Converge Program

Where the Church Becomes the Refuge

Most churches refer people out when they are hurting. Converge equips the church to become the place where hurting people actually find help. Dr. and Mrs. Deanna Flood come directly to your church for thirty consecutive days and build a fully operational pastoral counseling ministry from the ground up.

By the time they leave, your church will have trained and certified counselors, a complete counseling infrastructure, and the clinical and theological foundation to serve your congregation and your surrounding community for years to come. Converge is the most comprehensive church-based counseling training program in existence.

The Program

Converge runs Monday through Friday for four weeks, three hours each evening. Weeks 1 and 2 deliver four modules per night covering the full range of clinical, theological, legal, ethical, and practical counseling training. Weeks 3 and 4 move into advanced clinical topics alongside a supervised live practicum, where students counsel real presenting issues under clinical oversight.

The program consists of 60 training modules, 10 supervised practicum sessions, 60 contact hours, and 6.0 continuing education units. On the Saturday of Week 4, students complete an online certification examination and gather that evening for a graduation and commissioning ceremony open to the entire congregation.

Week 1: Foundations of Counseling

• Biblical, psychological, legal, ethical, and multicultural foundations for Christian counseling ministry
• Core counseling skills, theoretical orientations, and solution-focused techniques
• Counselor self-care, pastoral considerations, and the integration of psychology and theology
• Legal issues, documentation, scope of practice, and professional boundaries

Week 2: Presenting Issues and Intervention

• Individual presenting issues including anxiety, depression, grief, and anger
• Addictions and recovery across substance, behavioral, and process addiction categories
• Premarital counseling, marriage counseling across five modules, and family systems theory
• Group counseling theory, clinical documentation, and genogram assessment

Week 3: Advanced Topics and Practicum I

• Clinical issues including mood, anxiety, personality, psychotic, dissociative, and factitious disorders
• Child and adolescent counseling, gerontological counseling, crisis counseling, and complex presentations
• Same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria from a clinical and pastoral framework
• Five supervised practicum sessions with real presenting issues and live clinical feedback

Week 4: Advanced Topics and Practicum II

• Specialty populations including women, veterans, first responders, and neurodivergent clients
• Eating disorders, neurological disorders, psychopharmacology, and technology and mental health
• Spiritual abuse, church hurt, ministry infrastructure, and executive leadership in counseling ministry
• Five advanced supervised practicum sessions including assigned clinical scenarios and a student-choice capstone

What Your Church Will Receive

At the completion of Converge, your church will have:

• A fully operational pastoral counseling ministry ready to serve your congregation and community
• Trained counselors certified through the North America Christian Counselors Association (NACCA)
• NACCA Partner Church status and connection to our national network of partner churches
• All client forms including intake documents, informed consent, SOAP note templates, and evaluation rubrics
• A complete counseling infrastructure including protocols, documentation standards, and ethical guidelines
• Ongoing support through The Flood Legacy Foundation and the NACCA network

What It Costs

We operate as a Luke 6:38 ministry, which means there is no charge for our services. You can receive details by clicking here.

Why This Matters

The mental health crisis in this country is not slowing down. Depression, anxiety, addiction, shattered marriages, and traumatized children are showing up in your congregation every week. The question is whether your church is equipped to respond or whether you hand people a verse and a referral and hope for the best.

Converge exists because the church is meant to be more than a place people visit on Sunday. It was meant to be the community where the broken find healing, where marriages get restored rather than simply referred out, and where trained and certified counselors are already in the room when someone finally works up the courage to ask for help.

That is why Converge was born. It was created as a ministry that serves your church and community for generations to come.

Who We Are

Dr. and Mrs. Flood hold bring nearly two decades of ministry and clinical experience to the churches they serve. You can learn more about their credentials and background on our leadership page.

2026 Availability

We are currently scheduling church residencies for the following months:

• August 2026
• September 2026
• October 2026

Each residency runs for 30 consecutive days. We partner with churches based on readiness, vision alignment, and scheduling feasibility.

Partnership Process

Step 1: Initial Inquiry
Email us at Converge@floodlegacy.org with:

• Your church name, location, and approximate size
• A brief description of why you are interested in hosting Converge
• Your preferred month or months for the residency

Step 2: Discovery Call
We will schedule a video call with your leadership team to discuss vision, logistics, and expectations.

Step 3: Next Steps
Once we have confirmed a mutual fit and finalized dates, we will begin preparing together for your residency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What credentials will our counselors receive?
A: Graduates of Converge are certified through the North America Christian Counselors Association and receive 6.0 continuing education units upon successful completion of the final examination. Your church also receives NACCA Partner Church status.

Q: What if we have no trained counselors?
A: That is exactly who this program is built for. We start from scratch and provide everything your team needs, from foundational clinical training through supervised practicum and final certification.

Q: Our church is small. Can we still participate?
A: Yes. The minimum enrollment is 15 students. Some of the most effective counseling ministries we have helped build came out of small churches with limited resources and unlimited heart.

Q: What happens after the 30 days?
A: Your church will have a fully operational counseling ministry in place. Ongoing support is available through the NACCA network and The Flood Legacy Foundation for continued training and consultation.

Q: Do you provide all the materials and forms?
A: Yes. Every student receives the Converge Participant Guide. Your church receives all client intake forms, informed consent documents, SOAP note templates, evaluation rubrics, and ethical guidelines. You'll have everything you need to operate legally, ethically, and effectively from day one.

Q: Is this really free?
A: We operate as a Luke 6:38 ministry and give freely because we have been given to freely. At the conclusion of the residency, many churches choose to partner with us through a donation that reflects what the month meant to them, but that decision is entirely between your church and the Lord.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Download the Converge Participant Guide for a detailed look at all 60 modules, the practicum structure, program policies, and everything your church can expect from the residency. Then reach out and let's talk about whether Converge is the right fit for your congregation.