Biblical Counseling Degree Youth & Family Concentration
Equipping Families and Discipling Youth
If you desire to influence people far beyond your lifetime, one of the most strategic things you can do is to invest in today's youth and families. All ages — children through seniors — need to be befriended, evangelized, discipled, and counseled through the local church.
Entering the accredited Youth & Family concentration with the Biblical Counseling major at Appalachian Bible College could be one of the best steps you take to prepare for ministry. ABC's double major program ensures that you will be given a solid foundation of Bible / Theology while also learning the essentials of ministry among families.
The ABC Advantage
Our Philosophy
The Youth & Family training at Appalachian Bible College will cultivate in your heart and mind a balanced, Biblical approach to ministry. Instead of subscribing to a program-based model of youth ministry, in which parents expect the church to perform the majority of their children’s spiritual growth, you will learn how to concentrate on a holistic plan for spiritual development. At ABC, emphasis is placed on multi-generational involvement in the local church.
Once enrolled in the Biblical Counseling with the Youth & Family concentration, you will get hands-on experience every spring when ABC holds Youth IMPACT, a large annual event for junior and senior high students. You will also be encouraged to pursue Practical Christian Service opportunities in a local West Virginia church where you can put your Youth & Family education into practice.
Our Faculty
Mr. Dan Best -
Biblical Counseling Chair
Families are the backbone of the local church. I feel an urgency to send out prepared servants who are able to detect needs and effectively administer Biblical solutions. This is accomplished by training students to have confidence in the sufficiency of God's Word to address today's contemporary needs, specifically youth and family needs.
Connect with me!
Why Youth & Family?
Overview
The first institution created by God was the family. Families make up our churches, rear our future pastors and missionaries, and provide a model of the relationship between Christ and the Church. When the family loses its way, the Church struggles.
But what if every parent in your church were equipped to nurture the spiritual development of his or her child(ren)? That is the goal of family-based youth ministry, and God could be calling you to this vital role!
Career Ministry Opportunities
A Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Bible / Theology and Biblical Counseling with a concentration in Youth & Family could lead to service as a:
- Senior Pastor
- Youth Pastor or Youth Director
- Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor
- Director of Children's Ministries
- Christian Education Director
- Discipleship Pastor
- Women's Ministries Director
- Singles Ministry Leader
Objectives & Outcomes
| You will be trained in… | Leading to… |
|---|---|
| Christ-likeness befitting a role model for youth and families | the ability and passion to impact youth and families for the glory of God. |
| Bible & Theology as a basis for a philosophy of youth and family ministry | Biblically-confident, family-equipping, and youth-discipling ministry. |
| the primary needs and responsibilities of youth and their parents | the knowledge to design an age-appropriate, family-engaging ministry to youth and family. |
| skills and a strategy for discipling and mentoring youth and families | the ability to build an effective discipling ministry to youth and their families. |
