Name: Karin Thomas

Ministry Role and Place: I am a member of Mount Vernon Community Bible Church and I serve as a youth leader and as one of our biblical counselors. I mainly counsel teen girls, but I’ve also counseled some young adults as well.

When did you begin participating with the EIBCC? 

I’m still fairly new to the EIBCC, I think I’ve been coming close to 2 years now. I started coming when I was working on my ACBC exams and was super encouraged to become part of a group of people that were learning about counseling, working on their training & exams, and actively counseling.

How have you been encouraged by being a part of this community?

It’s been a blessing to have ongoing training and encouragement especially in the seasons where I feel weary in my counseling cases. I love how this community is willing to ask hard questions, search scripture for answers, and share the wisdom and resources that have been helpful to the counselor or counselee. I often leave these meetings feeling reassured that the Lord is with me, that the Holy Spirit is working, and will comfort me when i feel hopeless or unsure. I’m often reminded that God calls me to love Him and love others and to be diligent in what he’s called me to and He will do the work in my heart and my counselees hearts. So thank you all for encouraging me to love and good deeds!

How has your team been blessed by the EIBCC? 

This group has definitely impacted our counseling team too! It has been so sweet over the last couple years for our team to carpool here every month. We get the chance to catch up, update one another on counselees, ask for help from each other on cases, and pray together. Our team has recently been seeking to help a family through some serious challenges and it has been really, really sorrowful and difficult. We have been thankful to have help, resources, and encouragement from you guys as we seek to walk this family through deep valleys. Although our team has been sorrowful for them, it has been sweet for our CBC team to seek God together, pray together, cry together, and trust Christ together. As our team sees more and more needs for counseling we are seeking to grow our counseling ministry and we’re thankful to have support and we’re excited for who else from our church might begin coming to EIBCC Meetings!

Favorite memory you have about the EIBCC? 

A funny memory was from like a year ago when Stephen picked a donut and started eating it without realizing what the topping was. He was pretty surprised when his mouth started exploding from pop rocks and now when new people come we always warn them of the pop rocks donuts. I also always love when we have the big breakfast and I each as much bacon as possible. Can you tell I am food motivated?

Favorite aspect of the EIBCC?

The relationship-building has been one of my favorite things at EIBCC. Its sweet to connect, learn about others ministries, meet like-minded believers, and pray for one another. I’m so thankful for that aspect and how God provided a community that I didn’t know I needed!

How would you like to see the EIBCC grow in the future?  

I would love to see EIBCC continue to grow with even more churches represented and I would love our CBC team to add another person who would be counseling regularly in order to provide more care for our church and community. 

Bonus Question: How can the EIBCC be praying for you?

I would love for you to pray that God would continue to grow my wisdom and discernment to help in my counseling skills. Pray that God would kill my fear of man so that I would speak truth gently, with compassion, but also with boldness that comes from faith. I’ve also felt a little weary in my counseling load recently. I have a couple counselees that I’ve been working with for a while and I recently thought one was coming to an end, but the Lord made it clear that I need to stick with her a little longer and trust Him that He will give me strength to go on even when I have nothing left. So pray that I would rest in Him and get the physical rest I need in order to serve others well. Thanks.