The First Annual Biblical Counseling Coalition Leadership Retreat

Note: The next three days I have the privilege of facilitating the leadership retreat for the Biblical Counseling Coalition. Today’s post was first run at the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as an interview. Please be praying for us.

The First Annual BCC Leadership Retreat

BCC: “Bob, when and where is the BCC’s Leadership Retreat?”

BK: “Our Leadership Retreat runs from Sunday, December 4 (6 PM) to Tuesday, December 6 (2 PM). Two dozen leaders in biblical counseling are gathering together at the WinShape Retreat Center in Rome, Georgia.”

BCC: “What’s the purpose of the BCC’s Leadership Retreat?”

BK: “Our Leadership Retreat is central to one of the main purposes of the BBC: to develop and deepen collegial relationships among and between leaders in the biblical counseling world. With this in mind, we invited all the BCC Board of Directors and Council Board members, plus a few additional friends of the BCC to gather together for three days for iron-sharpening-iron relationships.”

BCC: That sounds exciting and rewarding. So, who will be in attendance?”

BK: “Our prayer is that this will be a refreshing time of personal and group growth in Christ. The following leaders in biblical counseling will be in attendance:

Amy Baker, Ernie Baker, Brad Bigney, Kevin Carson, Robert Cheong, Howard Eyrich, Jeff Forrey, Rob Green, Brad Hambrick, John Henderson, Garrett Higbee, Jonathan Holmes, Robert Jones, Bob Kellemen, Heath Lambert, Lee Lewis, Randy Patten, Deepak Reju, Stuart Scott, Steve Viars, Jill Wamsley, Charles Ware, Mike Wilkerson, and Sam Williams.

These individuals represent a wonderful cross-section of Sr. Pastors, Counseling/Discipleship Pastors, educators, para-church ministry directors, and authors.”

BCC: “If we were the proverbial ‘fly on the wall,’ what would we observe occurring during your three days together?”

BK: “We’ve sought to ‘balance’ our schedule with a number of varied activities. Each day will begin with a devotional time of worship and fellowship. We understand that we can’t minister to others effectively unless our lives are deeply connected to Christ and the Body of Christ.

Additionally, on Monday and Tuesday, we’ll spend two hours each day interacting about the important issue of ‘The Gospel Indicatives and the Gospel Imperatives in Biblical Counseling.’ Dr. Stuart Scott’s recent BCC post provides a good summary of the vital importance of this issue: Biblical Counseling: Gaining a Balanced Picture on God’s Counsel. 

We’ll also enjoy several small group breakout times where we will get to know one another better, learn about our ministries, and pray for one another regarding personal, family, and ministry requests.

Another major aspect of our time together will be envisioning—discussing the current state of biblical counseling and the BCC, and sharing and praying together about how we can be a part of the process of advancing the cause of one-another ministry and biblical counseling. Part of this time together will include finalizing our process for adding new Council Board members to our leadership team.”

BCC: “How can people be praying for all those who attend the BCC Leadership Retreat?”

BK: “Please pray that all of us in attendance would live out the BCC mission to promote excellence and unity in biblical counseling and to foster collaborative relationships.

Please pray that we would experience our BCC vision to unite and advance the biblical counseling movement in Christ-centered cooperation by relating in ways that are loving and wise, pursuing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

And please pray that we would embody our BCC passion to promote personal change centered on the person of Christ through the personal ministry of the Word.”

BCC: “Thank you, Bob. We will be praying for you and all the two dozen leaders participating in this week’s BCC Leadership Retreat.”