Learn about CBCM

 

OUR MISSION

To multiply the disciple making efforts of the Calvary Baptist Church through training counselors and offering biblical counseling to the local churches and residents of the Crawford County community.

 

Biblical Counseling Defined

Discerning thinking and behavior that God wants to change; verbally confronting those problems using the word of God for the benefit of the counselee and the glory of God. It is intensive discipleship; dealing specifically with non-organic problems.

 

How the Passion and Vision Developed

In 2002 I (Pastor Messerall) began to feel incapable of meeting felt needs of the people.  Depression, panic attacks, suffering and other matters seemed beyond me to help people with from the Scripture.  I was having a crisis of belief, wondering in my heart if the Bible was sufficient pertaining to all matters of life.  I had one class in Seminary on counseling that was it.   

 

A friend of mine from seminary told me about a counseling conference he went to in Lafayette, Indiana.  He asked if I’d like to go with him.  So I registered but was unable to go because I had my total knee surgery done 2 months earlier and my recovery was not progressing as well as I thought it would.  That was February, 2003.  I did make it in 2004.  It was an amazing experience.

 

The first session was, “Why Counsel?”  I was blown away as Steve Viars, the Senior Pastor of Faith Baptist Church described my feelings of inadequacy and attached the deficiency of my seminary training to the feelings.  The whole week reinforced the sufficiency of Scripture toward everything pertaining to life and godliness.  I have been back many times since then.  Each day of ministry draws me into thinking about how necessary biblical counseling is to the local church.

 

Another experience I had at the conference happened while Steve Viars was doing a Q&A time.  Someone commented to him that he (Steve Viars) had lucked out and landed in a ministry that had been built by Dr. Goode, the previous pastor.  He admitted that was true, but instead of turning against the man with the comment he challenged us.  His challenge was to call some of us to be a Dr. Bill Goode and determine to start a biblical counseling ministry in the local church where God had positioned you.  I felt God move me to be that man for CBC and Meadville. 

 

As I perked and prayed over those feelings, God confirmed in my heart, I was to pursue this ministry initiative.  Paul Buettell and our wives attended a conference in 2011 at Faith Baptist Church, Lafayette, IN on how to start a biblical counseling ministry.  I was spurred on and that was the impetus for CBCM.

 

My Commitment and Investment

I am a committed certified biblical counselor.   I received my certification in August 2014.  ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) is our certification organization.  It was originally NANC (National Association of Biblical Counselors).

 

I am committed to seeing that the local church is fully vested and behind the ministry.  Calvary Baptist Church (CBC) is our parent organization.  The following other churchhes have financially partnered with the ministry:

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• First Baptist Church, Spartansburg, PA

• Perry Baptist Church, Hadley, PA

• Living Hope Community Church, Conneautville, PA

• Christ Evangelical Free Church, Saegertown, PA

• Lyona Bible Church, Guys Mills, PA

 

I am working to connect with more local churches in the area for support and for aiding them by meeting counseling needs.  Members of churches which support the ministry will be asked to make a $25 donation for the counseling service, but only if possible.  I committed to be in touch with pastors and churches and asking them to provide advocates for those from their church receiving counsel.

 

I am committed to training lay counselors and seeing that they become certified.  

 

I am committed to moral integrity so will be accountable to the elders of CBC.  I will not meet to counsel a woman unless she or I can arrange to have another woman present and in the room when the counseling happens.

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I am committed to fiscal responsibility so will ask the Calvary Baptist Church to oversee the financial aspect of the ministry.

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I am committed to keeping counseling information confidential. 

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I am committed financially.  Over the first three years I invested significant dollars myself to the initiation of the ministry. 

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I am committed to the leadership of the local church and will submit to Tim Jordan, pastor of CBC. 

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I am committed prayerfully for the ministry.  There has not been a day gone by in 8 years wherein I did not think and pray about the viability and effectiveness of a ministry such as this.  And if after praying for all these years I find the door is closed and God would not have it be now, I would not stop praying.  I believe Crawford County needs a biblical counseling center.