Want to Change Lives? The "4E" Approach to Equipping Biblical Counselors

A Word from Bob

My latest book is on sale here: Equipping Biblical Counselors: A Guide to Discipling Believers for One-Another Ministry. In the Introduction I share my motivation for writing Equipping Biblical Counselors. And, I share what I believe will motivate you to read Equipping Biblical Counselors. And it all has to do with two icons of classic TV…

Our Calling: To Call Other People to Center Stage

During the early days of television, two shows dominated the airwaves. One aired on Tuesday nights and the other on Sunday evenings. Initially the more popular of the two shows was The Texaco Star Theatre hosted by Milton Berle. It was originally designed along the lines of the old-fashion vaudeville variety hour with a host highlighting half-a-dozen guests each week.

However, little by little, Milton Berle became the star. As the format changed, the accent gradually focused increasingly on Berle himself. There were fewer guest acts, and Berle began to dominate each show. In just eight years, the show ran out of steam.

No one person is talented enough to carry any show, or any ministry, for more than a short time.

The other show, The Ed Sullivan Show, experienced a very different fate. If any show in the history of television could be called an institution, it would be The Ed Sullivan Show. Every Sunday night for more than two decades this show brought an incredible variety of entertainers into homes. Sullivan’s show continued as a major hit for fifteen years longer than Berle’s show.

Unlike Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan never wavered from his original format.

He was the host who called other people to center stage.

Numerous performers made their television debut on his show: Walt Disney, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and hundreds more. Though Ed Sullivan died soon after his show ended, his legacy outlives him.

Are You Like Milton Berle or Ed Sullivan?

God calls Christian leaders to be like Ed Sullivan, not like Milton Berle. If we’re like Milton Berle, and the spotlight increasingly focuses on us and our individual ministry, then biblically we’re missing God’s mark as equippers. If we fail to focus on equipping, then we selfishly treat God’s people like children who have never grown up spiritually.

God wants us to be like Ed Sullivan—a host who calls others to center stage by equipping them to fulfill their calling. When we focus on equipping, we leave an other-centered legacy of loving leaders.

Who Wants to Read Equipping Biblical Counselors?

Allow me to introduce you to several modern-day Ed Sullivan-like leaders. I’ve provided discipleship consulting for each of these leaders, and they represent well the readers I picture as I write this book.

Pastor Eric is planting a church. He and the eight families ministering with him are passionate about launching a church where every member is equipped to speak the truth in love. They want biblical counseling to be the DNA of their congregation.

Jan has been a volunteer women’s ministry director in her church for over a decade. She wants to train a dozen women in biblical counseling. She envisions some of them using their training to be more effective small group leaders—relating truth to life. Others she foresees providing biblical counseling to the growing number of women who seek her help.

Randy and Monica serve together on a ministry launch team that’s so new they don’t have a ministry name yet. Randy is an elder, seminary student, and youth pastor; Monica is a volunteer ministry leader. The leadership team in their church of two hundred wants them to launch a counseling ministry. As Monica put it when she emailed me:

“We don’t want another program. We want a ministry that saturates our whole church with equipped one-another ministers.”

John is the Senior Pastor of a large church, and his wife Rachel has two degrees in counseling. They called me to ask, “Bob, do you help churches to do course corrections and re-launches? Five years ago we tried to launch a biblical counseling ministry but it was too program-focused. Could you help us figure out how to do it more relationally this time?”

Do You Want to Change Lives?

I’ve written Equipping Biblical Counselors for people like Eric, Jan, Randy, Monica, John, and Rachel.

I’ve written Equipping Biblical Counselors for people like you—pastors, ministry leaders, women’s ministry directors, elders, deacons, church planters, and students.

I’ve written this book because I’m convinced that you want to be an Ed Sullivan, not a Milton Berle.

I know that you are passionate about equipping God’s people for every-member ministry as disciple-makers—as biblical counselors. I want to be part of the process of equipping you to equip others (2 Timothy 2:2).

I’m convinced that you want to change lives by equipping others to change lives.

The 4E Model

Some equipping “models” offer piece-meal advice that address aspects of lay equipping, but lack a comprehensive strategy to move from launch to leaving a legacy of loving leaders. The 4E Ministry Training Strategy moves through the four stages that every ministry launch must address to establish ministries built to last and to grow ministries from good to great. Its Christ-centered, church-based, comprehensive, and culturally-informed focus will empower you to: