Equipping Churchesto Care for Their People

The Molding and Shaping of Masculinity

Who is shaping the men in your church — God's Word, or the culture? Drawing from 40+ years of sociological research on gender and masculinity alongside a robust biblical framework, this talk challenges men to examine whose words have formed them and what it means to pursue godly manhood with intention. Men leave with greater self-awareness and a clearer path forward.

Ideal for

Men's ministry, retreats, young adult groups

Format

Talk with group discussion

Topics coveredHistory and sociology of masculinity · How masculine identity is formed · Masculine ideology vs. biblical manhood · What to do with what you discover

How to Biblically View Our Emotions

Most people relate to their emotions in one of two unhealthy ways — either they are controlled by them, or they suppress them. This talk offers a third way, rooted in Scripture and supported by current research in attachment theory and emotion science. Framed within the biblical narrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration, participants learn to bring their emotional lives honestly before God.

Ideal for

Sunday classes, young adult groups, women's events, life group leader training

Format

Talk with discussion

Topics coveredBiblical theology of emotions · How our stories shape our emotional lives · Attachment theory and its biblical parallels · A practical framework for engaging emotions with God

Mental Health Through a Biblical Lens

Christians are often shaped more by a Western cultural view of mental health than a biblical one — treating suffering as something to escape, and emotions as either weakness or absolute truth. This workshop directly challenges that framework, developing a robust biblical theology of mental and emotional health that equips participants to care for themselves and others with greater wisdom and compassion.

Ideal for

Pastoral staff, campus fellowships, life group leader training

Format

Workshop with discussion

Topics coveredThe Western/medical model and its limits · Biblical theology of suffering · How emotions reveal deeper questions about God (Dan Allender, Peter Scazzero) · Practical tools for engaging mental and emotional health with spiritual maturity

Counseling & Coaching: A Biblical Process

What does it look like to care for people through a counseling and coaching lens that is grounded in Scripture and informed by the best of clinical practice? This half-day class — developed for Riverstone Church's School of Ministry — walks participants through the framework, methodology, and practical approach used at OneDay, including teaching, small group discussion, and case study work.

Ideal for

Schools of ministry, elder/deacon training, pastoral care teams

Format

Half-day class with breaks, discussion, and case study

Topics coveredCounseling vs. coaching · The integration model · Narrative and inner parts approaches · A biblical understanding of emotions · Couples and attachment · Case study practice

Unwanted: A Men's Group on Sexual Purity

Sexual brokenness is one of the most silenced struggles in the church — and the standard “lust management” response has left men more ashamed and more stuck. This 12-session facilitated group takes a fundamentally different approach: rather than declaring war on desire, it invites men to understand their sexual brokenness as a convergence of their past story, their wounds, and the spiritual assault on their dignity as image bearers of God. Real freedom begins with curiosity, not condemnation.

Ideal for

Men's ministry, recovery ministries, pastoral care programs

Format

90 min/week · 6–10 men · Custom workbook included

• Month 1How did I get here? Theology of unwanted sexual behavior, family systems, abandonment, trauma, sexual abuse
• Month 2Why do I stay here? Core experiences, hijackers of the soul, patterns of protection
• Month 3What does freedom look like? Restoration, identity, moving forward

A Christian Perspective of IFS: Integration & Practice

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is one of the most widely used therapeutic models today — and it integrates remarkably well with a Christian understanding of the human person. This training provides a thorough biblical framework for understanding parts, protectors, exiles, and the Self, and equips participants to bring IFS language into clinical and pastoral care settings with theological clarity.

Ideal for

Christian counseling practices, lay counselor teams, faith-based clinical staff

Format

Half-day training with discussion and practice

Topics coveredIFS model overview (parts, protectors, exiles, Self) · Biblical framework for a broken inner system · Dignity and depravity (Genesis 3) · Scriptural basis for parts, exiles, and protectors · Where Schwartz and Scripture converge and diverge · Introducing IFS language to clients

Integrating Christianity & IFS: Bringing Jesus into the Inner System

The follow-on to Part 1, this training moves from framework to practice. Participants learn how to target protective parts, draw them out, and invite Jesus to engage and unburden parts in session. The training addresses the unique discipleship dimension of IFS-informed Christian care — how to lead clients toward Christ rather than merely symptom relief — and includes guided practice exercises throughout.

Ideal for

Those who have completed Part 1, or clinicians already familiar with IFS

Format

Half-day training with guided practice

Topics coveredTargeting and befriending protective parts · Inviting Jesus to engage and unburden a part · Caring for exile parts · Discipling parts toward Christ · Realistic expectations of sanctification in the IFS process