Care & Counseling

Care & Counseling gathers Christian Standard articles that offer biblical hope and practical guidance for seasons of pain, confusion, and personal struggle. Here you’ll find resources on grief and loss, anxiety and depression, trauma, addiction, relationships, forgiveness, and spiritual burnout—along with pastoral wisdom for walking with others who are hurting. These articles aim to encourage healing, strengthen resilience, and help individuals and churches provide compassionate, Christ-centered care.

September 9, 2011

Christian Standard

Beauty from Ashes

By Mark A. Taylor Time and again we see and feel God”s presence most clearly in the midst of human tragedy. It”s as if we need to strip away all our pretense of self-sufficiency before we can fully submit to God, who was the only one in control all along. Consider the ongoing reports of Christians at work in the aftermath of the terrible Joplin tornado. What besides such a crisis would have stimulated the outpouring of service and generosity that Joplin residents have received at the hands of Christians from across the continent? What else could have brought the

September 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Help, hope, and lives . . . Forever Changed

By Darrel Rowland Perhaps none of us can forget where we were and what we felt when we first heard of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. But perhaps many of us don”t know how God has worked through individuals and the local church to bring redemption and hope since then. This week we want to tell that story. Chip Gilgen was staring at the burning World Trade Center from a 25th-floor window of his FBI office when he saw the second plane slam into the other twin tower. Lisa Gilgen was still at work near Rockefeller Center while a coworker

July 2, 2011

Christian Standard

A Firsthand Report on the Joplin Tornado

By Victor Knowles It was a searing scene straight from of the book of Revelation. Thunder crashing, lightning flashing, wind howling in excess of 200 mph, hail hammering everything in its path like a merciless Hun invasion, and “ball lightning”—big balls of red fire bouncing across the ground like bizarre basketballs from Hell. “It was like a nuclear bomb was dropped,” exclaimed a stunned Errol Bolt, who has survived several hurricanes in his native Jamaica. And when the EF-5 tornado had spent its fury, one-third of the city of Joplin, Missouri, lay in ruins. The Weather Channel’s Al Roker initially

June 30, 2011

Christian Standard

After the Japanese Earthquake

By Reggie Hundley On March 11, a powerful earthquake struck just off the island of Japan. The destruction and loss of life from the quaking earth paled in comparison to the cataclysmic power of the resulting tsunami. News of the devastation traveled around the world. And within moments, people were contacting the forwarding agents of missionaries and the offices of Mission Services Association, the National Missionary Convention, International Disaster Emergency Services (IDES), and others. People from around the world wondered how friends and residents of Japan were faring. Perhaps the words of Paul Clark, longtime president of Osaka Bible Seminary,

February 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Story of Abuse, Rescue Featured on “˜Oprah”

On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey devoted her show to the story of Kathie and Kellie Henderson, sisters who were molested and abused by their father and brothers for years””and the family from Countryside Christian Church (Wichita, KS) who rescued them. Jim Vasey, an elder at Countryside and a member of the board of trustees at Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO), and his wife, Shelly, lived in the same neighborhood as the girls but never suspected the abuse. When the sisters finally confided in them, the Vaseys contacted the police and walked with the girls through the difficult days that followed. Shelly

October 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Offering Prayers after School Shooting

Our prayers are with the faculty and students at Mid-Atlantic Christian University (Elizabeth City, NC) after a Mid-Atlantic student allegedly shot and killed sophomore Jonathan Schipper on Sunday. The school has held a memorial service and many local ministers and counselors are available to staff and students. “We appreciate the outpouring of love and support we are receiving from churches, Christians, sister schools, supporters, other institutions of higher education, the community of Elizabeth City, and friends and alumni around the world,” the school said in a press release. “While our response to your offers of support, love, and prayers may

August 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Burnout in Ministry

By Ryan Conner Jim had trouble sleeping. He lay in bed most of the night tossing and turning. His mind kept repeating the same list of tasks. Getting ready for his day of ministry duties seemed to require extra effort. He dreaded going into the church office and dealing with the phone messages, e-mails, and the handful of people who can”t seem to leave him alone. The same ministry tasks that used to bring Jim so much joy and fulfillment””visitation, leading small groups, even preaching””now brought only stress and frustration. Thoughts popped into his mind throughout the day””perhaps he should

August 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Avoiding Burnout, Surviving Burnout

By Mark A. Taylor Any of us could create situations that might lead to burnout among our Christian leaders. But burnout-afflicted ministers are not at the mercy of forces around them. They can control several steps that will lead to restored health. Ryan Connor this week makes some suggestions. R. Loren Sandford offers more in his book Renewal for the Wounded Warrior: A Burnout Survival Guide for Believers (Chosen Books, 2010). His advice for growing out of burnout can also help many of us from falling into it in the first place. Some of his ideas: “¢ Break the personal

July 26, 2009

Christian Standard

A Place of Quiet Rest

By Kelly Kastens In the fall of 2004 we moved into a long-awaited, brand-new worship center. It was an awesome time in the life of our church. And, for a while, it was an awesome time in my life. As worship programming director, I was insanely busy, but it was fun and it felt like we were doing something that mattered. God was showing up every week and new people were showing up every week and life change was happening. While all these good things were going on, I was getting busier and busier. There was always more to do,

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