Care &amp; Counseling

A Center for Conflict Resolution

By Joe L. Cope Abilene Christian University, with a long history in church conflict resolution and peaceful reconciliation, formalized its emphasis through the creation of the Center for Conflict Resolution in 2000. Through the years, the center has offered services to churches, organizations, schools, and families in a variety of ways””from special training and consulting to direct conflict intervention. Center staff members and supervised volunteers have worked throughout the United States and internationally in mediating a wide range of conflict situations. The university has announced the formation of the Department of Conflict Resolution and now offers a master”s degree in

August 20, 2006

Why Do I Live in a World Filled With Pain?

By Tim Harlow I fulfilled a long-standing promise to my wife and took her to Hawaii for our 20th anniversary. We had never been to Hawaii together, and I have to tell you it is everything we expected. It is the Garden of Eden, as best I could imagine. It was like some kind of dream””perfect weather, tropical fruit, and hula people. But we had to come back to Chicago in February. There was something about the 100-degree shift in temperature (it was 15 below zero wind chill when we landed) that caused me to ask myself, How did this

August 20, 2006

Hurricane Katrina–One Year Later

By Brad Dupray Just one year ago a watchful nation witnessed the power of Hurricane Katrina via televised reports and Internet updates as residents of the Gulf Coast experienced its power firsthand. The result was the greatest natural disaster to strike the United States in its history. Nearly 1 million homes were damaged or destroyed, more than 1,800 people were confirmed dead, and the population of the city of New Orleans decreased by well over 50 percent causing severe economic impact. The Christian Church Responds In the wake of this devastation Christian churches across the U.S. and around the world

July 23, 2006

How Could I Preach Again?

By Kevin Jett Eight years ago when I was preaching at First Christian Church in Mount Olivet, Kentucky, I went through a devastating divorce. In the span of a few months, I lost my job, my home, my wife, and I almost lost my sanity. At age 31, I had to move back into my mother”s home. I thought I had lost everything. I did not even have a bed to sleep in. I felt like a complete failure. I had failed not only my heavenly father, but also my family and many friends who believed in me. I was

May 28, 2006

Beth’s Story

By Iona Kay Ellett Matson In the summer of 2001 I began earnestly praying for God’s guidance in the care of my 84-year-old mother, Kathryn. She had been in declining health for a year, and in June had fallen and broken her hip. I didn’t want her to move from her house of 31 years to enter a nursing care facility. This was her home, the place she had spent many happy years with my father, Lertis Ellett, a Christian minister and Army chaplain, before his untimely death some years before. Yet it was obvious some kind of around-the-clock care

May 21, 2006

Broken Mirrors

By Name Withheld Picture a mirror (maybe an ordinary hand-held one or a fancy wall mirror with an ornate frame like the one in Snow White). Now imagine that mirror is cracked and broken. Maybe pieces are missing. Maybe the glass is lying on the floor. Maybe it”s still in the frame but so damaged it looks more like a spider”s web than an instrument of reflection. Â Â I SOUGHT HELP when I realized I had a sexual addiction problem. Throughout my life fantasy, masturbation, and pornography (sexual “acting out”) were my way of existing and escaping reality. So,

April 2, 2006

Saying the Last Good-bye to My Dad

By Paul E. Boatman I write these words at my dad”s bedside in early November. It is Tuesday morning at 5, and Russell Boatman”s death is expected within hours. He has seemed close to death several times in the past year, but this time the end of life seems imminent. His 91-year-old body is yielding to the inevitable outcome of living in a fallen world. He is resting fitfully, breathing in shallow gasps, and talking to himself about needing to “get going.” He clings to life with the tenacity of one who prizes life as God”s gift, yet he has

January 22, 2006

You See It in Their Eyes

By Brad Dupray You see it in their eyes. As hundreds of people stream forward for anointing, their eyes tell the stories. Some are hurting. Some are joyful. Many are simply looking for a spiritual connection. When our senior pastor, Barry McMurtrie, came to Crossroads Christian Church (Corona, California) 11 years ago, he introduced a concept to the elders that pushed us way outside of our comfort zone. He took seriously the admonition of James 5 that anyone who is sick should “call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him.”* As Communion was served each

November 20, 2005

GRIEF RELIEF (Part 3 or 3): Widows and Grief–How to Show You Care

When someone you know is grieving, it’s easy to feel unsure what to say or do. These practical do’s and don’ts offer compassionate guidance for showing up, listening well, and staying present long after the funeral.

November 13, 2005

GRIEF RELIEF (Part 2 or 3): Children and Grief–Some Commonsense Answers

Children grieve losses too, but they’re often overlooked after a death. This practical guide explains how kids experience grief, how to prepare them for funerals, and how adults can offer comfort, communication, and steady spiritual reassurance.

November 6, 2005

GRIEF RELIEF (Part 1 or 3): Funeral Services Are Good for People

Funeral services help mourners face the reality of death, overcome denial, and begin healthy grief work. Victor M. Parachin outlines eight therapeutic benefits of funerals, from community support to spiritual comfort.

November 6, 2005

GRIEF RELIEF: Resources for the Grieving

A curated list of grief recovery books to share with the bereaved, including compassionate guidance for suicide loss, holiday grief, and the death of a spouse—plus a Psalm-centered reflection for those who mourn.

September 11, 2005

Ken Meade

How Are They Doing Now?

Four years after 9/11, David and Peggy Beamer share how they’ve carried grief after losing their son Todd on Flight 93, what “Let’s Roll” means to them, and how faith continues to steady them.

August 7, 2005

Larry W. Bailey

Care & Counseling Trauma

Caring for Those in Crisis

A Christian-oriented model for helping people in crisis, built around the “Five R’s”: relate, release, recognize, redirect, and reflect. Practical guidance for supporting others through shock, loss, confusion, and change.

August 7, 2005

Chris DeWelt

Helpful Words to Those Who Are Hurting

After losing his oldest son in a family accident, Chris DeWelt shares what grief is like and offers practical, Scripture-shaped ways to walk with those who mourn—now, and in the months and years that follow.

August 7, 2005

Care & Counseling Anxiety & Depression

When a Baby Dies

Miscarriage grief is often minimized, but it is a real loss. Victor M. Parachin shares practical, compassionate ways to show up, speak healing words, and support a friend through the long process of mourning.

July 17, 2005

Victor Parachin

Ministering to the Mentally Ill Pastor

Using Harry Emerson Fosdick’s story, Victor Parachin offers practical dos and don’ts for church leaders who want to support a pastor facing mental illness with empathy, patience, hope, and professional guidance.

May 22, 2005

Mike Cope

Compelled to Welcome the Children

After a devastating church-van wreck and a nearby homicide, Mike Cope describes how prayer, compassion, and “grandparenting” love opened grieving hearts. A call for churches to welcome and nurture the unparented in their communities.

March 29, 0010