Typically, Pastors are not trained to counsel. Nor are elders or lay leaders. Professional counselors must have a Master’s degree or higher, and several thousand counseling hours under supervision before they are licensed. So why should we consider offering counseling in our churches? We aren’t trained or supervised. Mental health issues can be complicated, hard to diagnose and harder to treat. Shouldn’t church leaders just find reliable professionals to refer to? Can the church do more than that?

Is there a kind of counseling, non-professional or “lay counseling,” that a church – which is on the frontlines – can offer to those who are struggling? Don't the scriptures offer insight about both human behavior, and how to relate wisely to someone who is suffering? And if we do offer help, how do we adequately assess and counsel (or refer) in the context of the local church? What are some essentials needed to consider Christ-like counseling in the church? That’s the content of this seminar.

Bill Clark, a clinical psychologist for over 35 years, is the founder of the Lay Counselor Institute – an educational non-profit that’s been equipping churches to offer lay counseling for over 30 years.

In the front of my preaching Bible, there is a sticker of C.S. Lewis's face with the words, "Story Always Wins." The winning story is the one that most engages the heart, captures the imagination, and provides the best explanations for what we actually encounter in the world. As Christians, we have a story that does all these things to the greatest degree. We have the greatest story ever told—we just need to get better at telling it.

This seminar is an interactive workshop designed to sharpen our tools for engaging skeptics and (ultimately) making disciples through out-narrating: namely, telling the bigger story that makes all other explanations seem unappealing and unsatisfying by comparison.

K.J. Pugh, after spending most of his 30s planting churches in Europe with his wife and two kids, returned to pastor his home church (Alberta Baptist) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He enjoys walking, cycling, making and consuming cups of Yorkshire Tea, as well as inserting quotes from J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and G.K. Chesterton into casual conversations.  He also dabbles in writing children’s books for ReadAloud Adventures in his spare time.

People might think that the distinctive characteristics of baptist churches are Fuss’n, Fight’n, and Feasting. But actually they are Authority of the Scripture, Baptism of the Believer, Autonomy of the Local Church, Soul Freedom (or Priesthood of the Believer).

In this seminar, we are going to look at how these distinctives were arrived at historically, the meaning of them theologically, and how they are a strength to baptist churches and how they can be a challenge to manage in churches too.

Jeff Hinman is from the northwest United States. He received his MDiv from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in 1997. He has been pastor at the International Baptist Church of Dusseldorf since 2011. He and his wife Cindy have two adult children.

Stop lamenting short tenures and start leveraging them. International churches have a unique opportunity: instead of mourning the "revolving door," we can create a global leadership pipeline. Acts 20:35 tells us it is more blessed to give than to receive. Let’s give great leaders to each other! This session provides practical frameworks for shifting from a scarcity mindset to abundance thinking, plus actionable systems for onboarding newcomers into leadership development from day one. Become the IC that other pastors thank God for when your people arrive.

A.J. Mathieu leads Healthy Churches Global, a non-profit ministry and IBC partner that provides training, on-site assistance, and digital resources to international churches worldwide. A.J. has worked with churches and trained church leaders in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. He co-hosts The Church Revitalization Podcast, heard in 50+ countries around the world weekly.

Scott Corwin is a veteran of the IBC having pastored two IBC churches (Zürich and Berlin) and served on the Executive Leadership Team. He is passionate about revitalizing churches through strategic planning, discipling men in emotionally healthy spirituality, and mentoring pastors in slowed-down pastoral leadership. Scott and his wife, Laurie, live in Gams, Switzerland where he is semi-retired serving as pastor of the International Bible Fellowship and is a certified guide with Healthy Churches Global. He enjoys mountain biking with friends, hiking with his wife, sailing with his daughter and son-in-law, and playing on the playground with his grandkids.

What if singleness wasn’t viewed as other, but as essential to the whole? What if it wasn’t a holding zone, but purposeful in itself? In this breakout session, we’ll reimagine singleness in the church by holding together the high view of marriage and the high view of singleness that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 7. Together, we’ll explore how true togetherness strengthens the spiritual family and brings glory to God, whether married or single.

Hillary grew up as a third-culture kid in Europe within IBC churches, where she experienced firsthand both the need for and the blessing of spiritual family. She has spent over a decade in ministry in both bi-vocational and full-time roles, serving in young adult ministry, volunteer management, leading and teaching in ministry schools, church planting, missions, and administration…wherever there was a need!

Hillary now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she serves as a high school Bible and Art teacher and remains actively involved in her local church. She transitioned from full-time ministry into education to focus on evangelism in the workplace, with a heart to see the next generation raised up to love God and love others.

Have you ever agreed to something in ministry that you knew you shouldn’t have—simply because you didn’t want to disappoint someone?

Church ministry often attracts people who genuinely want to serve, love, and care well for others—but that same desire can quietly turn into people-pleasing. Fear of disappointment, conflict, or disapproval can begin to shape our decisions more than faithfulness to God. The result is burnout, unclear leadership, and ministries that drift from their mission.

This breakout session is designed to help ministry leaders identify where people-pleasing shows up in their leadership. Together, we’ll explore the biblical difference between servanthood and fear-driven leadership, examine the cost of approval-seeking, and develop practical tools for leading with clarity, courage, and love. Our goal is healthier, more faithful ministry rooted in secure identity in Christ.

Sharon, originally from New Mexico, received her MA in Missiology with an emphasis in Cultural Anthropology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She recently retired after 28 years of missionary service in Japan, where she served in various roles and gained deep insight into people-pleasing and ministry. She now serves at IBC Madrid as the pastor’s wife and is involved in women’s ministry.

Frustrated that you can't do more to serve God, while at the same time feeling overwhelmed by work commitments that seem to be falling behind? Ever feel like you are so stretched between a desire for excellence in your vocation and in your calling to ministry that you are not doing either well? This seminar is for you! It is designed especially for lay-leaders or bi-vocational ministers seeking to better balance full-time jobs and service to the Lord. This discussion based workshop is led by a panel of volunteers, lay leaders, and bi-vocational ministers just like you! Participants will explore with the panel how to align their professional goals with a deeper sense of God's calling—the unique mission they feel called to fulfill—while integrating essential self-care practices that sustain long-term resilience both at the altar and in the world.

Mason Fuller Smith is currently a member of Multination Church, where he serves as Pastor. Over the years he has ministered in numerous roles within many churches both as a paid staff member and as a volunteer. He has also held many bi-vocational pastorates and worked with parachurch ministries. Through the years he has mentored several through their journeys of calling, ordination, and service to God. Mason is an author, performing storyteller, and life-consultant as well. However, his true calling over the years remains serving as a pastor with a passion for supporting and equipping lay-leaders within the church to fulfill God's calling on their lives.

The Cross of Christ and gospel of grace will always be offensive to those yet to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Yet, we who preach want to be as winsome as possible with the truth entrusted to us. Our congregations are filled with people from a diversity of backgrounds and cultures. Should we contextualize? Is there Biblical warrant and are there examples of this? What are some of the factors that Christ-centered preachers should embody every time they declare God’s Word? We are all learning all the time and the seminar will include both principles and interactive discussion in small groups.

Roland was converted while a professional ballet dancer in South Africa. After enrolling to study for pastoral ministry he graduated from the Cape Town Baptist Seminary in 1989. Following a year as a National Service chaplain, he served as pastor in three churches in South Africa before being called to the International Baptist Church of Brussels in 2013. He obtained an MA in Biblical Counseling from the Master’s University, and has authored his first book ‘The Joseph Principle – A Biblical Guide to Breaking Free from a Victim Mindset and Restoring Identity’ due to be published by Prisca Publishing in a few months. Roland has been married to Hanlie his wonderful wife for 25 years and loves to remind his church family that Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoons is one of his favorite theologians.

This workshop explores how clear structures, well-defined responsibilities, and shared expectations can effectively prevent conflict in church leadership. Using the Leadership Pipeline principles, pastors and ministry leaders learn how to build healthy leadership pathways, clarify roles, and create consistent standards for feedback, coaching, and growth. Participants will gain practical tools to reduce misunderstandings, strengthen team unity, and develop a sustainable leadership culture that supports their church’s mission.

Andrea Hesterberg has served at her local IBC in Düsseldorf, Germany, for more than 13 years, most recently as Church Development Coordinator. She brings extensive experience in leadership development, onboarding, and training ministry leaders. As a trained guide with Healthy Churches Global, she accompanies churches through processes such as Church Ministry Analysis, Strategic Envisioning, and the Leadership Pipeline. Her background in mediation, coaching, and communication enriches her work with churches and teams made up of people from many cultural backgrounds.

This seminar invites couples to rediscover marriage as something far deeper than romance or compatibility—while actually having some fun along the way. Together, we’ll explore God’s original design for marriage through clear biblical foundations, reframing it as one of God’s primary tools for spiritual formation. With honesty, humor, and hope, we’ll unpack the truth that God uses marriage not just to make us happy, but to make us holy—learning to see growth, conflict, and intimacy through a redemptive lens. Along the way, couples will engage practical ideas, relatable examples, and moments of laughter that make the learning stick. Participants will leave encouraged and equipped with simple, everyday ways to intentionally choose love, faithfulness, and grace—on purpose, and for God’s glory.

Debra and Darryl have personally discovered in their own 43-year marriage journey that their marriage is, by design, the most sacred space for spiritual formation. They have walked along side hundreds of couples in community learning together and growing together. They have served the IBC in various capacities for more than 25 years. They serve and lead in their local church in leadership development, small group ministry and prayer ministry. Darryl also serves as an elder.

We all know prayer is crucial for discipleship. It is the vital communication link to get closer to Jesus and align with His will. This seminar seeks to explore the dynamics and importance of prayer, equipping believers to make more disciples and develop the lifestyle of a disciple of Christ. We will look at the power of prayer, what it means to be a disciple and other important topics. It will be conversational, interactive, and impactful.

Albert Kitcher serves as the pastor of IBC Bremen. Leading an IBC congregation with people coming from over 30 nations with multicultural wealth of experience is a great blessing. IBC Bremen’s vision is the coming together of people from diverse nations becoming one family under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

It is Albert’s desire to see people transformed through preaching and teaching the word of God, equipping and helping believers to release their God-Given potentials. After many years serving in Ukraine, he now lives in Bremen, Germany with his wife Beatrice and their three children.