Optimus Template

Yes, there are other places one can go to receive quality training in Biblical counseling (although there are not many). Some are accredited academic institutions (The Master’s College, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Central Baptist Theological Seminary) while others are local church based programs (Faith Baptist in Lafayette, IN). These institutions, and others like them, are our friends and we view ourselves as co-workers with them, not competitors. These others are usually able to offer some aspects of training that we will not be able to by extension (such as an accredited degree at the end of the program as the seminaries can or opportunities to sit in on actual counseling cases as Faith Baptist [in their eleven week program] can). Still, we believe you ought to consider studying with us for the following reasons:

• Dr. Jay Adams - Dr. Adams is the father of the modern Biblical counseling movement. He has been teaching and counseling for over 40 years and has written most of the books that others use as texts. In fact, most of the other quality training opportunities are led by men who have studied under Dr. Adams and most of their curricula have been derived from Dr. Adams’ pioneering work. While Dr. Adams published his first book on Biblical counseling, Competent to Counsel, almost forty years ago he remains the lead thinker, cutting edge theologian, and philosopher of the movement. While he has had to limit his traveling in recent days his mind is still green and growing as evidenced by the number of book manuscripts piling up beside his desk awaiting funds to be published. While Dr. Adams does not teach all of our courses they are all overseen by Dr. Adams and taught by men he has invited to teach with him.

• Experienced Faculty - Both Bill Slattery and Donn Arms are experienced pastors who have been certified NANC members for many years. Bill is Dr. Adams son-in-law and served as Dr. Adams’ associate pastor when they together started the Harrison Bridge Road Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. Bill is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church which was founded in 1995 and is now a growing and vibrant church located near Moore, SC. In January 2001 the church moved into its own building and has plans to do further building. Donn Arms has been a NANC member for many years and has trained under Dr. Adams and the late former NANC Executive director Bill Goode. Pastor Goode’s associate, Tim Turner (also now with the Lord), and Donn counseled together two years in Florida while Tim was working on his D. Min. under Dr. Adams before Tim went to teach at the Master’s College. Donn is now pursuing a Doctor of Pastoral Theology degree at Bob Jones University. The faculty also includes two medical doctors, Robert Smith and James Halla (both published authors on various topics related to biblical counseling), and Martha Peace (author of the bestselling The Excellent Wife).

• Need - Your church and community need well trained and qualified Biblical counselors with a heart for ministry and service. God has already surrounded you with hurting people who need Biblical answers. We get calls regularly asking for a referral to a Biblical counselor. We often have to report that we know of no one in the caller's area. Biblically oriented pastors and Christian workers should not have to seek a Biblical counselor to refer people to, they should be the kind of counselor hurting people are seeking!

• Personal Growth - Most students report that the training quickly moved from being a course in helping others to a course in their own personal growth and walk with Christ. Studying Biblical answers to problems will impact the counselors own live dramatically. Pastors uniformly testify that the training has changed their preaching ministry forcing them to become more practical, helpful, and focused on the needs of their people.

• Cost - While any worthwhile training is costly it is important to remember it is an investment in your life and ministry. Tuition at INS has been kept as low as possible and still enable us to provide a quality product. Studying by extension saves you the cost of travel to study sites, motels, and restaurant meals in addition to the cost of time away from your regular job or responsibilities.

• Practical Experience - Our curriculum includes extended discussion of counseling situations based on Dr. Adams' Christian Counselor's Casebook. In the future, we hope to make actual counseling cases available (along with analysis by Dr. Adams) on DVD.

• Convenience - Lectures are delivered to you, in your home or office, at your convenience. We urge our students to have a regular time each week to commit to studying but that can be whatever time you decide. Often students find it best to study as a group. No traveling to a seminary or seminar site to study at their pace and on their schedule.

• Interaction - While we will not be able to offer live interaction as the courses are taught, one of our faculty members, Donn Arms, will be available to extension students via e-mail or telephone.

• Curriculum - Our curriculum is the most comprehensive course of study in Biblical counseling available anywhere short of enrolling in a seminary degree program--and even exceeds many of those!

• Credibility - The INS Certificate in Nouthetic Counseling, indicating one has studied under Dr. Adams, would be a significant addition to anyone's resume. All graduates are urged to seek certification with NANC as well.

• Effectiveness. - Training in biblical counseling is available in many places and is often offered at a one week conference or over the course of several weekends. While the information presented at these venues is often great, we believe they have a number of limitations.

  • First is the amount of material presented. While these conferences meet the minimum amount of training required by NANC for certification we do not believe three quick weekends (not including Sundays) of training or five days of study is sufficent to prepare the student to counseling effectively.

  • Second, these venues require the student to assimilate a large amount of information very quickly and does not allow the student time to read any accompanying textbooks that would further explain the concepts being presented or to think through each topic before having to move immediately to another the next hour. At INS the student can move through the material as whatever pace is necessary for them to grasp the material and offers a comprehensive study of each issue.