Below are 5 of the most important and frequently asked questions about our training program.

1.  Do I have to attend all 11 weeks?

Yes.  In fact, we ask that you sign up for a session (e.g. Spring, Summer, or Fall) only if you plan on attending each week.  We understand that emergencies can arise whereby a person is not able to attend a given week.  However, outside of extreme situations we expect each trainee to attend every week. 

2.  Who should attend this training course?

The course is open to any member of a Bible-believing church - assuming there is pastoral approval.  However, this course was designed specifically for pastors and lay leaders interested in making a difference in the lives of others.  Pastors have often commented that this training helped them with their preaching in addition to their counseling.

3.  How are meals handled?

Lunches are always on your own.  We recommend that you bring your lunch since the time is often fairly short, but there are numerous fast food restaurants within 2 miles of the church.  In addition, during the Spring and Fall sessions lunch can be purchased from the school cafeteria (a signup sheet will be available first thing in the morning for those wishing to take advantage of this option).  Since dinner time is in the middle of our counseling sessions, we order dinner from a local restaurant (except the first night where FBCM provides the dinner at no cost to you).  A sign up sheet will be available when you arrive each Monday with a menu and the name of the restaurant for that week and you will pay our office staff later that afternoon for your orders. 

4.  Are we allowed to leave early (i.e. before 9:00 pm)?

Technically the answer is no.  However, we recognize that some of you will travel a great distance to be here.  As a result, you are free to leave after your last scheduled counseling observation session.  We do not allow trainees to skip sessions in order to leave early.  If your last case ends at 7:45 then you are free to leave, but if you are an observer until 9:00 then you are not free to leave until that case is over.

5.  What is the value of the observation hours?

In our opinion, the observations set our training apart from other training centers.  We emphasize content, but we also show you how that content is applied in real cases.  The observations are actual counseling cases with folks from our town and surrounding community.  We work to provide you with 20 hours of observation with several different counselors so you can watch, learn, and grow.