CBL & Vocational Ministers of the Gospel
How many people in ministry have you seen get burned out?
How many families have you seen overburdened by the weight of ministry?
Often the people doing ministry aren’t ministered to themselves.
CBL exists to do just that.
%
of pastors believe that pastoral ministry affects their family negatively.
%
of pastors admit that pornography is a current struggle.
%
of pastor's spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
%
of pastor's spouses feel pressured to be something in the church that they are really not.
%
of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouse.
Individual Care
Counseling
In partnership with local churches, CBL offers individual counseling to those already in or preparing for vocational ministries. If you are struggling or in a season of uncertainty, we offer help that points to the gospel and provides practical guidance.
Mentoring
It can be beneficial to sit with someone who is a few laps ahead of you in life and in ministry. We would love to grab a coffee or meet virtually to discuss your life and ministry (Titus 2:1-8).
Staying on Mission Year Long Counseling Program
Being in ministry is hard. CBL’s Staying on Mission counseling program is designed to offer counsel, encouragement, and feedback on a minister’s ministry over the course of a year. The purpose of these sessions is to aid ministers in fulfilling 1 Timothy 1:5 -“the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
Those who purchase a year long Staying on Mission package will receive 8 virtual or in person counseling sessions (60 minute individual sessions or 90 minute married sessions). They will also have direct messaging access to their counselor between sessions. The cost for a year of the Staying on Mission package is $600 for individuals and $760 for married couples.
The Staying on Mission counseling package can be purchased for yourself or as a gift to a ministry leader you know who would benefit from intentional soul care.
Please contact us for more information or to set up an in-person or virtual appointment.
Marriage Care
Marriage Counseling and Mentoring
Whether ministry is just taking its toll on your marriage or you feel like your marriage is in crisis, CBL will come alongside you to offer help and hope from God’s Word.
Marriage on Mission
Are you preparing for overseas ministry? Experiencing a season of marital difficulty while serving the church? Returning on furlough and in need of care? Facing ministry change that brought suffering? CBL offers tailored weekend marriage experiences to help you in your unique situation.
This experience is designed for discipleship and renewal. Couples will complete an extensive questionnaire as pre-work before coming to Louisville for a weekend of marriage assessment and guidance. The results can be sent to your church for further follow-up and care.
For more information contact us, or to set up an in-person or virtual appointment, complete our counseling request form.
“CBL staff were an integral part of helping us better honor the Lord in our first year of marriage. We were struggling to bring our two worlds together: I was a widower with four children and my wife had never been married. While we had many of the most important things in common including our faith and ministry goals, we needed help handling the myriad of conflicts that came with our unique circumstances. CBL staff applied empathy, patience, and godly wisdom in our weekly meetings that enabled us to grow in our understanding of each other as well as our trust in the Lord. CBL staff gave us tools that have served us well as we continue to flourish in our marriage today in no small part because of their investment in us.”
FAQs
How do I schedule appointments?
Complete our counseling request form. We will follow up with you within 48 hours of receiving your request and will be happy to set up an in-person or virtual appointment.
Is there a cost?
We do have fees. Our individual counseling rate is $75 per 60 minute session and $95 per 90 minute session. Family counseling (counseling with two or more counselees) is $95 per 60 minute session and $125 per 90 minute session. Generally, couples counseling sessions are 90 minutes long. We do offer Starr Scholarships to assist financially, however we do not offer 100% scholarships. Some churches are able to sponsor the cost. We would encourage you to speak with your church leadership to see if there are funds available. Contact us for details.
I don’t attend The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary nor am I in vocational ministry, will CBL still counsel me?
Currently, the Center for Biblical Living is limited to counseling SBTS students and those serving the local church vocationally (in the pulpit or on the mission field). If you are not a SBTS student nor serving the local church and you desire biblical counseling, please consider two resources we recommend:
Biblical Counseling Coalition’s “Find a Counselor” page to find a counselor in your area.