About 10 years ago, the Biblical Counseling Center asked a far-reaching question:
“What would it take for churches of all sizes to start sustainable and effective biblical counseling ministries?”
That simple question sparked the creation of what we now call our LAUNCH Partnerships—a structured, step-by-step process to help churches envision, equip, and execute a plan for biblical counseling and care within their congregation.
Since then, we’ve had the privilege of walking alongside dozens of churches and training over 7,000 students through our online biblical counseling courses. We’ve seen firsthand how God uses biblical counseling and community-based care to bring hope and healing, both across the U.S. and internationally. Along the way, we’ve learned critical lessons that shape every LAUNCH Partnership today.
7 Lessons We’ve Learned Along the Way
1. Any Size Church Can Start a Counseling Ministry
Whether your church has 80 or 800 members, the real question isn’t “Are we big enough?” but rather, “Are we ready to shepherd more effectively?” With the right structure and support, even small churches can launch meaningful and lasting care ministries. Most of the churches we serve range from 100 to 500 members and often don’t have a dedicated counseling staff member.
2. The Best Counseling Ministries Are Often Led by Lay Leaders
While pastoral support is important, we’ve seen that the most sustainable ministries are often led by non-vocational lay leaders—those gifted in administration, compassion, and discipleship. These individuals often become the glue that holds the ministry together. With an organized approach, even a volunteer team can thrive under the guidance of a supportive elder or pastor.
3. Small Groups Are Essential for Effective Counseling Training
One-way lectures or conference-style events rarely lead to effective training environments. Interactive small-group training, paced over time, significantly improves comprehension and counseling ministry readiness. We recommend groups of 8-20 people. Fewer than eight can limit discussion and peer learning, while more than 20 makes meaningful evaluation, mentorship, and ministry integration more difficult. The ideal group size is 12–16 for optimal interaction and growth for most church-based training groups to help leaders begin effective counseling ministry.
4. Churches Need Structure—Not Just Training
A biblical counseling ministry won’t thrive without structure. Many churches believe in counseling biblically but lack the systems—such as intake processes, accountability, and team roles—to make it work. That’s why LAUNCH includes our “Starting a Counseling Ministry” course, which helps churches build the framework needed for long-term success.
Though LAUNCH started locally, God has expanded its reach across the U.S., Canada, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Our recent launch of a Spanish-language track is just the beginning. The desire to counsel biblically is growing globally, and more training centers must rise to the challenge.
5. Short-Term Groups Can Multiply Ministry Impact
While one-on-one counseling is vital, it’s not the only avenue. Churches that offer short-term topical groups (on issues like anxiety, anger, parenting, or marriage) see significant engagement. These lay-led groups create accessible entry points for discipleship and care and help multiply the reach of your ministry.
6. Ongoing Partnership Fuels Long-Term Success
Ministry can be isolating, especially when hard cases come up. That’s why churches benefit from ongoing partnerships that provide training, feedback, resources, and encouragement. Regular check-ins and coaching help churches stay on mission. Plus, when local churches collaborate, they can pool resources and support one another more effectively.
7. The Conversation Has to Start Somewhere—Use Caring Like Christ
To help churches begin the journey, we developed the Caring Like Christ curriculum, available as a weekend seminar and a free online video series in both English and Spanish. This four-part series is a fantastic tool to spark interest and build momentum for a biblical counseling ministry, regardless of your church’s size or budget.
If your church or organization is ready to take the next step, we’d love to talk with you. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to grow an existing ministry, our LAUNCH Partnership can help you build a sustainable, effective, and biblical care ministry. We would be happy to explore what it could look like to partner together.
Questions for Reflection
- In what ways is my church currently equipping its members to care for one another biblically, and where are the gaps?
- Are there lay leaders in our church—gifted in compassion, wisdom, or administration—who could be mobilized for a more intentional counseling ministry?
- What might it look like for our church to move from believing in biblical counseling to actually practicing it?
