Download the Song list from the weekend.

Pre-Conference Options*

Introduction to Biblical Counseling (Alasdair Groves)
Marriage Counseling with Only One Person (Aaron Sironi and Lauren Whitman) |  Slides
Therefore I Have Hope: Truth and Comfort in Suffering and Tragedy (Cameron Cole)
Trauma: Entering In (Darby Strickland) | Slides

*Pre-Conference is a separate ticketed event on Thursday, October 10. Pre-Conference registration is now open. Register here.

General Sessions

General Session 1: We Are Anxious People (Alasdair Groves)

You  are anxious. We all are. But maybe we are too quick to pass this off as  a problem of weak faith or a weak body. Scripture actually understands  that our anxieties are not only feelings, but also a reaction to a world  that truly is dangerous and broken. Based in Psalm 27, this talk will  set up a framework for thinking biblically about what anxiety is, how it  reveals our hearts, and how it points us to our need for a Savior who  redeems not just our emotions, but our fragile, finite lives as well.

General Session 2: God Comes Close to Anxious People (Ed Welch)

There  is nothing more important than this: Christ is with us in the  uncertainties and troubles of everyday life. His presence is the  response to our anxieties. But, when fears and anxieties are full on, it  is not natural for us to run to Jesus and rest in him. Perhaps, if we  can grow up to become little children, this can change.

General Session 3: Daily Bread: Today's Strength for Anxious People (Ed Welch)

When  life feels frantic, someone close to you might say, “Look at me.” When  your thoughts are off somewhere in a future catastrophe, this is a way  of inviting you to come back to the present. Most modern therapies for  anxiety do the same thing. Scripture actually piloted this focus on  today, and what God offers is so much better. You can live out of God’s  grace now because he will worry about the future.

General Session 4: When Bad Things Happen: Confronting Our Fears for the Future (Julie Lowe)

Do  you ever find yourself fretting over the potential of tragedy for the  future? Do you feel like you are waiting for the other shoe to drop?  There is a range of anxieties over the future that threatens to hold us  hostage. When this occurs, we are quick to forget the goodness and  character of our Creator. We get caught up in anxious thoughts. We lose  sight of God’s benefits. This is a call to remember the God who goes  before us—a God who is good, present, sovereign, and faithful.

General Session 5: Anxiety and the Body (Mike Emlet) | Outline

Sweaty  palms. Nausea. Difficulty concentrating. Rapid heart rate.  Hyperventilation. We're often very aware of our bodies when we are  anxious. That makes sense because God has created us not only as  spiritual beings, but also as bodily creatures. So how should we  understand the experience of anxiety with respect to our bodies? Are  there times when the body plays a more central role in the development  of anxiety? This plenary will explore somatic aspects of anxiety and  suggest implications for the ways we can battle anxiety—body and soul.

General Session 6: Walking with Anxious People (Julie Lowe & Alasdair Groves) | Slides

We  can know a lot about anxiety and even make progress as individuals in  dealing with our anxiety without becoming a church community that truly  welcomes and helps those who are anxious. Led by two of our faculty,  this session will focus on practical concerns and practical solutions  for our churches as we seek to become both places of refuge and places  of faith-building for all of us, especially our most anxious brothers  and sisters.

General Session 7: Jacob: God's Unexpected Way with Our Anxieties (Andrew Nicholls)

In  Genesis 32, Jacob obeys God's command to leave Laban and return home.  But his spies report terrible news. Esau—his bested rival since before  birth—is coming out to meet him with 400 men! "In great fear and  distress," Jacob tries to maximize his chances of survival, and he prays  in a glorious God-centred, humble, needy way. In this, Jacob, the aging  usurper, demonstrates great growth! In this talk we will see how God  answers his prayer through one of the strangest and most frightening  nights of the whole Bible narrative, and we'll see that God's  understanding of being saved is not always the same as ours.

*Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 1 Options

Scrupulosity: When Doubts Devour (Mike Emlet) | Outline | Slides

Many  Christians are paralyzed by obsessive doubts and worries about their  spiritual lives, which rob them of peace, purpose, and joy. This  workshop will provide hope-filled biblical perspective for this  struggle, known historically by the name "scrupulosity," or more  recently as "religious obsessive compulsive disorder."

Practical Ways to Work with Anxious Children (Julie Lowe) | Slides

Anxiety  pervades the lives of children and teens alike. It is our job to help  children regain their sense of peace and safety in a world that feels  precarious. This workshop will help adults forego quick fixes that  contribute to dependencies and consider how we can lead children to find  hope and security in Christ, the One who is always accessible and  present in the midst of their fears. We will talk about how to assess  children’s anxiety and provide practical ways to approach and alleviate  their struggle.

Fear of Death: Learning from a Young Father Frightened by His Mortality (Andrew Nicholls)

Death  is the great enemy we all face. Many people put off thinking about it  until it's unavoidable and are then caught unprepared. But for others it  casts a shadow over all of life that can sour and discolor every hope  and relationship. In this seminar we will consider a life example of a  man who was sensitized to death as a child and is now learning how the  gospel helps him face death, for himself and his family, as a truly  defeated enemy. Being mindful of mortality and weakness, instead of  being crippling, can open up new possibilities for our relationship with  God and our ministry to others.

Social Anxiety: Offering Help and Hope to the Fainthearted (Eamon Wilson) | Slides

What  do we fear most? Judgment or rejection of others is near the top of the  list for many of us. God created us to be social and interdependent, so  we are naturally attuned to how others view us. However, this ability  can run amok. While we all know what it’s like to be self-conscious  around someone we admire or respect, for others this fear is crippling.  From the outside looking in, the answer is simple: stop caring so much  what others think and start caring more about what God thinks. However,  when someone faces severe social anxiety, these words don’t penetrate  the panic or even reflect an understanding of the experience. The person  you were trying to help might even feel judged by you, too. So how can  we offer help that is neither condemning or dismissive? What words  reflect deep compassion and patience? This breakout will outline the  multifaceted manifestations of social anxiety disorder as well as  faithful biblical formulations for practical help.

Facing Anxiety and Fears Over a Loved-One's Struggle with Sexuality (Ellen Dykas) | Outline

A  secret sexual addiction is exposed. A loved one comes out as gay,  transgender or_____ in the ever-evolving list of identity labels. Even  as the voice of our sexualized culture can be noisy and disturbing, the  impact is more profound when these issues enter our close relationships.  This workshop will help you honestly face your circumstances by looking  at them as Scripture does: a form of suffering through which God wants  you to draw near to him. Christ has comfort, wisdom, and practical steps  of love in response to the anxiety and fear that comes when a loved  one's sexual struggles come to the light.

Breakout Session 2 Options

Panic, Breathing Well, and Engaging with God (Todd Stryd) | Outline |  Slides 

The  experience of a panic attack is a frightening one. Its lurking  presence, threatening to pounce on us at any moment, can slowly unravel  our world.  How are we  supposed to think biblically about this affliction and how do we sift  through all the suggested ways to help? Todd Stryd will consider the  experience of panic attacks and offer principles that shape how we  engage God, and how we can use tools like breathing exercises in the  care of those we counsel.

The Littlest Victims (Darby Strickland) | Slides

Children  who live in homes where domestic violence is present suffer intense  stress. They live in fear and with anxiety. The effects are often long  lasting. We will focus on Christian families plagued by domestic  violence and the damage done to a child’s spiritual and relational  formation. We will discuss the short and long terms effects of exposure.  You will gain practical tools for how to help children at different  developmental stages, as well as adult survivors.

Still Nervous about Judgment Day? (Steve Estes)

Grace permeates every Christian book you read—but  still you can't shake what Scripture says about Judgment Day. You know  you stand justified, the cross is your very life, but before celestial  gates open, there looms God's final public evaluation of your life.  Perhaps Luke 12:2 haunts your nights: "There is nothing concealed that  will not be disclosed." Or 2 Corinthians 5:9 unsettles your stomach: "We  must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may  receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or  bad." How are you not supposed to be anxious?! This seminar is for  Christians feeling the weight of that day.

Preparing for the Worst: Helping First Responders and Military Personnel Develop Spiritual Resiliency (Curtis Solomon) | Outline |Slides

In  this fallen world, everyone will experience some level of suffering and  trauma. However, first-responders and military personnel face a higher  risk of repeated exposure to extreme suffering and trauma. For those who  have chosen to serve in these heroic professions, is there a way to  guard against the damaging effects of this level of exposure? This  workshop will demonstrate how engaging with God’s Word can inoculate our  hearts against some of the most severe responses to trauma like Post  Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The New Anxiety: Fear of Missing Out (F.O.M.O) (Robyn Huck) | Slides

Have  you noticed the symptoms? A couple on a date, eyes focused on their  phones rather than each other. People who keep notifications on all  night, forgoing sleep in order to stay connected. An important  conversation interrupted with, “Sorry, I should take this call.” And yet  another accident caused by texting while driving. These are just a few  of the symptoms of F.O.M.O., the fear of missing out. We are all  vulnerable to it, and young people are being shaped by it. Social media  and 24/7 connectivity tempt us to comparison and discontent along with  the highs and lows of deriving our sense of value from what others say.  In this workshop, we’ll identify these tendencies that often result in  lack of productivity, anxiety, and depression, and we'll move toward a  deeper understanding of God as the Good Shepherd, the one in whom we  find the richness of life.

Breakout Session 3 Options

Trusting after Trauma (Darby Strickland) | Slides

Complex  relational trauma creates many wounds. One wound might be the  sufferer’s inability to get help and build community. A life story that  has been shaped by repetitive and deep betrayal often results in anxiety  in forming relationships—especially  helping relationships. This workshop will provide concrete ways that we  can embody Jesus for those who experience anxiety as we move toward  sufferers to help.

Dread: Anxiety's First Cousin (Jayne Clark)

Some  of us experience dread more than outright anxiety. We feel more of a  sense of foreboding rather than nervousness. We are reluctant more than  paralyzed. This workshop will dig into the experience of dread, how we  react to it, how the Bible speaks to it, and how the Lord moves toward  us in the midst of it.

Finding Rest in Grace for Anxious Suburban Teenagers (Cameron Cole)

Studies  indicate that American suburban teenagers experience higher anxiety  levels than their peers who live in areas with high-crime and homicide  rates. Due largely to the college admissions race and the over-scheduled  lives of these kids, anxiety has become an epidemic. This breakout will  look at three things: the anxiety epidemic among suburban teens; the  dynamics of shame culture that contribute to it; and how the gospel  offers rest and relief to them.

Decision Anxiety and the Will of God  (Michael Gembola) | Outline

Having  the freedom to make big and small choices can be both a blessing and a  curse. This session will validate the experience of decision anxiety in  the context of modern life pressures, and address problematic  assurance-seeking behaviors. We will see trust, risk, faithfulness, and  humility as virtues to cultivate to counteract fearful indecision, and  engage several key tensions with Christian wisdom: action and rest,  safety and risk, planning and flexibility, consultation and  independence. We'll seek to cultivate a heart more at rest in the  goodness of God and inspired by the opportunity to make decisions in  loving relationship with God and others.

Anxiety and Relationships: Counseling People Who Struggle with Insecurity and Codependency (Ellen Dykas) | Outline

Since  Genesis 3, struggles and messiness in our relationships is the normal  human experience. Insecurity and codependency are cousins in the family  of broken relationship patterns. We crave and demand that people make us  feel okay, valued, and satisfied. Anxiety easily hijacks our hearts  when people don't come through and our desires and demands aren't met.  This workshop will locate patterns of insecurity and codependency in  Scripture and how Christ, our true refuge, enables us to love people  more than we need or fear them.

Breakout Session 4 Options

Engaging Anxiety in Song (Sandra McCracken)

One  of God's gifts to help carry us through the troubles of life is music.  The Psalms, the songbook of Scripture, have been called "'An Anatomy of  all the Parts of the Soul," for it is here where Scripture paints our  every emotion in vivid color. But how can we access the music of the  Psalms when all we feel is anxiety and distress? How can we sing by  faith, even with a trembling heart? This session will consider and  practice how to pray the psalms and sing a new song even in times of  fear and uncertainty.

PTSD: Mending Body and Soul after Trauma (Eamon Wilson) | Slides

Trauma  is a destructive force that rends body and soul. While approaches to  trauma have become more sophisticated, Christians are often left with  resources that address fragments of the person rather than the whole. A  more holistic understanding of trauma must include a robust biblical  anthropology and Christian worldview, as well as capture the experience  of the individual impacted by trauma. This breakout will address how to  understand trauma from a biblical worldview that is theologically rich  and cognizant of the clinical literature.

Speaking Directly from Scripture to an Anxious Person (Robyn Huck, Steve Estes & Andrew Nicholls)

An  anxious person is standing in front of you. They desire encouragement  amidst their anxious thoughts. They want to hear the words of life.  Where will you take them? What passages address their very real  struggles? In this breakout, Andrew Nicholls, Steve Estes, and Robyn  Huck will each present one meaningful passage about anxiety as if they  are talking directly to an anxious person. We hope to increase  familiarity and access passages about anxiety and actually hear how  someone would speak those passages to another person. Q&A to follow.

Loving a Prodigal and the Attrition of Anxiety (Dave Harvey)

This  session explores the nature of waywardness and why it sparks anxiety in  the hearts of those who love someone who has gone astray. In this  session we will discuss the experience of shame of those who suffer the  indignity of loving someone more than they are loved by that person. We  will discover together that the gospel speaks in comprehensive and  refreshing ways that can reduce the worry, fretting, and shame that  accompanies this form of suffering.