STS Vermont
Called to Counsel // STS 2025
On Thursday, May 8th, 2025, Small Town Summits will host a Summit at The Red Door Church of South Royalton, in South Royalton VT. Pastors and lay leaders from small places across Vermont will learn how to more effectively counsel others, and how to encourage and equip our congregations to grow in offering wise counsel.
Called to Counsel
May 8th 2025
One of the tasks of small-town ministers is to learn how to more effectively counsel others, and to encourage and equip our congregations to grow in offering wise counsel. This year, our plenary sessions will highlight the importance of God’s Word and Christ’s church for personal transformation in the life of believers, together with a call (and practical equipping) for each believer, including pastors/elders, to grow in our ability to offer wise biblical counsel. Breakout sessions, and also a plenary panel discussion, will provide opportunities to get practical, go deep, and explore through questioning.
8.30 – 9am - Arrival and registration
9 – 10am - Welcome, Singing, STS and CCEF-NE Vision, Introductions
10 – 10:45am - Session #1: God’s Word, Christ’s Church: The Catalyst and Context for Transformation and group discussion (Stephen Witmer, STS)
10:45 – 11am - Coffee break
11am – Noon - Session #2: Counseling Applied - Growing as a Counselor and group discussion (Andy Engert, CCEF-NE)
Noon – 1pm - Lunch
1 – 2pm - Breakout sessions
2 – 2.15pm - Break
2.15 – 3pm - Session #3: Counseling Panel (Andy Engert, Femi Oni, Eric Carter, Tim Counts)
3 – 3.30pm - Prayer
In our first two main sessions, Stephen Witmer and Andy Engert will speak to the content and context of biblical counseling and pursuing continued growth as biblical counselors. Our last main session will be a panel giving Summit participants opportunity to ask specific counseling questions for discussion among the panelists and fellow Summit attendees.
Stephen Witmer is the lead pastor of Pepperell Christian Fellowship in Pepperell, MA. He's a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the University of Cambridge, and serves on the steering committee of the Gospel Coalition New England. He is the author of “A Big Gospel in Small Places.” He and his wife Emma have two sons and one daughter.
Andy Engert is the Executive Director at CCEF New England. He received his Master of Arts in counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and has completed numerous CCEF School of Biblical Counseling certificate courses in preparation for becoming a biblical counselor. He has a passion for supporting the church in New England and for helping people find real help in the Lord as they face the significant challenges of life. Andy and his wife, Christine, have three sons, and he also serves as the Music Director at Christ Redeemer Church in Hanover, NH.
Andy Engert
What might a counseling ministry look like within a small-town church? How would a church go about starting one? In this practical breakout session, guidance will be offered on starting (or strengthening) a counseling ministry in a local church. Various models of church-based counseling ministry will be considered, along with essential questions that should be addressed to establish formal and informal counseling within a congregation.
Andy Engert is the Executive Director at CCEF New England. He received his Master of Arts in counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and has completed numerous CCEF School of Biblical Counseling certificate courses in preparation for becoming a biblical counselor. He has a passion for supporting the church in New England and for helping people find real help in the Lord as they face the significant challenges of life. Andy and his wife, Christine, have three sons, and he also serves as the Music Director at Christ Redeemer Church in Hanover, NH.
Lara Mather and Kaylin Vincz
Have you experienced sitting with a friend, maybe week after week, listening to their problems, and feeling like it didn’t help, because nothing was changing? Why does growth sometimes seem so slow, or even nonexistent? Join biblical counselors, Kaylin and Lara, to explore what’s happening under the surface of counseling conversations for both those giving and seeking counsel. We’ll cast some vision for the beauty and significance of entering in. We’ll also get practical with ways to think about and structure our counsel in order to lessen discouragement, frustration or hopelessness on either side of the relationship.
Lara Mather is a member of Christ Restoration Church in New London, New Hampshire and works part-time as a counselor for CCEF New England in Vermont. Lara has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. She has been an online instructor for the School of Biblical Counseling and has pursued additional training in trauma care and advocacy. She and her husband, Jonathan, have seven children spanning in ages from young adulthood to middle school. Lara grew up on the coast of Maine and her heart feels entwined with the landscapes, people, and history of northern New England.
Kaylin Vincz attends Christ Restoration Church in New London, New Hampshire. She is a counselor at CCEF New England. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Counseling from Crossroads Bible College and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. Her experience is with individuals and couples as well as leading counseling groups. Kaylin empathetically walks with you on your journey through counseling while applying a biblical perspective to the challenges of life. She believes that Jesus' story, mapped onto ours, has the power to change the way we view the world and that his presence gives the strength needed to face the challenges ahead. Kaylin believes relationships are the ministers of these realities and provides a safe, empathetic relationship within counseling and seeks to mend and strengthen other interpersonal relationships. In her spare time, Kaylin likes to spend time outdoors with her husband and three children as well as garden, snowboard, hike, read, and drink coffee.
Marty Bascom and Femi Oni
Marty and Femi met in April of 2019 during the lunch break of the CCEF New England Annual Conference. Since 2022, they have been working together to start a biblical counseling ministry at East Randolph Baptist Church. Why? And what does that even look like? Join them as they explain the impetus behind starting a biblical counsel at ERBC and what their long term goal is for the ministry and discuss how the Lord might help you start something similar in your context.
Marty has pastored the East Randolph Baptist Church since 2002 and has enjoyed seeing the church growing and understanding the truth and application of the gospel. Marty has four kids and was married to Julie in 1998. He grew up in New England and after a few years in Kentucky came back to serve in Vermont. Marty enjoys serving his small town and the way of life in rural Vermont.
Born in Nigeria, Femi’s family settled in the U.S. when he was seven. He grew up in Washington state and enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 20. He surrendered his life to Christ when he was 23 years old while stationed at Camp Pendleton, Ca, and attending Pacific Coast Church. He and his wife, Amy, were married in 2011 and have four children: Boaz, Ezra, Eliana, and Lydia. After almost 16 years of service, he retired from the Marine Corps in Jan 2013. Femi was ordained on May 17 th , 2020, and has been serving as the associate pastor of East Randolph Baptist Church since September 2022. He is currently a student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary working on his MDiv in Biblical Counseling. He’ll likely graduate in the spring of 2028.
Meet the Team
Josh is the pastor at the United Church of South Royalton in South Royalton, VT. Josh recieved his Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte campus) and is currently studying for a Doctor of Ministry at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He and his wife have four children ages 13, 11, 10 and 9. In their free time they take walks, visit coffee shops, read good books, watch movies and enjoy the occasional hike.
Marty has pastored the East Randolph Baptist Church since 2002 and has enjoyed seeing the church growing and understanding the truth and application of the gospel. Marty has four kids and was married to Julie in 1998. He grew up in New England and after a few years in Kentucky came back to serve in Vermont. Marty enjoys serving his small town and the way of life in rural Vermont.
Michael is an elder of Redeemer Church in St. Albans, VT. Before moving to Vermont two and a half years ago, he and his wife, Kayla, spent time in various ministry roles in Tennessee, Germany, and Ireland. Michael and his wife have two wonderful children; Rowan and Arna.
