"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
ALT A maroon image with gold speckles displays a quote: "The church is headquarters for God's rehumanizing work. It is where God is putting us back together." - Gunner Gundersen. The top right has "#ccef26" and a logo of a leafy tree is in the bottom right corner.
"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
ALT Quote image with a message by Nancy Guthrie: "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." The background is light with scattered dark speckles, and the bottom right corner has a small decorative logo. The top right corner has the hashtag #ccef26.
"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
ALT The image contains a quote on a purple background with gold specks. The quote reads: "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." The quote is attributed to Mike Emlet. The top right corner has the hashtag "#ccef26" and the bottom right corner features a small logo resembling a leaf.
"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
"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
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!
"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
"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
"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
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
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
"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
ALT Quote on a mustard yellow background with a small white tree logo in the corner. The quote reads, "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.
"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
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
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.
We're excited to announce a special course offering in the January 2027 term: Marriage Counseling, with lectures by Aaron Sironi. This course introduces marriage counseling as a complex, dynamic, and yet rewarding form of counseling. This course will provide you with a basic theological framework and methodology for counseling that will help move couples beyond and beneath complaints to address dynamics, heart movements, and interpersonal patterns. Register today at ccef.org/school.
#ccef #biblicalcounseling
We're pleased to announce a new course offering in the January 2027 term: Counseling Abusive Marriages, with lectures by Darby Strickland. Register today at ccef.org/school.
This course is not merely academic—it is practical and born out of helping those suffering in abusive marriages. This course addresses marital dynamics where one partner (or both) is (are) perpetually sinning against the other in such a way that it causes physical, spiritual, sexual, or emotional suffering, oppression and/or enslavement. These dynamics insist that we shape the counseling process differently than typical marriage counseling. Therefore, we will work to identify when and which dynamics are present, as well as understand them both theologically and practically. We will also explore methodology that will address both individual’s hearts, motives, desires, and relationships with the Lord with the hopes of providing pathways to rescue and redemption.
#ccef #biblicalcounseling
Registration is now open for the January 2027 term of the School of Biblical Counseling! Register by November 3 for the lowest price. Learn more at ccef.org/school.
We're excited about two special course offerings this term:
• Biblical Counseling for Pastors
• Counseling Abusive Marriages with Darby Strickland
• Marriage Counseling with Aaron Sironi
Today is release day for a new children's book edited by Mike Emlet! Manny & the Garden of Gratitude helps children learn to grumble less and give thanks more. Purchase today at ccef.org/book.
About the book: Manny Mole has everything he needs, but not quite everything he wants, exactly how he wants it. Instead of enjoying what he has, Manny often complains and fails to see the good around him, even though his family points out all there is to be thankful for. He can’t think of a single thing to paint on his stone for the meadow’s Garden of Gratitude. But when a storm destroys his family’s home, Manny starts to appreciate all of God’s blessings and decides exactly what to add to his stone.
Edited by counselor Mike Emlet, Manny & the Garden of Gratitude highlights the value of contentment, gratitude, and trusting God. It is part of the Good News for Little Hearts series that brings gospel wisdom and biblical counsel to families. Based on CCEF’s model of hope and help, each story focuses on an animal family’s real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus during challenging circumstances.
#ccef #biblicalcounseling #christiancounseling #counseling
