When he comes into your office, his hopelessness is clear. Jon doesn’t see a future for his life. The car accident, the pile of medical bills, and his marriage falling apart weigh heavily on him. He has met with a support group, but the pain seems only to intensify. He is looking for a way out and thinks taking his own life is the only option left. How do you help him? What … [Read more...]
“Complicated grief” and how a church can help
What is “complicated grief”? For a grieving person, grief is the 24/7 awareness of the tragedy that’s befallen him or her. It’s the thought that keeps running through that person’s mind, saying, “My wife died, my husband died, my daughter died.” The person can still function but carries the grief wherever he or she goes. It still lingers without much movement or progress two … [Read more...]
10 ways to pastor adoptive parents and those considering adoption
There are many ways that you can express your pastoral care for those considering adoption and those who have adopted already. As an adoptive father and former pastor, I offer a few thoughts on how to help adoption become a biblically based, heart-led, missional movement in your church and not merely another program on your church’s list. 1. Develop your own heart for the … [Read more...]
2 ways pastors undermine volunteer recruiting
Any pastor knows that in order to accomplish ministry work within the church, volunteers are needed. However, how often do you find yourself either searching for those volunteers or finding that the same people are volunteering for everything (and are quickly becoming burnt out)? Below, I’ll share two ways that pastors unknowingly undermine volunteer recruitment as well as … [Read more...]
Spotting domestic abuse
John and Carol were in counseling for over a year. Their presenting problem was identified as communication issues and difficulties agreeing on how to discipline their teenage son. John was a deacon in their church and managed security for a large corporation. Carol was a homemaker. They were married seventeen years, their son just turned fifteen, and they had two younger … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- …
- 11
- Next Page »