicating that you have had training
in this area and have met the requirements for a specified course. OAIM
believes that psychology contradicts biblical truth in many ways. Because
of this, we want to see many biblical counselors come on the scene to
share their knowledge of biblical truth and how it applies to people's
daily problems. The BIBLE Counseling Certification indicates to the general
public that you believe in this type of counseling and that you have worked
hard to know how to do it well.
What does the acronym BIBLE stand for in BIBLE Counseling? The
reason the word BIBLE is in capital letters is because it is an acronym
that stands for Biblical Insights for Basic Living
Everyday.
Is BIBLE Counseling Certification only for pastors and people wanting
to go into the counseling profession? No, not at all! It is our sincere
hope that churches will seek to build within their church a strong group
of lay counselors who can put these concepts into daily practice with
the people sitting next to them in the pews. While we do believe that
some people are more skilled at doing counseling (just as some are more
skilled at singing or teaching), we believe that to some degree, all Christians
should learn these basic skills to help each other.
How long will it take me to do this certification program? That
depends on you, your time schedule and your motivation. It will also depend
on your previous knowledge of the Bible. If you have trained in biblical
counseling, it should only take a few months to complete the course. Overall,
it will most likely take you less time than traditional college courses.
Most people will spend about 6 months to a year in the certification process.
Why does your course cost so much less than a university or other
biblical counseling courses? Very simply, we want to see MANY biblical
counselors out there in churches. We don't want cost to be a limiting
factor. Most other certifications will cost you over $1000. Our cost is
low because we merely want to cover our costs and our time. Biblical counseling
certification should be for anyone who has a true desire to do it, not
only for those who have the financial resources to do so. God does not
look at people's wallets when He puts them in the position to counsel.
He looks at the heart.
Is your certification easier than other courses? No. While we
only have one textbook for our course, we do expect our certificate holders
to know the information well and be able to apply it. The first part of
the program, the Christian Essentials Bible study course, requires a good
deal of study, as will the tests we have over the material in the textbook.
Our course cuts out what we consider to be non-essential parts of other
courses and condenses it down to the basics. We do not require other books,
but we do have many books on our suggested reading list. We will not require
you to read these other books, but we hope you will want to learn more
as God leads you in this type of counseling. Overall, though, we believe
the Bible is still and always will be the best textbook for BIBLE Counseling.
What does this certification certify that a person can do? The
BIBLE Counseling Certification is intended to let pastors and other church
elders know that these people have been trained according to the beliefs
of this ministry and according to our Statement of Practice. Our purpose
is to teach people how to use the Bible to solve their own problems and
to help others do this as well.
Do you have a yearly fee? No, we do not have a yearly membership
fee. We will have a listing of who has earned this certification. The
certification will be for life because it something you earned. If you
have earned a bachelor's degree from a college, they don't require you
to renew it for it to be valid. You will not have to renew it as time
goes on, but we strongly encourage biblical counselors to continue learning
in this area.
Is BIBLE Counseling legal? Yes, as long as you are not claiming
any certifications or licenses you do not have and are counseling religiously
through your local church, there should not be a problem with this issue.
To find out more about this issue for your specific state in the US, you
will need to check out your state's legal code. Some states will not allow
you to use the term "counselor" but you may use other terms
such as mentor, discipler, etc. Outside of the US, you will have to check
your country's laws. The type of counseling we do is more a type of discipleship
than it is counseling, in the sense the word normally has today. The purpose
of gaining this type of certification is not for the title, but for helping
yourself and others to live a more godly life.
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