About Insight.
We are passionate about teaching and equipping believers with the life changing word of God.
Our Purpose
We want to help believers to live out the gospel of hope through the resurrection power given to them by the Spirit. We also want to equip believers to love others well and to live out the truth presented in Scripture. This is vital for the Church of God making it a living, thriving, growing redemptive community.
We achieve this purpose through individual and group counselling sessions but also through educating others to mentor and disciple through internships, training courses and seminars.
A Little History
Insight was born out of Elisha House Pregnancy and Family Support Centre, which had its roots in the Niagara Life Centre, (St. Catharines).
In the summer of 2021, Insight registered as a not-for-profit corporation, and the first Board of Directors was formed. At the same time, plans were initiated to purchase the property at 263 Division St., Welland. Further plans for renovating the new office building were laid in the hopes that these offices would be available in January, 2022. In January, the first of the Insight staff were hired, and the work of the ministry commenced on January 10, 2022.
Our Mission
To provide biblical counselling and to equip people with practical biblical training.
Our Statement of Faith
Insight Biblical Counselling is a Christian not-for-profit organization that offers counselling and training from a biblical perspective, the basic tenets of which are:
- We believe in One God who exists in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- We believe that God created all things for His glory, including man whom He made in His image; as such, all humankind has intrinsic value from conception to natural death.
- We believe that man, of his own volition, rebelled against God, plunging all of humanity into a state of sinfulness and causing separation between man and God.
- We believe that Jesus Christ, who is Himself God, took on human flesh to make Himself killable, suffered although He lived a sinless life, died on a cross and was resurrected from the dead in order to take the penalty of man’s sin upon Himself, providing a way for man to be reconciled to God through the forgiveness of sins.
- We believe that without faith in the substitutionary atoning work of Jesus, man cannot be reconciled to His Creator.
- We believe that God transforms the hearts of sinful people through the Word of God, the Bible, applied by the work of the Holy Spirit who resides within Christians. We believe that God uses Christians as instruments in His hands to convey biblical truth, in love, to others.
- We believe that God’s intended design for sexual relationship is only in the context of a covenanted marital relationship between one genetic male and one genetic female.
- We believe that our greatest calling in life is to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbours by serving them ahead of ourselves.
- We believe that Jesus Christ will return to finally and fully eradicate all evil and restore all good.
Our Staff
All of our staff members are highly trained individuals with hearts full of compassion for people and our ministry. At Insight we are committed to serving our clients with excellence.
Glen Slingerland
Executive Director
The Niagara Region has been home to Glen for most of his life. He lived close to the south shores of Lake Ontario until God led him to Westminster Theological Seminary in 2007. After marrying Rebecca the following year, she joined him in Philly while he completed his MA in Biblical Counselling. Glen began counselling at Elisha House in Welland after returning to Ontario. He worked there as a biblical counsellor and director until he accepted the Executive Director position at Insight in 2022. Glen enjoys renovation work, wordsmithing, and sharing good food with great friends. He and Rebecca have been blessed with 4 children: 2 sons and 2 daughters.
Scott Knoechel
Biblical Counsellor
Scott would say he would love to tell you all the wonderful things about himself, concluding that the only thing that makes any difference is that God has chosen him to be His. He knows that just a look internally reveals that life is a foolish adventure without knowing Christ (Philippians 3:7-9)- the rest is of little consequence. Scott’s first degree was in auto mechanics (which is why he is now a counsellor). He and his family came from the Chicagoland area to Welland in 2017 and are glad to be in Canada. He enjoys trying to play the cello and dabble in film photography. Scott loves to share the experiences of how Christ has and continues to heal and transform him in this frustrating world.
Lynn Murray
Biblical Counsellor
Lynn has lived in Niagara since her teens. She became a Christian in her mid thirties. Since then she has been all about learning. After attending a two-year Bible School course she went to McMaster U for an Addiction Careworker Diploma before obtaining a BA in Sociology at the same University. Lynn continued her thirst for learning by taking CCEF courses online and attending many conferences. In her downtime Lynn loves game nights, practical jokes, concerts and anything that involves being outside.
Andrea Kampen
Biblical Counsellor
Andrea grew up and lives in the Burlington area. She is a mom of 4, nana of 2 and life-long student of God’s Word. Her heart’s desire is to share her love for her Lord and His Word with others in both formal and informal settings in her home, the church and community. Andrea has served in various ministries, leading women and children in her local church, in Bible Study Fellowship International and with Women of Worth Conferences. She currently leads “Flourish,” a women’s ministry resource network. Andrea has studied Biblical Exposition with Charles Simeon Trust and has a Masters Degree in Biblical Counselling from Westminster Seminary. She loves coffee, reading, puzzling, swimming in northern Ontario lakes, watching live theatre and holding babies.
Karina Wierenga
Biblical Counsellor
Karina graduated from Dordt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Business, after which she completed her Master of Arts in Biblical Counselling at Westminster Theological Seminary. Karina is married to her husband Brian; together they have been blessed with 5 children- 3 boys and 2 girls. She is passionate about children and families, serves as a women’s bible study leader in her church and loves to play piano. Karina enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends; biking, hiking, listening to music, playing games and, of course, eating ice cream.
Allison Marr
Biblical Counsellor
After completing high school Allison was unsure of what to do with her life, but her deep love of talking with and listening to people as well as her passion for her local church lead her to get involved with volunteer work at her church-anything from helping in the nursery on a Sunday morning, to leading a Life group, leading Bible studies, and serving on a church board. During that time, she heard about CCEF and worked on completing the three counselling certificate programs offered there. She is known to say that CCEF changed her life and her faith. Allison started to work as a biblical counsellor at Elisha House in 2016, counselling individuals, families and leading groups, before joining the team at Insight in 2023. Since then, she and her husband have been wondrously blessed with three children. Allison still enjoys being involved at her church as much as her time and energy allows. She enjoys deep and meaningful conversations with people, the occasional competitive sport, and getting lost in a good book or Netflix series.
Elaina Budimlic
Biblical Counsellor
Elaina grew up on the Pacific coast in BC, surrounded by the natural beauties of God’s creation in the mountains, forest, and ocean. She currently resides in Cambridge ON, with her husband, Josh, and close to their friends and family. But wherever she is, you can find her in deep conversations with family, enjoying coffee with friends, eating ice-cream, and reading, writing, or listening to music. During her time at Heritage College & Seminary, the Lord was calling her heart to the ministry of biblical counseling as she began to see the great need of our communities, churches, and schools for biblical truth. After graduation, she pursued further education at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City to earn a Master’s degree in Biblical Counseling. She is currently in the process of completing certification with ACBC. Elaina loves serving on the Ministry to Women team at her church, leading a ladies’ small group in her home, and spending time getting to know others. Her desire is to share with others the joy of knowing Christ and being known by Him. She has a passion for walking alongside women through the journey of life this side of heaven, believing that the Word of God is sufficient for all our needs.
Mark Soppitt
Biblical Counsellor
Born and raised in the UK, Mark earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Law from Oxford Brookes University and a Diploma in Biblical and Theological Studies at Kings Bible College. He served as a police officer for five years before transitioning to pastoral work for seven years. In 2005, he moved to Canada to pastor a church in Niagara Falls with his wife Janet and their five children. He faced significant challenges in Canada, including severe mental health struggles, hospitalization, and being unable to work. His recovery unexpectedly included years working in a factory, where he rediscovered and deepened his relationship with God, supported by his wife, friends, and community. He finds hope in the life of Joseph and God’s ability to use our circumstances for His glory. He aspires to help others navigate their struggles to become wholehearted worshippers of Jesus. Mark serves in his local church, facilitates trauma healing groups, and enjoys reading, pickleball, songwriting, and spending time with Janet and their family.
Sara Schenkel
Biblical Counsellor
Sara takes great joy in walking alongside others and experiencing the transforming power of the gospel together. She is passionate about the importance of doing the inner, reflective work with God that leads to an abundant life of flourishing and walking in freedom (John 10:10). The town of Waterdown has been home to Sara for the past 38 years and it’s where her and her husband raised their family of 4 kids which has grown to include 2 daughters-in-law, a son-in-law, and a foster son. Sara graduated from McMaster University with a B.A. in History and a Diploma in teaching from Covenant Reformed Teacher’s College. She is enjoying her second career as a Biblical Counsellor after having completed her certification through CCEF. Sara serves on the Women’s Pastoral Support team in her church in Flamborough, is a mentor to women of various ages, and is a WrapAround trainer. Sara loves having deep chats with friends, reading, learning, and enjoying nature.
Michelle Sypkes
Administrative Assistant
Michelle was born and raised in Niagara. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and baking sourdough bread. After high school she attended Brock University for business administration where she studied economics, accounting, and business management. She has been known to actually enjoy doing taxes (a new-found joy), working this past tax season preparing personal and business returns. She is a creative person who loves photography and music and how they can embody Christ’s love for us and reflect our Creator. Michelle went to Niagara College and graduated from the photography program in 2019. She is also a family and lifestyle photographer here in Niagara but loves traveling and capturing moments abroad. She has been on mission trips to Ireland and Turkey and enjoys the adventure that being in new places brings! She loves that her desire to help others and work behind the scenes is being put to use here at Insight.
Marija Young
Development Director
Marija has lived on a family farm in the Niagara Region for most of her life, along with her two boys. Having worked in the construction industry for over 26 years, Marija thought it was time to follow her heart and passion for helping people. Marija has been a volunteer at Elisha House (and now Clarity Pregnancy Options) since 2013. She is familiar with the ministry work of Insight, having taken many of our Biblical Counselling Groups. They have all been life changing for her: through them she has learned about God’s unconditional love and realizes how blessed she is by how broken she was. Marija has a heart for people and a desire to use her past life experiences for God’s Kingdom purposes. She is grateful to be able to use her time and talents at Insight for the glory of God. She loves spending time with the family God’s given her, and enjoys travelling - usually to the beach!
We are a non-profit.
As such, donations are accepted and appreciated. We have several business and individuals that regularly support us, enabling us to do our work.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Insight
Internships
Available to college, university, and seminary students
If you feel that you have a calling and a heart for counselling, we would love to share with you how we work. An internship with us is a great way to experience what it means to walk alongside someone in need of help.
Biblical
Counselling Training
Pursue biblical counselling training online
The world is in need of the wisdom found in the Bible. Sharing it with those who need it most is our passion. If you share this passion we encourage you to think about taking our Biblical Online Training.
We are Always Looking for Good People
If you are interested in working with us and sharing God’s hope, please fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you shortly with more information.