Why does Burke Care Use the Language it Does?
On October 31, 2023 I received an email from a peer that asked a great question:
I noticed that you took the words “biblical counseling” off of your website. I also noticed that you went to a donation model instead of a fee model? Can you help me understand what drove that decision? Is there something we should be aware if?
Here is my attempt to answer why Burke Care uses the language we do to talk about Discipleship Care? I hope you find this information helpful.
Friends,
It is with immense gratitude and excitement that we share six important emphases found in the Burke Care's mission and vision. You may have already noticed these updates, but we would like to take this opportunity to officially communicate these updates with you as we believe it will bring more clarity to you and or any future individual seeking biblical discipleship from Burke Care. Here are the six main updates.
A Shift in Language: You may have noticed that we have recently updated the language on our website. We have transitioned from the terminology of "Biblical Counseling" to an original approach: "Discipleship Care." This change reflects our commitment to stay true to the Word of God while ensuring that our services are accessible and relatable to all those we look to serve.
From Fees to Donations: We have implemented our shift from a professional fee-based model to a recommended donation model. With this decision we hope to make our services as widely available as possible. By embracing a recommended donation approach, we hope to avoid any legal concerns in states that do not welcome non-licensed counselors.
Ministers of the Word: At Burke Care, we see ourselves primarily as ministers of the Gospel, guided by the Word of God. Our background and experience come from the roles of deacon and elder rather than traditional secular psychology. While we employ Biblical Counseling principles, we are looking to redefine how we talk about what we do here at Burke Care. We aim to extend discipleship care that points individuals and couples back to their local church community and encourages personal growth through the ministry of the Gospel.
Reaching the Underserved: Burke Care extends its services to individuals, churches, and communities in rural and remote areas, both within the United States and internationally. Our desire to extend discipleship care, rather than traditional counselling, is to avoid potential legal challenges for unlicensed counselors outside of our home state.
Creating a Unique Discipleship Care Model: Our vision is to set up a distinct "discipleship care" model, bridging the gap between the pastoral care and professional counselling models. This model encourages individuals to seek support from their pastors and elders while receiving guidance and direction from qualified discipleship care professionals.
A Journey of Refinement: The transition to a new language and approach has been a culmination of our thoughts and prayers over the years. Our website and intake documents now reflect our evolving mission. While the term "Biblical Counselor" still appears on our team page, we are open to further refining in the future.
We trust and hope that by making these six updates we will move closer to our goal to continue to supply biblical, Christ-centered, gospel-driven discipleship care to anyone in need so that God will receive all the glory.
In Christ, The Burke Care Team
