Overview: This biblical counseling certificate is designed to prepare lay-level counselors to support the church members at Idlewild Baptist Church and reach the local community for Christ. Our church has partnered with Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) to offer a full cohort program of education, with both online and in-person components.

While the certificate is not for academic credit, the classes are robust and comprehensive.

The certificate is built on four key convictions: the necessity of the gospel, the centrality of the local church, the primacy of Scripture, and a balanced view of sin and suffering.

The program consists of seven online, self-paced, courses:

o Biblical Counseling in the Local Church
o Counseling Parents and Children
o Group Counseling Skills
o Individual Skills and Crisis Intervention
o Marriage and Pre-martial Counseling
o Counseling Individuals with Problematic Emotions
o Counseling Individuals with Addiction Problems

-Each course includes 30 video mini-lectures (each about half an hour or less) and a quiz to check your understanding. See  https://cert.sebts.edu/  for more information.

-We will also meet monthly on a Wednesday evening to discuss course content, review case studies, and practice skills.

-One Saturday a month, a professor from SEBTS will deliver an in-person seminar on a topic of interest. We will also have members of IBC speak to the class.

Cost:
Idlewild has negotiated a reduced rate from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and has subsidized the cost to bring this training to you for $425. This includes the textbook that will be utilized. You will also receive printed and bound copies of the lecture notes.

Certificate Requirements
The course runs from April 1 to December 1. To receive the certificate Idlewild offers, you must:
• attend the mandatory (Kick-off) info session on Sunday, March 29 (12:30-1:15pm)
• attend 5 of 7 monthly Wednesday classes (6:30-7:45 pm)
• attend 6 of 8 Saturday seminars (8:00am-Noon)
• complete all 7 online courses (210 videos and 210 quizzes)
• Course access does not expire and is yours to use even after graduation.