Biblical Counseling Conference - July 17-19, 2025

Church Financial Pre-Conference - July 16, 2025

Use the button below to register. More info coming soon!

Click here to sign up to help serve before or during the conference! If you sign up for 4 or more volunteer slots, your conference registration fee is covered!

Speakers

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Nicholas Ellen

Nicholas is the Senior Pastor of Community of Faith Bible Church in Houston, Texas and Senior Professor at the College of Biblical Studies. He developed the Expository Counseling Center LLC., is a Fellow with ACBC, and a Senior Member of the Biblical Counseling Framework Association. He and his wife Venessa have two grown children and four grandchildren.

Randy Patten

Randy is the ACBC Director of Training and Advancement. He formerly led the organization for sixteen years as the Executive Director. Randy has served as a senior pastor, a pastor to pastors and consultant to churches. Randy and Cindy have been married for MANY years and have two married adult children and six grandchildren.

Brad Bigney

Brad has been a pastor for over 30 years. He earned his Master of Divinity from Columbia Bible Seminary, is an ACBC certified counselor, and has been serving as the Senior Pastor of Grace Fellowship Evangelical Free Church in Florence, KY since 1996. He and his dear wife Vicki have five children. Brad regularly speaks at our conference and is always a favorite.

Kevin Carson

Kevin is the Pastor of Sonrise Baptist Church in Ozark, MO, and also serves as professor and department chair of Biblical Counseling at Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO. He is ACBC certified and travels with ACBC as a teacher/trainer. Kevin also serves as an adjunct faculty member at several institutions. He and his wife Kelly have four children.

Stuart Scott

Stuart is the Director of Biblical Counseling at Bob Jones University Seminary. He is the author of seven books and a fellow and director of membership services at the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). He has over forty years of experience in counseling, pastoral ministry, and education. He and his wife Zondra have two grown children and two grandchildren.

Matt Thibault

Matt has served in pastoral roles at Grace Bible Church in Bozeman, MT and Grace Church of the Valley in Kingsburg, CA. He is currently the Lead Pastor at Doxa Church in San Diego. He has taught courses at Montana Bible College, Arrowhead Bible College, he is an ACBC certified counselor, and has assisted with courses at The Master’s Seminary. He and his wife Trina have three children.

Craig Rowe

Craig is retired from full-time ministry, but continues to teach in various capacities. He pastored for 33 years, and he counseled and taught for five years in Arlington Heights, IL. He received his MDiv and a Doctorate of Ministry in Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. He is a Fellow with ACBC. He and his wife Sue have four grown children and love being grandparents.

Bryan Hughes

Bryan is the Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Church, Bozeman. He has a BA from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL; a Master of Arts from Western Seminary in Portland, OR; and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Theological Seminary in Newburgh, IN. He presently serves on the board of directors for The Master’s University and Seminary. He and his wife Bev have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Registration

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July 17 – 19, 2025

Registration is open. Click below to register!

Cost is $100 per person through May 31st, and $120 per person after May 31st.
Pastors and their wives can register for half price.

FAQ

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Conference Date:
July 17 – 19, 2025

Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes! Most sessions will be available on our website and app soon after the conference.

Will there be a conference bookstore?
Yes! Grace Books will carry a selection of books and counseling resources, available for purchase, including publications by the speakers. We accept cash, Visa and MasterCard. AND, everyone who registers gets a $10 gift card for use in Grace Books.

Is food included in my registration fee?
Snacks will be provided on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, UNLESS you register at a discounted rate for no food. Lunch will be provided on Thursday and Friday only. Please read the conference menu in the tab below. There is an option to attend the conference for a reduced rate if you want to provide your own snacks (and lunches on Thursday and Friday).

How do I get there?
Grace Bible Church is located in Southwest Montana. (Link to our map) We are about 10 minutes from I-90 and about 20 minutes from Bozeman Airport. Daily direct flights from Denver, Salt Lake, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago and others.

What else is there to do in Bozeman?
Bozeman has 2 seasons: Winter and relatives! July/August (relatives season) is full of every kind of outdoor activity, raft or kayak on the Yellowstone or Gallatin Rivers, float the Madison, rock climbing, hiking or mountain biking on thousands of miles of quiet and excellent trails in the near vicinity, swimming, golf, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping and we are only about an hour’s drive from Yellowstone National Park. You name it – Montana has got it and you can probably rent the gear locally, if you’re looking for a display of God’s handiwork! Forget Hawaii, forget New York. Come to the Last Best Place! Why not come to the conference, then spend a week in the great outdoors talking about what you’ve just heard?

What kind of food is available in Bozeman?
Quite a bit. A list of restaurants, fast food places, cafes and bistros is provided in the Conference Resources. Steak, Sushi, Indian, Middle-Eastern, Asian, Italian, Noodles, Pizza, Burgers, Brats, Bagels, Sandwiches and probably a lot more. For what it’s worth, google Bozeman Food.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations notified up to July 6th, 2025 will be fully refunded.

The Satisfaction Guarantee on this Mystery Tour:

Over the years we have run this conference, NOT ONE PERSON has ever told us it stunk and that they wanted their money back. We are SO CONFIDENT that that will be the case this year that if you attend all 3 days and tell us you hated it (c’mon, not just “oh the weather was lousy. I didn’t like the decor of the church…), we’ll refund you 100%. No questions asked. You have nothing to lose!

Conference Menu

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Over the 10 years we have done the conference, the number of requests relating to various food allergies has increased to the point that, sadly, we can no longer keep up with the number of special meals.

If you have life threatening health concerns related to food or if the menu just doesn’t appeal to you, rather than risk giving you something that you cannot eat – we can reduce your cost by $20 per person and you could bring your own. If that is the case, choose the “without meals” option during registration.

Below you will see a reasonably accurate guide to what we will have this year.

Snacks will be served throughout the conference – including fruits, vegetables, chips, nuts, and ice cream.
Lunch Thursday: Deli sandwiches
Lunch Friday: BBQ meat and salad.

If you have any questions, please contact us as soon as possible.

Financial Pre-Conference

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The Church and Pastor Finances pre-conference ($25 per person) will include 3 sessions discussing the following topics:

Pastor Compensation Package
Pastor and Staff Pay
Housing Allowance
Federal Taxes
Missionary Support
Expense Tracking
Gifts/Donations
Paying/Reimbursing Speakers
Fund Accounting
Separation of Duties
Producing Accurate 1099’s

More content will be added as we get closer to the conference. If you have suggestions of things you would like covered, please email accounting@gbcmt.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025

12:30 – 1:00 – Check-In (West Entrance)
1:00 – 2:00 – Session 1: Best Financial Practices for Churches
2:00 – 2:15 – Break
2:15 – 3:15 – Session 2: Pastoral and Staff Compensation Overview
3:15 – 3:30 – Break
3:30 – 4:45 – Session 3: Practically Paying Pastors and Staff
4:45 – 5:30 – Q&A

Eric Gee

Eric Gee will be leading 3 sessions covering topics related to church and pastor finances on Wednesday, July 16 for $25. Eric is a former CPA and is currently the Financial Administrator at Grace Bible Church.

Track 1 Schedule (Chapel)

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THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025

09:00 – 10:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
10:30 – 12:00 – The Definition and Goal of Biblical Counseling (Bigney)
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch (on-site)
1:00 – 2:00 – Progressive Sanctification (Scott)
2:00 – 2:25 – Snack Break
2:30 – 3:30 – A Biblical View of Anger (Patten)
3:30 – 3:55 – Snack Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Depression (Rowe)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off – campus)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient in Getting to the Heart (Bigney)*

FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Gathering Information and Discerning the Problem (Patten)
9:30 – 9:45 – Snack Break
9:45 – 10:45 – Building Involvement (Bigney)
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 12:00 – Biblical Counseling and Physical Illness (Berger)
12:00 – 1:30 – Lunch (on site)
1:30 – 2:30 – Giving Hope (Shaw)
2:30 – 2:45 – Snack Break
2:45 – 3:45 – Understanding Forgiveness (Ellen)
3:45 – 4:00 – Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Comparison of Counseling Philosophies (Bigney)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off – campus)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient for Trials and Suffering (Ellen)*

SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Counseling and Psychotropic Medications (Berger)
9:30 – 9:55 – Snack Break
10:00 – 11:00 – Delivering Biblical Instruction (Patten)
11:00 – 11:15 – Break
11:15 – 12:15 – Providing a Change and Growth Plan (Patten)
12:15 – 12:20 – Closing Announcements and Prayer

*Plenary sessions involve all conference attendees together in the Worship Center.

Track 2 Schedule (Worship Center)

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THURSDAY, July 17, 2025

09:00 – 10:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
10:30 – 12:00 – Biblical Counseling and Your Hermeneutic (Hughes)
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch (on-site)
1:00 – 2:00 – Case Study on Depression (Rowe)
2:00 – 2:25 – Snack Break
2:30 – 3:30 – Christ: Sufficient for Your Emotions (Ellen)
3:30 – 3:55 – Snack Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Christ: Sufficient for Counseling the Suicidal (Scott)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off-site)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient in Getting to the Heart (Bigney)*

FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Christ: Sufficient for Your Past (Ellen)
9:30 – 9:45 – Snack Break
9:45 – 10:45 – Christ: Sufficient for Dealing with Crisis (Scott)
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 12:00 – Christ: Sufficient for Sinful Worry (Bigney)
12:00 – 1:30 – ***Q&A Lunch with Randy Patten and Brad Bigney (on-site, Youth Room)
1:30 – 2:30 – Christ: Sufficient for Conflict Resolution (Scott)
2:30 – 2:45 – Snack Break
2:45 – 3:45 – Christ: Sufficient in Fatigue, Frustration, and Failure (Patten)
3:45 – 4:00 – Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Christ: Sufficient in Developing a Christ-like Ministry (Patten)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off-site)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session— Christ: Sufficient for Trials and Suffering (Ellen)*

SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Christ: Sufficiency and Common Grace (Thibault)
9:30 – 9:55 – Snack Break
10:00 – 11:00 – Ministering to Parents of Wayward Children (Scott)
11:00 – 11:15 – Break
11:15 – 12:15 – Making Much of God in Counseling (Bigney)
12:15 – 12:20 – Closing Announcements and Prayer

*Plenary sessions involve all conference attendees together in the Worship Center.
***Open to all

Track 3 Schedule (Room 802)

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THURSDAY, July 17, 2025

9:00 – 10:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
10:30 – 12:00 – Introduction (Brad Wright) and Theology Questions 1,2, 3 & 4 (Thibault)
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch (on site)
1:00 – 2:00 – Theology Questions 5, 6, 7, & 8 (Thibault)
2:00 – 2:25 – Snack Break
2:30 – 3:30 – Theology Questions 9, 10, 11, & 12 (Thibault)
3:30 – 3:55 – Snack Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Theology Questions 13, 14, 15, & 16 (Thibault)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off – campus)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient in Getting to the Heart (Bigney)*

FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Theology Questions 17, 18, 19, & 20 (Thibault)
9:30 – 9:45 – Snack Break
9:45 – 10:45 – Theology Questions 21, 22, 23 & 24 (Thibault)
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 12:00 – Counseling Questions 2, 7, 10 & 12 (Patten)
12:00 – 1:30 – Lunch (on site)
1:30 – 2:30 – Counseling Questions 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20 (Schreibeis)
2:30 – 2:45 – Snack Break
2:45 – 3:45 – Counseling Questions 3, 8, & 9 (Thibault)
3:45 – 4:00 – Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Counseling Questions 5, 13, 14 & 15 (Wright)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off site)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient for Trials and Suffering (Ellen)*

SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Counseling Questions 1, 4, 6 & 11 (Schreibeis)
9:30 – 9:55 – Snack Break
10:00 – 11:00 – Tying up Loose Ends on Counseling Questions (Wright)
11:00 – 11:15 – Break
11:15 – 12:15 – Making Much of God in Counseling (Bigney)**
12:15 – 12:20 – Closing Announcements and Prayer**

*Plenary sessions involve all conference attendees together in the Worship Center.
**Please join track two in the Worship Center

Track 4 Schedule (Room 803)

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THURSDAY, July 17, 2025

9:00 – 10:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
10:30 – 12:00 – Self Counsel: Why Self-Counsel? (Carson)
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch (on site)
1:00 – 2:00 – Self Counsel: What Do You Bring to the Table? (Carson)
2:00 – 2:25 – Snack Break
2:30 – 3:30 – Self Counsel: What About Sin? (Carson)
3:30 – 3:55 – Snack Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Self Counsel: The Counselor and Personal Ministry (Carson)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off – campus)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient in Getting to the Heart (Bigney)*

FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Self Counsel: A Personal Ministry Model Pt.1/Pt.2 (Carson)
9:30 – 9:45 – Snack Break
9:45 – 10:45 – Self Counsel: A Stewardship of Priorities, Goals, and Time Management (Carson)
10:45 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – 12:00 – Self Counsel: The Holy Spirit and Issues of Guidance (Carson)
12:00 – 1:30 – Lunch (on site)
1:30 – 2:30 – Self Counsel: Counseling Perspectives on Life, Ministry, and God’s Sovereignty (Carson)
2:30 – 2:45 – Snack Break
2:45 – 3:45 – Self Counsel: Proverbs for Life (Carson)
3:45 – 4:00 – Break
4:00 – 5:00 – Self Counsel: Spirit-Enabled Mortification of Sin (Scott)
5:00 – 7:00 – Dinner (off-site)
7:00 – 8:15 – Plenary Session: Christ: Sufficient for Trials and Suffering (Ellen)*

SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2025

8:00 – 8:30 – Check-In/Grace Books Open
8:30 – 9:30 – Panel Discussion/Q&A (Carson, Patten)
9:30 – 9:55 – Snack Break
10:00 – 11:00 – Self Counsel: What I Can and Cannot Control (Ellen)
11:00 – 11:15 – Break
11:15 – 12:15 – Self Counsel: Contentment as a Barometer for the Conditions of Our Hearts (Carson)
12:15 – 12:20 – Closing Announcements and Prayer

*Plenary sessions involve all conference attendees together in the Worship Center.