Care &amp; Counseling

Interview with John Walker

By Brad Dupray As an ordained Christian minister and holder of a PhD in psychology, John Walker was looking for a way to marry his two passions to benefit the kingdom. Out of that desire was born Blessing Ranch, a ministry of resource and renewal for church leaders. John and his wife, Deanna, walked away from successful jobs and stable incomes to pursue their dream in 1994. Since that time, more than 3,000 Christian leaders have visited the ranch. Blessing Ranch is a family affair, as daughter Hope oversees the ranch”s accounting and daughter Charity is working on her PhD

January 25, 2009

Stop! in the Name of Love!

Â By Patti Cappa I am sure most of us remember the old Supremes” song “Stop! In the Name of Love.” In the 1960s I would stand on my fireplace hearth wildly singing it, just like Diana Ross, using a metal spatula as a microphone, but that”s not the story I want to relate hereSo often through the years at the clergy care center where I work, I have heard men and women say “they have been working so hard at ministry.” In fact, many are putting in 80 hours a week. They are counseling, organizing, going to meeting after

January 25, 2009

The Testimony of a Chaplain: Ruined

By Chaplain (Captain) Craig Honbarger Since returning home after a 15-month deployment, I”m completely and perfectly ruined. Sure, I suppose I have changed””I”m not sure I would call it post-traumatic stress disorder, but still I”m ruined just the same. I”m ruined in part because all of my old hobbies don”t matter much anymore. I used to strap on spandex and Styrofoam, jump on my bicycle, and ride sometimes a hundred miles a week. Those miles did not include the back-and-forth-to-work mileage and my normal physical training with the troops. Now that I”m ruined, my bike sits with the drive chain

September 28, 2008

A Man with “˜Faithful Eyes”

By Chuck Sackett It was through the Christian campus house that Chris met and married Rita. Unfortunately, their marriage turned disastrous. Rita was quickly unfaithful to her newfound faith and her newly married husband. After a few months of futile efforts at counseling, they divorced. Five years later, Chris met Cathy at a ministry event. They dated for about a year and a half, got involved in a marriage mentoring program in their congregation, and were nurtured by a mature Christian couple. After their wedding they continued to grow in their marriage and raised their three children to follow Christ.

April 27, 2008

Recovery at Virginia Tech

By Steve Wilkin The Virginia Tech community just observed “A Day of Remembrance” on the one-year anniversary of the tragic shootings that shook the campus and the nation April 16, 2007. Classes were canceled all day so people could attend the University Commemoration, candlelight vigil, and numerous smaller gatherings planned by various groups to help us grieve our loss in healthy ways. News coverage of this landmark anniversary has prompted many across the nation to reflect on the events of that blustery, terrible day last spring. How could such an event happen?” As much as I loathe it, still I

March 9, 2008

Douglas A. Spears

Your Church”s Confidentiality Policy

Churches and ministers face increasing legal pressure, making confidentiality policies more important than ever. Practical guidance includes consulting an attorney, reviewing insurance coverage, involving the congregation, and maintaining referrals to professional counselors.

March 9, 2008

Doug McCulley

Confidentiality in a Counseling Setting

A Christian counselor explains why confidentiality matters, when accountability requires broader involvement, and what church leaders should know. Practical policy recommendations help protect pastoral care while encouraging healing, trust, and healthy communication.

March 9, 2008

Tim Woodroof and Leland Vickers

Confidentiality: Always Helpful or Not?

By Tim Woodroof and Leland Vickers You are serving as an elder (or minister, volunteer leader, Bible class teacher, or pastor) for your local congregation and you are approached on Sunday by a longtime member””let”s call her Susan””who says she would like to talk with you about a “personal problem.” You agree to meet her for coffee, but Susan prefaces her discussion with a request, “This must stay only between the two of us. Can we agree that our discussion be completely confidential?” What is your response? The current church culture leads people to assume they have the right to

March 9, 2008

Policy on Confidentiality (a Proposal)

A proposed church confidentiality policy explains how leaders seek to care for people who are hurting, while clarifying legal and practical limits on confidentiality and the steps leaders may take to offer wise, discreet support.

December 23, 2007

“˜Carols” for any Season of Suffering

By Matt Proctor Max Lucado tells of Mrs. Smith, an elderly widow who loved her parakeet Chippy. His songs brightened her lonely days. One day while vacuuming, Mrs. Smith noticed Chippy”s cage was dirty. Opening the little door, she inserted her vacuum hose . . . when the phone rang. As she turned to pick up the phone, the hose shifted slightly and””slurp!””sucked poor Chippy down into the sweeper”s bowels. Horrified, Mrs. Smith dropped the phone, tore open the sweeper bag, and dug through the dirt until she found the now-brown little feathered lump. Chippy wasn”t breathing, so she did

November 21, 2007

Interview with Dawn Prendes

After Sgt. Henry Prendes was killed in the line of duty, his widow, Dawn, shares how God sustained her through grief and how Henry’s testimony sparked gospel impact across Las Vegas and beyond.

November 11, 2007

The Secret That Must Be Told

By Faith Ingraham I have lived with a secret for the majority of my life. Many others are living with the same secret and they, like me, are suffering from the damage and pain it causes. I was born into a pastor”s home, the sixth of nine children and the only girl. We attended church regularly and seemed to be the normal pastor”s family. My mother worked full-time as a secretary to support the large family. My father pastored several small churches. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 5 years old. I wanted to please God,

February 4, 2007

Barbara Thackston Rendel

Personal Journeys

After sudden tragedy reshapes a family’s path, this reflection traces grief’s sharp turns and the hope found when God leads. Stories of Sam and Dorothy show how loss can become ministry.

December 20, 2006

Interview with Bill Pile

In this candid interview, minister Bill Pile reflects on living with stage four prostate cancer, the support of his family and church, and why faith changes the way he thinks about suffering, treatment, and death.

December 3, 2006

Phil LeMaster

The High Cost of Marital Counseling

Marital counseling can be “free” for couples but costly for ministers. Phil LeMaster outlines the risks and offers wise limits—preaching the Word, referring when needed, counseling couples together, and guarding one’s own marriage.

September 13, 2006

Interview with Doyle Roth

After a head-on collision left Doyle Roth with severe injuries, he faced a long recovery filled with pain and discouragement. In this interview, he shares how his church cared for him and what he learned about hope, heaven, and hospital visits.

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

Paul E. Boatman

Beyond the Puppet and Puppeteer

When prayers don’t unfold as expected, it can shake confidence in God’s power. Paul E. Boatman contrasts two common errors and points to God’s presence and work “in all things,” even in deep suffering.

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

March 15, 2006