The Sufficiency and Supremacy of Christ in Counseling

CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES

*Sign up and registration for this course will be opening soon

00

DAYS

00

HOURS

00

MINS

00

SECS

Enroll Here

ONLINE WORKSHOPS

For Continuing Education Units

 

In a world where psychology often overshadows the supremacy of Christ, the church is at a crossroads, grappling with the question of sufficiency. Has the allure of humanistic theories dimmed the radiance of Christ's all-sufficiency in meeting humanity's deepest needs?

This course tackles the issue of the church's departure from genuine Christ-centeredness towards trendy secular ideologies. With unwavering conviction, our plenary speakers and workshop leaders will challenge the next generation of Biblical Counselors to reclaim the essence of God's wisdom and courageously confront the prevailing mindset that threatens to engulf the church.

Drawing inspiration from 2 Corinthians 3:5, we affirm that our sufficiency does not stem from human intellect or worldly wisdom, but solely from God Himself. As stewards of Biblical Counseling, we navigate a realm where human understanding falls short, relying instead on the inexhaustible resources found in Christ alone. In His Word and through His Spirit, we find all that is necessary for true transformation and restoration.


“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

2 Corinthians 3:5-6

A Message From Our President Jeff Christianson

Like you, and the rest of humanity, I learned how to rely upon my own sufficiency through my earliest experiences in life. It was natural. The humanistic worldview teaches that for humankind to make a way for himself in the world he is called to do what he can do and be what he can be. He is the captain of his own destiny and what he makes of himself will be his lot in life. We are all familiar with the kingdom of man.

The kingdom of heaven resembles very little of the kingdom of men. It’s an entirely different worldview. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).We are reminded that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts; they are higher than the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:8). In God’s kingdom, we are called upon to learn to live by the sufficiency of God rather than the sufficiency of man.

I love what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:12, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”

The apostle Paul conducted himself in godly sincerity; a sincerity that did not come out of fleshly wisdom. Think of his ministry. He ministered throughout the world, traveling and sharing the word of God. The wisdom of man would be insufficient for such a mighty work. According to 2 Corinthians, the whole of Paul’s ministry occurred by the grace of God. Godly living comes only by the grace of God and we who believe are called to live godly lives.

It is my prayer that God would affect our hearts and lives as we explore Counseling Life’s Most Difficult Issues, and that you will discover Christ’s sufficiency for godly living.

What Makes IABC Unique?

Plenary Speakers

Pastor Matt Schroeder

Pastor Matt Schroeder is a pastor at Horizon Christian Fellowship in La Crosse, WI. Matt attended CCBCI Indianapolis and served at Horizon Indianapolis for 2 ½ years, after which, he and his family were sent back to La Crosse, WI to share how the Lord has had compassion on them. Matt especially enjoys sharing the grace of God that he feels is the only explanation for his service to Jesus today. If Matt could sum up his life and ministry in one verse He would agree with the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:10) “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” He has a heart for the lost, jail ministry, missions, simply teaching the Bible, and ministering to those struggling with addictions. He is married to Molly, and they have been blessed to care for 6 kids.

Pastor David Shirley

Pastor David Shirley serves on the Board of Directors for the Biblical Counseling Academy. He is the former Director of Calvary Chapel Bible College, Murrieta, California. Pastor David served on staff at Calvary Chapel Westminster, London, England. From 1979-1999 he was Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Fayetteville Christian Schools. David was graduated from Columbia International University with a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Education. He also holds a Master's Degree in Education from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He commonly teaches Revelation, History of Redemption, Christian Living, and Greek. He is the retired Senior Pastor of the campus church, Calvary Chapel Hot Springs, California. David currently resides in North Carolina where he ministers to the needs of his family.

Pastor Jeff Christianson

Jeff serves as President and Executive Director of the International Association of Biblical Counselors. He is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and the Founder of the Biblical Counseling Academy. Additionally, Jeff is an Adjunct Professor at Horizon University and Calvary Chapel University and hosts the weekly Biblical Counseling Podcast. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Calvary Chapel Bible College and a Master of Arts in Theology from Faith International University & Seminary in Tacoma, WA. Jeff and his wife Jennifer have five children.

Dr. Howard Eyrich

Howard's career has spanned more than sixty years as he has filled various roles including seminary professor and president, pastor, and church planter. He is the Director of Counseling Ministries at Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama. He has served as the Executive Director of ACBC, and on the board of IABC, Birmingham Theological Seminary, Trinity Seminary, the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and The Owen Center. Dr. Eyrich and his wife Pamela have two grown children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Pastor Tracy Gray

Tracy is one of the Associate Pastors of Horizon Christian Fellowship. He leads the Biblical Counseling ministry at Horizon and is the Training Center Director for Horizon Biblical Counseling Center. He also serves as Academic Advisor for all Biblical Counseling students at Horizon University.  Tracy is certified with IABC and serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He has a Bachelor's degree in Christian Ministry Leadership and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. He has a wonderful wife, Rhonda, and three children, and four grandchildren. 

Dr. Kevin Carson

Kevin is the Pastor of the Sonrise Baptist Church in Ozark, Missouri. In addition to his pastoral ministry, he serves as the department chair of biblical counseling at the Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. He also serves as a counselor at Sonrise Biblical Counseling Ministry, is ACBC Certified, IABC Certified, a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, author, and is a frequent speaker at conferences, retreats, and seminars. He and his wife, Kelly, have four children.

COURSE OUTLINE

Available Soon

Download the Conference Schedule

Workshop Speakers

WHO IS IABC?

The International Association of Biblical Counselors exists to proclaim Christ, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). With our headquarters in Colorado and Member Services in Missouri, IABC has been serving the church since 2000.

Our desire is to allow for freedom of convictions on doctrinal matters provided that any interpretation is based on the Bible alone and that no such interpretation shall become an issue that hinders the ministry of biblical counseling to which God has called us. We desire to avoid doctrinal extremes and maintain a balanced leadership team seeking to be doctrinally sound, shying away from the present day extremes. "...that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." Eph. 4:14

 

Conference Pricing

For questions on pricing or if you would like to mail a check, please contact Alden Laird, IABC Treasurer (559) 901-7731 

Having trouble Registering? Try logging in. Remember, one name & email per registration.

MEMBER LOGIN

General

$210

Non Member Registration

REGISTER NOW

Member

$190

Non Certified Member

REGISTER NOW

Certified

$180

IABC Certified

REGISTER NOW

Special

$150

Military-Students-Seniors

REGISTER NOW

Special Pricing Coupon Code

 

Contact Alden Laird For Coupon Pricing

REGISTER NOW

Scholarship

$210

Consider Providing a Scholarship by Donation

REGISTER NOW

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You Are Invited!

CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES

Enroll here