Biblical Counseling Training

We are excited to partner with Steve Spires and Soul Shepherding Worldwide to offer ongoing Biblical Counseling training for those interested in ACBC certification, as well as for anyone looking to become better equipped to care for one another within the local church. 

Pastors and church leaders, you’re invited to a special Breakfast Informational Meeting to explore a valuable opportunity to strengthen your ministry through biblical counseling/soul care training. Steve Spires, a certified biblical counselor and trainer, will share how this practical, gospel-centered resource can equip your church to care more effectively for those in need outside (evangelism) and inside (discipleship) the church.

Informational Meeting Breakfast for Pastors and Church Leaders

Saturday, August 16 at 9 AM

RSVP

Meet Steve & Eve Spires

Steve and Eve Spires, Founders and Executive Director of SSW

Steve Spires was raised in a missionary family that served in Bangladesh (formerly, East Pakistan) until 1967. Later, his dad became an ordained minister and church planter of a local church in Slidell, LA.

Steve received his degree in Pre-Law/ Journalism from the University of Mississippi in 1982. In 1986 he enrolled in the University of New Orleans (UNO) to become certified in elementary education and met his future bride, the former Eve Berner. In August of 1986 Steve began teaching 3rd grade at a local elementary school and later went on to earn a Masters in Education Administration from UNO in 1993. He taught third grade in St. Tammany Parish for 31 years and retired in May 2019. In addition to his educational career, Steve and Eve own and operate a local private tutoring service for families on the North Shore. 

In 2017 Steve and his wife felt the call to serve local churches as biblical counselors. In October 2020 Steve earned a biblical counseling certification from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). Both he and his wife, Eve, serve on the biblical counseling team at First Baptist Church, Slidell.

In addition to counseling individuals and families, Steve is a missionary training coordinator with Biblical Counseling Ministries Worldwide (BCMW) and a speaker/ trainer with Soul Shepherding Worldwide (SSW). He is currently serving in the countries of Latvia, Finland, and Belize. In addition, Steve helps the Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBCD) with teachings and training in soul care and discipleship.

Steve has been married to Eve for 35 years and has 5 adult children and 3 grandchildren.

“Whenever someone asks you a question, the next thing that comes out of your mouth is counsel. You may as well give biblical counsel.”

- Steve Spires

FAQ

  • Biblical counseling is a form of counseling that uses the Bible as the ultimate authority and guide for helping people deal with life's problems, emotional struggles, and personal growth. It is based on the belief that Scripture is sufficient to address the spiritual and psychological needs of individuals.

    Key Characteristics of Biblical Counseling:

    1. Bible-Centered:
      It views the Bible as the primary source of truth for understanding human nature, problems, and solutions.

    2. Sin and Suffering:
      It addresses both sin (personal responsibility and moral choices) and suffering (the effects of living in a broken world), offering hope through God's grace and redemption.

    3. Christ-Centered Change:
      The goal is not just relief from problems but spiritual growth and transformation into the likeness of Christ. It emphasizes repentance, faith, and obedience.

    4. Role of the Church:
      Biblical counseling often occurs within the context of the local church, seeing pastors and trained laypeople as competent to counsel.

    5. Holistic View of the Person:
      It sees individuals as spiritual beings with emotional, mental, physical, and relational aspects, but believes spiritual issues are central.

  • The vision of SSW is to help pastors and church leaders train and equip church members for ministry (Eph. 4:11-12) in one another care and for the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20).

  • ACBC equips Christians to provide biblical solutions for the problems people face.

    They accomplish this through certification that upholds faithful practice with doctrinal integrity and biblical sufficiency, resources that build up the church, and networks that promote biblical counseling excellence.

  • The vision of BCM Worldwide is to glorify God through the spiritual strengthening of believers and churches around the world.

    The Apostle Paul is best known as a church planting missionary. But Paul didn’t just begin churches and leave them on their own. A vital part of his ministry was church strengthening, a ministry he accomplished both through personal visits (Acts 14:22; 15:41; 18:23) and through letters.

    Because developing – sometimes already mature – Christian ministries now exist in most places in United States and in the world, BCMW is a church strengthening ministry. They exist to help the church provide biblical sufficiency-based soul care for believers that are struggling with the challenges of living in a fallen world among fallen people. Their training strengthens churches in their ministry of restoring broken believers to the grace of God.