Self-harm behaviors can be a foreign concept to many of us adults, but they are on the rise among adolescents and young adults. The National Institutes of Health indicate rates anywhere from 7 to 24 percent in teenagers, but as high as 38 percent in college-age women.1 However, these self-harm behaviors are oftentimes misunderstood by those who seek to minister to them. Given … [Read more...]
Building relationships with families touched by chronic illness and disability
The numbers have grown too big to ignore. More than 65 million people, 29 percent of the US population, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member—a child with special needs, a spouse with cancer, a parent with dementia, a family member with schizophrenia. So how will our churches serve these families—through all ages and phases of care? And it’s not … [Read more...]
5 mistakes to avoid when counseling the sexually abused
When individuals tell you, Pastor, that they were sexually abused or raped, often those victims are terrified, full of shame, and sure that you are going to think less of them. However, they have also given you great honor and privilege because they have decided that you may be a safe person in their most unsafe place. But ministering to men and women who are victims of … [Read more...]
How we provide (sustainable) holistic care
What is holistic care ministry, and why is it important? Wendy Herrberg, care ministry director at Indian Creek Christian Church, “The Creek,” in Indianapolis, IN (who formerly worked as an RN in an oncology hematology unit), and Susie Howard, assistant care ministry director, explain how their church’s care ministry views each facet of an individual’s life—the physical, … [Read more...]
Caring for someone released from prison
It’s been five years since Miea Walker was released from prison, where she served a nine-year sentence for a money crime. She knows firsthand the needs of prisoners inside the system and what their struggles are after their release. With her bachelor’s degree and two associate degrees completed while in prison, she now has become an advocate for prison reform. She spoke to us … [Read more...]
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