A Word from Bob
From October 3-5, 2025, CCEF held their annual biblical counseling conference. Their theme this year was, “To Live Is Christ: The Life and Ministry of Paul.”
As I did with the Association of Biblical Counselors’ Called to Counsel conference, I’ve asked attendees of the CCEF conference to share their reflections in guest posts. We start today with a guest post by my friend and fellow biblical counselor, Betty-Anne Van Rees.
Betty-Anne serves the local church in discipleship roles that include speaking, teaching,
mentoring, counseling, and training biblical counselors. Fueled by her passion to see the Canadian church convinced and equipped to care for souls through the living Word (both incarnate and inspired), Betty-Anne has worked together with a team of like-minded men and women to launch the Canadian Biblical Counselling Coalition. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. The roles closest to Betty-Anne’s heart are being mom to Laura, Joshua, and his wife Jenni, and grandma to Emma and Ethan.
Betty-Anne’s Reflections…
It’s been a number of years since I made the trek to a biblical counseling conference in the States. The pandemic was part of that, as was a desire to gather in Canada with Canadians who might not be able to travel for such a conference. Live-streaming has been good, but there really is nothing like being in the building with thousands of likeminded followers of Jesus who long to know God through His words and help others do the same.
I chose the CCEF conference because the organizers and speakers have, what I would consider, a unique ability of pastoral ministry at the same time as they are being prophetic (instructive). I attended first for my own soul needs, to draw near to God and give Him focused opportunity to draw near to me. I anticipated that the CCEF conference would be like going on a retreat, and it was.
How the CCEF Conference Impacted Me
This year, the conference was a deep dive into the life and ministry of Paul. Some of the food that nourished, convicted, guided and comforted my soul, included:
- Ed Welch (Paul Tells His Story): Bring my successes to God—the things that cause me to trust in me rather than Christ—and then toss them. Quoting David Powlison near the end of his life: “You (God) got me into this, you’ll have to deal with it and you will.” Betty-Anne’s Reflection Question: “What personal strengths am I holding onto that hinder me from fully depending on Christ?”
- Jonathan Holmes (To the Saints: Paul’s Heart for People): Teaching from 1 Thessalonians 2, Jonathan pictured Paul’s tender and familial language used to relate with those he sought to serve—a loving brother 2:17-18; a gentle mother taking care of her own children 2:7; an encouraging father 2:11-12; a proud teacher. Betty-Anne’s Reflection Question: “Do those I serve know I love them in this way?” (Note from Bob: For my published development of 1 Thessalonians 2 from Gospel Conversations, see, 5 Biblical Portraits of a Biblical Counselor: Sharing Scripture and Soul.)
- Steve Midgley (Honest Like Paul? Self-Disclosure in Ministry): What did Paul’s self-disclosure look like, and why did Paul share so openly? Dr. Midgley framed his discussion around the grand narrative of Scripture. Genesis 3 was the beginning of not disclosing; and there will be an end to it (1 Cor. 13:12) In Paul’s letters, Steve noted 115 separate incidents of self-disclosure that focused (from greatest to least) on his affection for his readers, his suffering, his needs, gratitude, and prayer. The gratitude was always thanking God for the recipients of the letter. Paul shared his suffering to link him to Christ’s suffering and to his readers, as well as to show the power belongs to God not him. He shared to help his readers see that suffering is useful to help us rely on God who raises us from the dead, to spotlight the limitless power of God, and to offer a proper expectation of the Christian life. Betty-Anne’s Reflection Question: “Am I willing to humble myself and see the difficulties in my life as useful to produce these kinds of things?” Betty-Anne’s Prayer: “God help me learn to share in a way that casts the spotlight on Your magnificent power, and may I willingly dissolve into the background of Your glory.”
- Gunner Gunderson (Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing): Gunderson focused on Paul’s mysterious joy. Paul is deeply emotive in a full range of emotions. His joy is not thin, fleeting, one dimensional, but thick, enduring. In ministry it’s essential that thick joy and weeping co-exist. The root of Paul’s joy was daily renewal. Learning joy is a sanctification process through lifelong tilling, de-stoning, planting, watering, waiting, harvesting, processing—with God granting both the soil/water/nourishment and the growth. Betty-Anne’s Prayer: “God grant me the desire to pursue you in a way that makes my heart fertile for joy.”
A Confessional Prayer
The final session of the conference (Sunday) is more “the church gathered,” than conference. We shared a confessional prayer that I am grateful to have an excuse to record for my future benefit:
Lord of love,
You tell us love is patient,
but we confess how easily we grow irritated
with our families, our coworkers, even strangers.
You say love is kind
but too often our words cut,
our tone turns sharp,
and we use people instead of serving them.
Love does not envy or boast
yet we measure ourselves against others,
craving what they have,
longing to be noticed and admired.
Love does not insist on its now way
yet we cling to control,
demanding that life bend to our plans,
resenting interruptions as though you were not in them.
Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
But our shoulders sag under disappointment,
our faith falters in hardship,
our hope grows dim
our endurance runs out.
Forgive us, O Lord.
Have mercy on us.
Shape our restless hearts by Your love,
that we might reflect the love of Christ to one another.
Even when our love fails; Your love does not.
Your love does not merely cover our failures;
it unites us to Christ himself.
Your Spirit does not only dwell within us;
He strengthens us to live as children of God.
Your mercy does not simply lift us up;
it keeps us and carries us until the day we are made
perfect in Your love.
Amen and amen.
For me to live is Christ.
