We interviewed Pastor Ken Wytsma, author of The Myth of Equality about why pastors should view seeking justice for the oppressed as a form of care ministry. In light of recent events in our nation, his insights are particularly timely and beneficial for church leaders to hear. Why are you passionate about helping the underserved? When I was eight years old, a refugee … [Read more...]
The roller coaster they never wanted: Helping people trust God when their lives are upside down
If you are a pastor, then I’m sure every once in a while you have a conversation with a Job. You sit down with someone, hear his story, and find it hard to imagine that anything else possibly could be going wrong in his life. It’s natural to feel disheartened by such a story. Certainly, it’s disheartening to live that kind of story. It can feel like nothing is left to be … [Read more...]
Helping people rediscover joy in trials
How do you help believers overwhelmed by a whirlwind of trials benefit from what the New Testament writers have to say about joy? First, keep in mind the nature of biblical joy: Joy is fueled by valuing what God values so that as we see Him at work, there is a genuine excitement about what He is accomplishing. Consequently, without submitting to the Spirit and avoiding … [Read more...]
Encouraging people to open up after trauma
The word trauma means “wound,” so a trauma is a wound to the mind, the heart, and the soul. Sometimes it’s a wound to the body as well. But it is a wound to the whole person, and it happens when suffering overwhelms what we would consider normal human coping. We all deal with stress in our lives, and we have ways of managing that, but trauma goes beyond that. It would … [Read more...]
How to care for victims of racism
An interview with Jerome Gay Jr. and James Roberson Racism is the oppression of a group of people for the preservation of another group of people. Whether systemic or subtle, racism robs its victims of security, dignity, worth. Either a pastor’s response will help those affected to wade through the resulting feelings of anger and frustration in a God-honoring way, or … [Read more...]