Our foremost desire is to equip God’s leaders for the ministries to which they are called.  In doing so, we train leaders to biblically deal with common challenges before they take root in a ministry and become large problems that hinder the cause of Christ.  Nevertheless, we are often called upon to assist leaders who are presently enmeshed in difficult circumstances.

Russ & David counseling with a missionary couple from the Pacific Rim.

Men and women in positions of ministry leadership are often put on a pedestal by those they lead. Therefore, leaders often have no place to turn when they struggle with the issues of life and ministry or are confronted with the fiery darts of the Evil One.

IBL provides confidential, Bible-based Counsel to individuals and couples in positions of leadership, with the purpose of bringing direction, healing and encouragement from the eternal truths of God’s Word.

Some examples of the issues that we address include: broken relationships with colleagues; marital strain; despair; rebellious children; unbiblical thoughts and behavior; anger; moral issues; and spiritual warfare.

Those receiving counsel at IBL enter into an extensive, three-phase process of preparation, in-residence counseling, and follow-up accountability.  Most often, in-residence counseling occurs in Lake Lure over a five-day period. This provides a secluded environment, singular focus and sufficient time for an intense study of God’s Word as it relates to the areas of need.

Typically, ultimate victory is achieved only after a hard-fought, lengthy battle.  It is not unusual for some issues to require a year or more of effort in order to achieve real, lasting success.  For this reason IBL assists counselees with a rigorous program of follow-up accountability.

IBL has a strict policy of confidentiality with respect to its ministries of Bible-based Counsel and Crisis Response.  Therefore, we do not publish any identifying pictures, summaries or testimonials.

Counseling can get very  intense at times.  We have learned the importance of interspersing difficult sessions with light-hearted, laughter-filled fellowship.