www.shawneebiblechurch.org
Biblical Soul Care: Caring & Counseling Together
At Shawnee Bible Church, we value biblical care and loving support outside of
classrooms and our corporate gatherings. We believe that biblical counseling has a major
role in the church because it organically grows out of biblical exposition and biblical
theology. We practice historic biblical counseling which seeks to be exegetical in nature,
that is, drawn out of Scripture not merely “in agreement” with it. We see opportunity to
minister in the problems we face because Jesus warned, “in the world you will have
tribulation [trials and sorrows] but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33,
NASB, emphasis added). We believe the distressing problems of life ultimately find
solution and balm in the One who has overcome the world.
Biblical “soul care” is a component of church care which seeks to apply the gospel to
various trials, hardships, and sin issues in the lives of believers. It is a model of
discipleship-oriented counseling that views Scripture as sufficient for addressing our non-
organic problems of living because. It is driven by the conviction that in the true knowledge
of God we have "everything pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3, NASB).
We are committed to the position that Scripture provides the only authoritative guide
for what we are to believe and how we are to live (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Biblical counseling
training focuses on the competent and compassionate use of Scripture, theological truth,
and the supportive life of the local church for helping the weak, admonishing the unruly,
and encouraging the fainthearted (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Biblical counseling is not based
on man’s wisdom, opinions, experience, or concepts of behavior (1 Corinthians 2:12–16).
We do not agree with or practice psychotherapy. We see biblical soul care as a loving
discipleship involvement in the lives of believers and an evangelistic effort in the lives of
unbelievers.
We seek to cultivate both a formal and informal function for biblical soul care at
Shawnee Bible Church. Formally, we have credentialed counselors who have completed
rigorous training and earned certification with the Association of Certified Biblical
Counselors (www.biblicalcounseling.com). Informally, we desire to foster a “culture” of
soul care and change-oriented discipleship among our members as they build one
another up in truth and love (Ephesians 4:11–16). We provide focused classroom
instruction to develop these skills. Furthermore, we believe competent preaching of God’s
Word provides a constant diet for equipping believers to encourage, admonish, and help
one another “live godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12).
