At Hope Counseling Services, we work to create safe places in the Chapel Hill area where people in all ages and stages of life can speak honestly about their struggles, encounter the living Redeemer and find the hope and lasting change He alone provides through Christ-centered, biblically based counseling and training. One way we seek to create safe places is through our counseling ministry. People come to Hope, looking for a place to be honest and open about their troubles in order to find help and hope through Christ. Another way we seek to create safe places is through our training and equipping services for local churches. This year we have partnered with several churches:

• One of our counselors, Jacklyn Tubel, was the keynote speaker at three women’s retreats. Her talks focused on what it looks like to walk alongside others in wise and loving ways as we connect the riches of Christ to the realities of life in everyday relationships.
• I spent last Saturday with Chapel Hill Bible Church, focusing on wise and helpful ministry to suffering people.
• I also have had the privilege of providing training for side-by-side ministry for a group at North Ridge Bible Chapel. One important aspect of this teaching was focusing on how we are all saints, suffers, and sinners. Wise and loving interpersonal ministry always considers the interplay between these three realities of Christian identity.

As we look ahead there are two opportunities for training to consider:

• This November we will welcome Dr. Mike Emlet, CCEF faculty member, for a special event entitled Be Still, My Soul: Understanding and Addressing Anxiety. This seminar will provide rich biblical perspectives on anxiety and will highlight practical ways of addressing this common struggle. We are excited to have Mike with us for this topic because he brings a unique perspective because of the combination of his medical background and his biblical counseling expertise. I hope to see you there and please help us spread the word! For more information or to register, visit: www.hopechapelhill.org/events.
• Hope is excited to help facilitate hybrid classes with CCEF’s School of Biblical Counseling. Last spring we had a cohort take Dynamics of Biblical Change together. These classes combine CCEF’s distance education platform with live gatherings for teaching and discussion. We plan to offer this again in the spring of 2019. If you are interested in learning more email us at info@hopechapelhill.org.

We would love to talk with your church or ministry group about our training services. Please contact us if you would like more information! And if you know of anyone who would be encouraged to hear about Hope’s ministry, please feel free to forward this email on to them.