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Application of Biblical Counseling in Discipleship Ministry: a Qualitative Case Study

  • Journal of Counseling and Gospel
  • Abbr : Jocag
  • 2014, 22(1), pp.53-78
  • DOI : 10.17841/jocag.2014.22.1.53
  • Publisher : Korean Evangelical Counseling Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Pastoral Counseling
  • Received : April 20, 2014
  • Accepted : May 9, 2014

Myeong Ok Kang 1

1Westminster Theological Seminary

Candidate

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine what benefits participants in discipleship training receive when experiencing biblical counseling redundant. Specifically, by asking the following research question, “What change did the participants discipleship training experience after receiving biblical counseling?” this study investigates how the participants experience growth and change in biblical counseling. To achieve this goal, the study first reviews precedent literature related to the topics such as discipleship, discipleship training, and biblical counseling, and explains theoretical background to examine a local church’s discipleship ministry and biblical counseling. The literature review found similarity between discipleship training and biblical counseling in their purpose and approach. Among many literature, David Watson’s book “Discipleship” has been a classic that explains the meaning of discipleship. For him, the essence of discipleship is to imitate Jesus and follow his steps in every aspect of one's life. “Discipleship training” usually refers to a specific ministry of local congregation to train its members in the areas of Bible knowledge, its application, and practices in everyday Christian life. Among various Christian counseling approaches, biblical counseling model resembles the goals and visions of discipleship and discipleship training. But a distinctiveness of biblical counseling can be found in its focus on concrete change in deeper levels in the areas of counseling related issues. Among various traditions of qualitative research methods, the study employed case study method for it investigates complex bounded system like a local congregation. To examine the effectiveness of biblical counseling in the process of a discipleship training, the study first selected a local congregation well known for its discipleship training ministry, and provided four participants in discipleship training process with individual biblical counseling and two ground counseling sessions which lasted for six months. Main data were transcripts from counseling and discipleship training sessions and they were coded through content analysis. The result of the data analysis reveals that the participants were having various issues such as marital relationship problems, depressed feelings, and internet overuse. Among them, the problem of internet overuse was notably shared. Thus, internet overuse problem was mainly addressed in counseling sessions. Data analysis reveals that the participants realized seriousness of the problem, importance of faith for addressing internet problem, and importance of local church through biblical counseling. Initially, the participants assumed that they were using internet a little more than ordinary use and that the use of the internet was necessary for life. However, through counseling intervention that helped closely monitor and analyze daily use of the internet, they realized the seriousness of their problem. Once they could see the reality in their problems, they could find other related issues. For instance, participants could connect the internet overuse with their marital and other related problems. By indulging in internet use, they avoided to face their relational problems and tried to fill the emptiness. The participants also could see their problems in the light of faith and the Bible. More concretely, they could see their struggles as spiritual battle. Finally, the biblical counseling intervention led them to acknowledge and appreciate the positive roles of faith community as a vital resource for spiritual recovery process. Based on this result, the study suggests six ways to apply biblical counseling in discipleship ministry in local church: materializing, actualizing, training, utilizing, recruiting, and expanding. That is to say, discipleship training ministry needs to have materials to provide information and specific content of biblical counseling. Further, it needs to implement the content of biblical counseling as a part of discipleship training program so that discipleship training ministry can touch every aspect of a believer’s life. To do this, educational program such as “counseling school” as well as professional counseling should have collaborative relationship that enhances growth and change.

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