Every now and then there's a conference that makes you stop in your tracks. A conference that seems so timely that it excites your heart, inspires your mind and sends you to your knees in prayer. A conference that leaves you with that feeling that what has been said is so desperately needed, it cannot be ignored. A conference that says absolutely nothing new because every word that's uttered is thoroughly soaked in Scripture but still manages to leave your jaw hanging open with the freshness of approach. The Changing Hearts conference on Saturday in central London was one such conference.
For those who weren't there, it was CCEF's (the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation) first official foray into the UK. They're an American organisation which offer training in biblical counselling - their stated passion being to restore Christ to counselling and restore counselling to the church.
The conference wasn't a medicine-bashing-fest, the team (Tim Lane and David Powlison) were clear that secular medical approaches can have some merit. But it was an unswervingly confident reminder that Scripture is all-sufficient. The power of the cross is not just to forgive the past and open the way to a perfect future but to change people in the here and now. What an exciting truth that is! When the people around us in the local church struggle, we don't have to paddle inertly in the face of their pain or offer platitude or legalistic self-help programmes, we have a relationship with the gracious and loving King of the universe who delights to transform his children to become more like his Son. There is nothing more constructive to offer and no more exciting journey to encourage hurting people to take... Far from secular therapies which encourage weak and broken people to look inside themselves for strength; truly biblical counselling encourages a life of repentance and humility before the awesome God who pours his sacrificial strength into shattered lives and calls people to follow him in the wake of his mercy and in the power of his Spirit.
Throughout the day, the gentleness and humility of the speakers and session-leaders flowed out. There were no strident statements or simplistic arguments. The team didn't set themselves up as sorted experts who had somehow reached a high plateau of sinless contentment. Biblical counselling is a work of the risen Lord in the hands of struggling humans. So compassion oozed and the testimonies of those who are already using biblical counselling methods in their discipleship and evangelism inspired.
But the conference was not just about information giving, it was also a call to action as it reminded those present that there is a role for all of us to be part of the great family-orientated process of pointing one another to Jesus and spurring one another on to love and good deeds. The church all too often in the past has encouraged its members to look to secular therapies (or stood by and encouraged nothing much at all), the time has come to regain our confidence in God's Word; to roll up our sleeves, open our Bibles and point people to the ultimate source of all things good.
While plans are not yet finalised, it looks as if there will be new CCEF training available in the UK in the not too distant future. And certainly another conference in 2014. If you are interested in finding out more about what's going to be happening with CCEF UK, do keep checking their website for updates. It's not revolutionary but, in the hands of the living God, it could change so much.
