Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation / Restoring Christ to counseling and counseling to the church through biblical counseling resources and training.

Glenside, PA
Joined May 2008
"God is deeply committed to who we are becoming. Being stuck in suffering does not change the Spirit’s ability to be at work, nor does it change his commitment to a person. The Spirit renews no matter what." —Lauren Whitman From her breakout session, "In the Stuck Places: Participating with God in the Work of Restoration," at our 2026 National Conference. Learn more and purchase the audio at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"God loves us by responding and coming close. That is what the incarnation of Jesus Christ is." —Todd Stryd From his breakout session, "The Importance of Being Loved: A Biblical Framing of Attachment Theory," at our 2026 National Conference. Learn more and purchase the audio at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"Death is like a poisonous snake with the venom extracted—the bite may still hurt, but there will be no lasting pain." —Steve Midgley From his general season, "Fit for Heaven: Bearing the Image of the Heavenly Man," at our 2026 National Conference. Learn more at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"God has already made his people one in Christ. Our task is to preserve that unity, rooted in knowing and experiencing the love of Christ." —Aaron Sironi From his general season, "Members of One Body: Our Vocation as New Creation," at our 2026 National Conference. Learn more at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"The church is headquarters for God's rehumanizing work. It is where God is putting us back together." —Gunner Gundersen From his general season, "Putting Us Back Together: How the Local Church Rehumanizes God’s People," at our 2026 National Conference. Learn more at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"Jesus was the first glorified human, but he will not be the last. The Father intends for the Son to have many brothers and sisters." —Nancy Guthrie From her general season, "The Story of the Image of God," at our 2026 National Conference. Learn more at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"Dependent, creaturely life is what we were made for—not a quest for omniscience, omnipresence, or omnipotence, which are crushing burdens for anyone other than God himself." —Mike Emlet From his general season, "Christian Formation in an Age of Information & Instant Gratification." Learn more at ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"People need more than an explanation of God’s good design; they need help living within it." —Darby Strickland From her general season, "Who Told You Who You Are? The Temptation to Redesign Our Humanity." There's still time to register to join us virtually! Visit ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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"Understanding God’s design is essential to being fully human. We are fully human when we are walking with God." From Ed Welch's general season, "The Image of the Invisible God: Jesus as the True Human." There's still time to register to join us virtually! Visit ccef.org/2026. #ccef26
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There's still time to join us virtually for our conference this weekend! You'll get video access to all general and breakout sessions, including worship with Sandra McCracken. You'll also receive access to our conference app and online bookstore for discounts and early access to new books. Register today at ccef.org/2026!
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"When the Bible permits divorce, injustice is the context and mercy is the point. If you have suffered great betrayal or abandonment in marriage, God takes a posture of mercy toward you." From When Divorce Is Mercy, a new book by Michael Gembola and Darby Strickland. Purchase today: bit.ly/4dnlS3X #ccef #biblicalcounseling #counseling
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"The permission to divorce with grounds means that God places a limit on the evil that one human being can do to another." From When Divorce Is Mercy, a new book by Michael Gembola and Darby Strickland. Purchase today: bit.ly/4dnlS3X #ccef #biblicalcounseling #counseling
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"Repentance is not verified by one emotional moment but by a pattern of new life." From When Divorce Is Mercy, a new book by Michael Gembola and Darby Strickland. Purchase today: bit.ly/4dnlS3X About the book: Marriages are meant to last. So when a marriage is devastated by betrayal, abandonment, or abuse, painful questions follow: What does faithfulness look like now? Must I stay? Am I free to leave? Offering biblical wisdom to suffering spouses—and the pastors, counselors, and friends who walk beside them—Michael Gembola and Darby Strickland lay out a process of discernment for complex situations of infidelity and desertion. As readers consider the teaching of Scripture, assess the impact of the offenses, and look for repentance and change, Gembola and Strickland encourage them to trust God’s compassionate leading for each faithful step. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #counseling
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Nancy Guthrie joined us at our 2018 National Conference in Virginia Beach, and we're excited she'll be joining us again this October for our conference, Fully Human: Life as God Designed! Join virtually or in-person in Virginia Beach. Learn more at ccef.org/2026. "Everything he has done to accomplish our salvation certainly will prosper and succeed. . . . We must become joined by faith to this blessed Man." —Nancy Guthrie #ccef #ccef26 #biblicalcounseling #counseling
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Our January 2025–May 2026 Annual Report is now available! Read it online at ccef.org/report. "I truly believe our best years are ahead of us. I don’t say that because I undervalue CCEF’s rich history or the countless ways God has used this ministry over the decades. Rather, I say it because our confidence has never rested in our own strength. It rests in the God 'who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think' (Ephesians 3:20). Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for praying, giving, and believing in the work God is doing through CCEF. Would you continue to pray with us in the months ahead—for wisdom, faithful provision, and steadfast dependence on the Lord as we pursue the mission he has given us?" —Jonathan Holmes, CCEF Executive Director #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling
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When you register for one of our courses this January 2027 term, you'll receive a coupon to purchase our legacy course, Theology & Secular Psychology, for only $250. Course registration is open through November 17. You can register at ccef.org/school. Reach out to us at [email protected] to learn more! #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling
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"I can’t think myself out of the instinct for envy. I need Jesus to do something much more profound. And spiritually desperate is a good place to be."—Ed Welch From our latest podcast episode, "Envy: What Our Hearts Truly Desire," with Gunner Gundersen, Aaron Sironi, and Ed Welch. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts or at ccef.org/podcast. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #podcast #christianpodcast
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"Comparison minimizes what I’ve already been given in Christ. Is it too small a thing that I’ve been justified and declared righteous by grace alone through faith?"—Gunner Gundersen From our latest podcast episode, "Envy: What Our Hearts Truly Desire," with Gunner Gundersen, Aaron Sironi, and Ed Welch. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts or at ccef.org/podcast. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #podcast #christianpodcast
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We're back with the podcast after a short break! Listen to our latest episode, "Envy: What Our Hearts Truly Desire," with Gunner Gundersen, Aaron Sironi, and Ed Welch. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts or at ccef.org/podcast. Comparison and envy are such ordinary parts of human experience that we often barely notice them. But what do they reveal about our hearts, and how do they affect our relationships with God and others? In this episode, Gunner Gundersen is joined by Ed Welch and Aaron Sironi to explore how envy takes root in the things we value, from recognition and influence to relationships and abilities. They consider how social media can fuel comparison, how envy undermines love and contentment, and how it can expose our doubts about God's generosity. Rather than simply telling ourselves to stop comparing, we need something more profound: a renewed vision of Christ and all we have received in him. Through Scripture, gratitude, and a growing appreciation of God's character, we can learn to loosen the grip of envy, celebrate the gifts of others, and find our worth in Christ. #ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #podcast #christianpodcast
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Are you considering attending the CCEF conference virtually? Today only, virtual registration is $50 off! We’re excited about a few features for our virtual attendees: 📺 Access to view video content on the app will be available through December 31, 2026, giving you more time to view sessions after the weekend. 🎧 In addition, a download of all session audio is now included with every registration and will be provided to all attendees post-conference. 🎤 Finally, virtual stage interviews with our speakers will take place after most general sessions, exclusive to all virtual attendees. We have some exciting interviews planned! Be sure to register by the end of today! To receive your discount: • Head to bit.ly/46Se8Dv • During checkout, enter the promo code TODAY • Select the ticket option for “FLASH SALE - Virtual Conference Rate” You can learn more about the conference at ccef.org/2026.
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