& A
with joe schenke
Q: What is your favorite part about your job? A: My favorite part is interacting with the students. The two things I most love to do for the Lord are counseling and talking about counseling.
Q: How has your experience in Biblical counseling shaped who you are as a person? A: We often say that the best counselor is a good counselee. There’s a lot of self-confrontation in counseling, so there’s no doubt that counseling has impacted my own personal life. And here’s why: Because every time I open the mirror of the Word, both the counselee and myself are looking into it. So there’s a lot of self-examination. Q: What is one major reminder you would give to those pursuing a career in Biblical counseling? A: If Biblical counseling is about the Bible, then the more Biblical training you can get, the more effective you’re going to be. Biblical counseling training itself has a lot to do with methods. That gives you width, but knowing your Bible gives you depth in your counseling. Q: How does the Gospel affect your view of your workplace and your role? A: The Gospel is not merely good advice. The Gospel is transformational to life. So, speaking the Gospel into your life every day impacts all of those venues. Q: What should our focus be when trying to reach hurting people? A: Comfort through the nearness of God. I may not be able to fix their suffering, but if I can bring them to a better understanding of the fact that God is near and God is with them, then that is a positive goal. My desire is to connect them to the compassions of Christ. Q: How would you encourage students who are coping with fear as they move forward? A: Whenever we’re afraid, God promises us His presence. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you.” It’s not just telling us to stop being afraid as though He’s getting after us. He’s comforting us with the reason why we don’t have to be afraid: the very fact that He’s near us. A helpful picture of this came when I was babysitting my grandson, and he woke up afraid. So I went into his room to comfort him, and I said, “Don’t be afraid... Poppy will be here until you fall asleep.” He found comfort that I was going to be there. We find comfort in our fears in the fact that God is present. That’s why we don’t have to be afraid. Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor? A: Maple walnut. I love anything maple. The two best things in life are maple syrup and bacon.
Student Life
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